More Cold Calling Advice... From a... NOOB!?!

Thank you for this post!

I am sitting here freaking out because very, very soon, I will have to start making calls and I don't want to. No matter how many cool ideas I try, and how many WSO's I buy that are supposed to teach me how to get a billion clients without cold-calling, they just don't work.

I like your approach, and I thank you for writing it out because I needed some motivation today to pick up the phone.

Cheers,

w

Edit: Do you have the link to the post you referred to? I am searching with no luck.

Great advice.

I was exactly the same way but I go out but it is very discouraging to get rejected and not called back so you start to not do it as much.

But I agree you need to change your mindset and say "hey, I'm doing these people a service that is going to benefit them way more" that's what I think at least when heading out.

I cold call for referrals and I can get a lot on board (yes it's different) but it is all how you phrase stuff. You also must know everything you are talking about so if they ask you about it you don't sound dumb.

Confidence and not studdering help extremely so you should practice your pitch and any replies you think they will throw at you.

No WSO is going to help sadly they are great for getting new idea but your pitch is all up to how confident you are in your service at the end of the day the business owners or anyone can hear it in your voice.

Good Job. and brave of you to post this.

Have you noticed the more you say the same thing on your calls the stronger your conviction and confidence gets? getting Smoothhhh!?

speaking of bravery, if you like football. here is a true story.

Insurance industry. Agents had to pick up the phone and make calls. most failed.

1 guy was a professional cornerback (will never mention the name).
retired and got into selling insurance.

the day came for him to get on the phone and all he could do was stare at his desk, in total fear.

the manager was amazed.

a big guy, taking big hits, pounding people on the field....but could not pick up a phone and talk.

The hardest hit was in his mind. He couldn't do it.

You Can.

Hey, great thread. I used to have the same fear when I was starting out in sales and marketing but I've gotten over it after a weeks. You just have to face your fears and keep doing it until it becomes as natural as talking to a friend.

Way to go! I love hearing stories like this.

DTaylor

Thank you for this thread..I just started cold calling (with success) with lead generation, but tried giving away websites today and I SUCKED!! lol I stopped after only 10 calls...I laughed when I read you not being able to choose the gun or the phone..after today I would probably pick the gun lol I am going to try again tomorrow and see how it goes.

Good Post. It's nice to read something from a newbee, and not one of the "self proclaimed" know-it-alls that always post.

I'd offer my clients regular services - the directory would be the foot in the door/sweeten the deal method. If the traffic question arises - which won't happen yet simply because it isn't created and I haven't told anybody that it is. I'm still working out the kinks in my head - I think I'll slowly just keep working at it with SEO, social media maybe even some PPC if I start charging for placement as you say. We're marketers - driving traffic is the least of our worries!!

I just finished another P90X workout it's 1 AM so it's pretty late to be working out, I can only hope that I'll fall asleep now...

Not sure if you guys have done it or not - but it's a very intense workout that is supposed to transform your body over a 90 day period. I've had this workout DVD for over 2 years and I have yet to go past week 3 - needless to say there hasn't been any transformation whatsoever.

Well, I've started it again - but this time I'm pacing myself, I'm not throwing myself in the deep end, expecting crazy results and getting discouraged when I don't lose weight or complete more reps than I did the previous week. I've now been at it for about a month and still going strong. In fact the reason I did it so late tonight is because I was so busy today I just didn't have time to squeeze it in - but, I'm in such a zone, such a craving for results I just can't stop.. Because I know if I keep at it - I'm going to be where I want to be.

I'm quickly starting to realize it's the exact same with cold calling.. DUH!

First off, we constantly look around for methods to prospect within WSO's hoping there is a magic button that will make it so we won't have to call anybody, or walk into any businesses. Perhaps there's a method in which 100% of our e-mails get opened and all the recipients will come crawling to us begging for our services...

Very similar to working out - so many people are scanning the internet for a pill that will shed that fat away.. the only thing these methods relieve us of is our money...

Secondly - the true killer of all of our success is playing Devil's advocate, with ourselves. We over analyze everything to the point that we just write it off and look for another tactic that is 'seamless'.

I have one of my first meetings with a business owner tomorrow, and there's a very good chance I'll be asked some questions that catch me off guard and I lose the prospect..

But, am I going to find out what these questions are by sitting on Warrior Forum, No.

Am I going to find out how I react to these questions by sitting on the forum, No.

Am I going to gain the confidence required to rebuttal any tough questions that come my way by sitting on the forum, No.

No matter how many people you hear from on the WF that are out there getting it done - you will never know how it really works until you go do it yourself. Simply because the person who posted his/her results on here does not have the same personality you do.. so, how will you guys bring about the same interactions? It's like taking somebodies cold calling script and reading it verbatim - I don't know about you guys but I trip and stumble through it and get so discouraged. Yet it's not even the same type of vocab that I'd normally use so why would I expect it to work for me?! (This is back when I'd make one phone call a month)

For example, my experience is in hotels - I've been raised in hotels since I was 6 years old. So, if I came on here and started threads every single day for a year on how to run a hotel, would you then be ready to walk into a hotel management position? Nope. You wouldn't really know what's going on until you started answering phones, running around when fuses are blowing, checking in 20 customers at a time, dealing with complaints in the middle of the night. But, you'd certainly catch on very quickly on how you react in those situations and adjust accordingly for how YOU would best deal with it all.

Same if you were to start a column on how to golf - I could read that every day.. But, it doesn't mean I'd be out there smacking balls on the green after a year of sitting on the couch reading how to do it.

Just like in anything you gotta start at the bottom and allow true experience be your teacher.

A few months ago I walked into my very first prospects office - and the meeting went from bad to worse. Going in there I was CONVINCED I'd be walking out with a $1000.00 SEO contract for 3 months up front. Result.. I walked out with no money - with a promise of delivering a 30 second video for $50.00. Not only that, he dissected me to the point he knew my entire situation and that I had no track record for providing results in this industry since I was brand new.

Over that entire time, I dealt with him so much going back and forth about this bloody video - trying to get payment after he accepted the final version.

I finally mustered up the strength to walk in their after 3 months of being avoided and spoke with him - got my cheque.. found out he had signed with ANOTHER marketing company in the mean time even though I had provided a great service at a very good rate... as I walked out I told him once he's finished messing around with the other guys to give me a call so we can start getting some real results for his business.. He chuckled and told me to keep in touch.

That's just confidence that has grown over time from dealing purely with him - it's insane that our skills are in such an infant state that they will grow from the slightest of interaction with business owners.

Just like your muscles. You work at it and they will grow!!

So, am I going to fail tomorrow? Absolutely not.

I might not get anywhere with the prospect - but that's certainly no failure - I've failed everyday for the past 3 months, staring at phones and checking my inbox hoping on a reply.

I'm just working my muscles. Start at the low end of the rack and keep at it.. soon you'll be able to break down walls!!

As Tony from P90X says.

"Get out of your own head, man. Just show up!!"

BTW Golf Instruction Guy,

The previous post wasn't directed at you - simply worked off of your to put the post together..

Thanks,

James

That's an inspiring post. I can't help but laugh about the gun and phone thing. Congratulations! Keep it up!

How are your meetings going so far?

Hey guys,

So the meetings went semi-decent. I sort of shot myself in the foot by not having business cards - and what I was trying to accomplish with the meeting always ended in a business card request.

Today was by far my best meeting. I met with a kitchen cabinet company, I asked him the questions about the directory.

One of my questions I've put in there is "how is most of your business acquired, what type of marketing do you do?" This never raises any flags as to why this matters for a directory listing - 2 out of 4 have said internet marketing.

Well, today I told the guy - I've actually got an e-book I put together on SEO if you'd be interested I could e-mail it to you.

And it went from there... he's wanting to leave the current marketing company he is with and have me manage the entire thing -> I've asked what to charge HERE..

Just so you can get an idea of how well the meeting went!!

I was getting a little discourage that I wasn't navigating the meeting the way I was hoping to in the first 3 - but today I just bit the bullet and threw something out there.

The reason I was nervous was simply because I did not want to look like I had an ulterior motive for the meeting. But, I think if you're in there and are generally just being a nice guy and are looking to help them out then nothing you say is going to raise any red flags.

Good luck guys!!

I'll let you know how it works out with this guy and anything in the future!!

I would like to thank you for sharing your experience. I am very inspired from your thread and starting to think even I can do this.

Will update with a new thread once I start making calls.

Thanking you

I'm a sales trainer. The most common problem salespeople have is with cold calling, which we also call "prospecting." Here's why that phone weighs 1000 pounds for you:

1. You don't know how long you're going to have to keep calling people
2. You don't know what you're going to say and do, what process you'll follow
3. **You think you have to convert everybody you call into a customer**.

That third one's a biggee! And it's totally wrong thinking!!

So you sit there, doing nothing, panicking inside, because you *know* you're going to fail!

The problem is with the mental equation you set up about cold calling. If your thinking is:

Premise: Everyone I call must become a customer

Equation: If everyone I call does not become a customer = I fail

then you're going to be afraid and miserable, aren't you!

With prospecting, your approach needs to be to have genuine conversations with people, and find out if they have an urgent need for what you offer. Then, you can schedule a face-to-face appointment (unless they're too far away for that...then you'll have to continue with the sales process).

Your equation should change to be:

Premise: I am calling to have genuine conversations to find out if my prospects urgently need what I have to offer

Equation: Whether I discover the prospect needs what I offer or not = Success

then you're going to be much more relaxed, aren't you?

The only failure in this situation is failure to make the calls. Finding out a "No" is not a failure at all! It's feedback, plain and simple.

For more thoughts about offline sales, check out my blog at kanigan.ca. You'll even find a sample call script there, guaranteed to keep you out of trouble and not annoy anyone if you follow it correctly!

I am enjoying the input from this thread, on different outlooks about Cold-calling. I personally hate that term, because the name alone puts you in a state of mental fright(subliminally). Technically, if anything Emailing is the cold prospecting. This week, I am really going to dig my heels in warm-contacting. lol. Much Success to everyone.

@amartbuy: totally agree that "cold calling" is a term that induces a negative emotional reaction. Anyone wanting a different perspective, check out this post!

I know it's an old thread, but I just wanted you to know I really enjoyed reading this!

I could really relate to the pep talk you had to give yourself. I've been in phone sales for 20 years. It was much tougher to get myself motivated and disciplined to make my calls after I struck out on my own.

Throoe particularly a ,

thanks OP!