Keeping track of cold calls so I don't call the same person next week (for example)?

I just use a simple Excel spreadsheet. I'll make a list of the business, phone number, website, person I'm looking to speak with and a few columns for what happened in my previous calls. I use my cell phone which will preload numbers that I've dialed before as I'm typing the number in so it's pretty easy to tell if I'm calling someone that I've already dialed.

I use prosperity central

Batchbook is a great CRM and only $9.95 per month. You can tag leads to organize them into different lists and create communication activities and follow-up tasks.

For those who use excel... do you guys do a number search before each call you make just to make sure you haven't called it before?

This is a good problem to have, it at least shows you are doing something proactive to build your business! Keep it up!

PS: I'd just use Excel.

It's been a while since I used Zoho but I'm fairly certain you can disposition the call with a variety of call statuses including a not interested or already spoke with type disposition. You used to be able to move the lead status field up to the top of the lead as well so it was easily viewable. IM me if you are still having zoho issues, I'll open a new account and walk you through it. How many calls are you making daily, are you cold calling?

If you want to spend your time on the phone instead of the computer, go old school...

Get yourself a couple of packs of 3x5 index cards, an index card box, and a set of daily dividers:



You can even buy printable sheets of Avery 3x5 cards so you can start off with a list of leads in the computer and start working them MANUALLY.

Each tab represents one day of the month.

After you make each call, jot down a simple comment (develop your own instantly recognizable shorthand) and move the card to the new action date:

"2/14/12: LP@WF re index cards & supplies - CB 2/28 @ 2"

You'd then move that card behind "28".

Caveman-like effectiveness. They don't worry about fancy systems - they club **** over the head and drag it home to the cave.



EDIT: Forgot to mention the semi-obvious... every day you start off by calling all the cards that have collected all month for that day.

Some simple shorthand:

LM = Left Message
CB = Call Back
CBT = Call Back Tomorrow
CBNM = Call Back Next Month
WCB = Will Call Back
WCI = Will Call In
NM = No Message
NA = Not Available
NG = No Good (Dead, Bad Lead)
BAD # = Incorrect phone number
SET: Date Set For Appointment

And so on, and so on...

I didn't know people were still doing the cold calling method. You are braver than I am! I commend you!

Isabella Fiorentino

Don't worry about calling the same person back. It many times takes up to seven contacts to make a sale, so I would just keep track of how many times that you called them. Just because a lead said that they were not interested this month, does not mean that they will never be interested or have a need for your service.

I have managed to outsource my cold calling now. However, if taking action is a problem for you, then go with Excel or just go old school like Brian said. Nothing takes the place of taking action because all of your fears about calling the same person more than once may not even be realized because most of them won't remember you after you get off the phone with them.

If you are doing some pretty consistent numbers, you could even get/build a one agent call center. It wasn't that hard.

What I suggest you in a true marketing is to by a white boards & put notes infront of your eyes.

Excel is your friend. Really, you can do a lot of things in Excel in terms of storing and organizing data. It is not a database tool like Access but it has been my number one tool in the last couple of years for organizing links, contacts, and other internet marketing related data.

For example, to keep track of who you've called, you can list and sort the phone numbers or business names and put a sign to the ones you have called or enable duplicate highlighting from "Conditional Formatting" so that you will know whether you called a phone number or not when you enter it to the column.

You can also use functions or macros to further organize your data.

By the way, always make back-ups of your files just in case.

I wouldn't worry much about calling the same place twice as I would missing follow ups.

I use excel. Actually print the list to call for the day. Have different columns for no, yes, not there, call back, etc. and put an x or the date with a pen in the appropriate column. It seems it takes away momentum to do it on the PC while calling.

Then on dinner break and/or after you're done, simply put an x in cases the said no, weren't there, and the date for the follow up, all in different columns in excel. Then sort the data by the said columns and copy the appropriate rows, including the uncalled numbers, in another sheet, organized by day. Repeat.

Maybe I'm old school or something but I use a rolodex... I don't do cold calling very often and normally use it once I've already talked to the prospect more than once and we are just going over the pre-contract details. I type all day long and don't like spreadsheets very much.

For someone who wants simple but a bit more than exel consider using access. A simple database may be all you need.

I use my cell phone, HTC 4G, to make and track my calls. theres an app, Mobile Power, that lets you import names and numbers the dispo each call. Also has setting not to recall voice mail or no answers untill a time frame that you put in. theres a free trial to test.