Question for Iamnameless

12 replies
Hey nameless,

Quick question : At your level of success, why don't you outsource the cold calling part? The only reason I don't do it is financial reasons.

You are surely at a level where you can afford to hire a team to do the calling, care to share why not?

I guess I want to find out when I can stop this damn calling and pay someone else to do it.
#iamnameless #question
  • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
    Originally Posted by payoman View Post

    Hey nameless,

    Quick question : At your level of success, why don't you outsource the cold calling part? The only reason I don't do it is financial reasons.

    You are surely at a level where you can afford to hire a team to do the calling, care to share why not?

    I guess I want to find out when I can stop this damn calling and pay someone else to do it.
    IMO, you should not outsource or hire, until you have a real real good grasp
    on how to do it yourself, and have run thru a ton of different scenarios

    so when your reps have questions, you can actually answer them
    in a way that will benefit you.

    Everyone hypes the "outsource this, out source that"
    well in a lot of cases that's just a recipe for disaster.

    Hiring outsource rs for controlled growth is one thing,
    hiring out of desperation, or plain ole "not knowing better"
    is completely different.

    Based on your posts, you are getting better every day, your very close to that
    aha moment. When you have it... everything will be different, you will
    no longer be fighting an uphill battle.

    as a matter of fact, when you do have it, everything is going to seam so easy

    One more thing, salespeople don't generally talk about, at least not openly
    There will come a time, where you can and will be able to get past every
    gatekeeper, you will be able to sell everybody you talk to.

    every person you talk to now gets you closer to being able to do that.

    imo, THAT is when it is time.
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    • Profile picture of the author payoman
      Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

      IMO, you should not outsource or hire, until you have a real real good grasp
      on how to do it yourself, and have run thru a ton of different scenarios

      so when your reps have questions, you can actually answer them
      in a way that will benefit you.

      Everyone hypes the "outsource this, out source that"
      well in a lot of cases that's just a recipe for disaster.

      Hiring outsource rs for controlled growth is one thing,
      hiring out of desperation, or plain ole "not knowing better"
      is completely different.

      Based on your posts, you are getting better every day, your very close to that
      aha moment. When you have it... everything will be different, you will
      no longer be fighting an uphill battle.

      as a matter of fact, when you do have it, everything is going to seam so easy

      One more thing, salespeople don't generally talk about, at least not openly
      There will come a time, where you can and will be able to get past every
      gatekeeper, you will be able to sell everybody you talk to.

      every person you talk to now gets you closer to being able to do that.

      imo, THAT is when it is time.
      Wait, there will come a time when you are able to sell everybody you talk to...really?

      So, since no one has ever said this (even the most experienced guys on this forum, like John Durham), I am quite surprised. Have you experienced this yourself?

      I think of it like this : are their people who simply outsource their calling and run a succesful business? Yes? Then I just want to know how they did that.

      Pretty straightforward. If it's been done before, I just want to know how.
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      • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
        Originally Posted by payoman View Post

        Wait, there will come a time when you are able to sell everybody you talk to...really?

        So, since no one has ever said this (even the most experienced guys on this forum, like John Durham), I am quite surprised. Have you experienced this yourself?

        I think of it like this : are their people who simply outsource their calling and run a succesful business? Yes? Then I just want to know how they did that.

        Pretty straightforward. If it's been done before, I just want to know how.
        Yeah dude, no BS. ask john, or jason... people don't talk about it
        for a few reasons ... One of those reasons is your reaction.

        But real sales people, the ones who have made it a career the ones who
        realized that sales really is the holy grail,

        yeah any product, any person, anytime.

        And the how is simple.

        they stop trying to sell, they learn how to let the prospect sell them selves.

        that is the whole key to sales. "stop selling" once you do ... your unstoppable

        and to answer your question about MY skill, if i told you
        my closing ratio, or even my average ticket, you would assume
        i was lying

        --edit--
        I just wanted to add to this, a LOT of salespeople hit this mark in short bursts
        They generally call it "on fire" or "on a roll" they can and do sell everyone they talk to.

        and then it ends, the run is over and quite often they then go into whats called "a slump"

        This happens for many many reasons. They changed up, started talking to much
        or maybe not listening to the prospect, or maybe they got cocky and it caught
        up to them ...

        That's why the roll ends, the reason they go into the slump, is they start changing things
        trying to get back to the "hot" spot, and by doing that, they dig themselves
        deeper and deeper into the slump.

        btw. the simple fix, is go back to basics. read the script verbatim.... it will work
        miracles.


        The veterans, the real pros, the ones that take there career as seriously as an astronaut does
        they have learned, how not change... i don't mean not adapt, i mean they have learned
        not to change what works.

        often, the greats cant even tell you why it works, and there entire approach is 100% based
        on instinct ... those are few and far between, but they are out there.

        ( i am not one of those while i have good instincts, I was taught everything i know
        and have added to it over the years, through lots of trial and error )
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  • Profile picture of the author prismkuet
    Because, when I call for myself, that is not a cold call for me. Every time, when I call, I know that there is a possibility of making a sell to him. But when someone else will do that, he will not do the thing similarly what I do. I think I am clear.
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  • Profile picture of the author massiveray
    I made about 500 calls in my first week doing offline, made £4,500 recurring, after setting up appointments and going in and closing.

    Week 2 I hired an outsourced guy from Australia to make calls to numbers that were gained from an outsourced guy in Pakistan, got me a couple more clients, so I hired a full time guy here in England to make the calls.

    I have never "needed" to make calls since my first week, however if I'm trying out a new script or way of attracting new clients I always do it myself before I pass it down to my sales guys (I have 4 full time guys right now).

    So yes, people do it and it can work. I just waited until I could afford to pay somebody to take a hugely time consuming thing off my hands.
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  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
    Originally Posted by payoman View Post

    Hey nameless,

    Quick question : At your level of success, why don't you outsource the cold calling part? The only reason I don't do it is financial reasons.

    You are surely at a level where you can afford to hire a team to do the calling, care to share why not?

    I guess I want to find out when I can stop this damn calling and pay someone else to do it.
    Because it's a pain in the ass. I am good, very good at what I do and I consistently try to improve and get better. HOWEVER, I am NOT a good teacher. I had a friend that was doing some cold calling for me, but it didn't do what I wanted... it took time to train him and it frustrated me that he just didn't get it. He tried blaming the script, so I made calls and closed a $1,300 deal with that same EXACT script. I had to fire him.

    Outsourcing overseas, I refuse to do for this.

    Ultimately, the goal IS to have a team doing this. The problem is it takes a lot of time to build your own team and I'm just not in that position yet. I want it in house, in my own office, not where they are not monitored and can't be coached, know what I mean? My goal is to maybe have this in place before the end of the year.
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  • Profile picture of the author Stephen Root
    Question for iAmNameLess and there's 6 other guys replying (including me)
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    • Profile picture of the author payoman
      Man, I don't get how you guys get this big $$$ deals.

      Maybe it's who I'm targetting? I target owners of trade-based services, like electricians/painters etc, mainly because I can call them direct to their mobile phone and getting past gatekeepers seems like a big waste of time most of the time, since owners are usually busy or just say 'not interested', only it takes 4 times as long.

      Admittedly, this week has been alot better. I have alot of leads and interest, but only for small jobs ($500-600 realm). Any tips on making more money?
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      • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
        Originally Posted by payoman View Post

        Man, I don't get how you guys get this big $$$ deals.

        Maybe it's who I'm targetting?

        Maybe not.

        When i first started sales i was broker then broke. It was cold calling for
        credit card protection plus a benefits pack edge. We sold it for 99.00

        Well i was broke. So 99 dollars was a big deal to me, i did not have it,
        so was hard for me to ask for 99 bucks....I eventually got over it.

        The more sales i made, the more money i made, so that 99 price tag
        began to mean nothing to me. It was just a matter of perspective.

        My next sales job was selling 900 numbers 499.00 per extension
        again, i had the same problem, i could not fathom some one spending
        500 bucks off a cold call. I eventually got over it

        My next sales job was selling some stupid bizz opp for $ 5000.00
        again, i had the same problem... cold call some one and get them
        to give you 5k ??? ... any way, once again i got over it

        I eventually wound up selling a product over the phone for 25k
        i had the same prob.. i eventually got over it

        What does this have to do with you and your question?

        maybe nothing, maybe everything.

        Perception is everything. If you don't really truly believe you
        have the right to ask for and receive a larger amount

        then you are never going to find the bigger deals.
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        • Profile picture of the author payoman
          To be honest, the reason I haven't been asking for more is because at a certain price point (between $300-$500), people believe getting a website for that much is such a steal they might as well just get one.

          At least that's been the reaction so far. Usually I say 'website' they say 'don't need it'. When I say 'website for $500' they say 'oh, really?'

          So...yeah..?
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          • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
            Originally Posted by payoman View Post

            To be honest, the reason I haven't been asking for more is because at a certain price point (between $300-$500), people believe getting a website for that much is such a steal they might as well just get one.

            At least that's been the reaction so far. Usually I say 'website' they say 'don't need it'. When I say 'website for $500' they say 'oh, really?'

            So...yeah..?
            are you sure its not your vibe? is it possible that when you say

            "website for $500'"

            Maybe your putting off the vibe ( i am giving you such a steal your an idiot if you don't take it )

            Or maybe, you yourself feel 500 is a nice comfortable number.
            so when you say 500, you say it with conviction, adding instant
            credibility and rapport.

            try an experiment. for entire week. no matter who you talk to
            say it costs 2000.00

            That gives you a few options

            A) after a wk of saying it you WILL get one or more for that price,
            and you will get more comfortable saying it.

            B) if they want what you have but really cannot afford 2k
            you can cut them a break on price, and look like the good guy

            C) if what they want isn't worth 2k, again after you quote them the price
            you can follow up with a price break. Or add in other things
            to bring the value up ... like auto responders, sms, whatever

            the point is, you look like the good guy, and you will feel like the good
            guy, and that alone will help you get more sales ...and more sales
            at a higher price.

            BTW, if you don't try that, at least do one thing different

            after your pitch, ask them what they think everything is worth
            i bet you will be surprised at what people say.
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  • Profile picture of the author BrandonMHowe
    Dang Ken, Great stuff! I love what you say about perspective..
    it's the metaphoric "bucket."

    That 100... or 500... or 2000 ... that $25k level... is simply the
    size money bucket you have in your current "reality."

    If my perspective is that I only have a big enough bucket to
    accept $500 or 2g's over the phone, I may miss anything extra...

    Excess spills out of the bucket.

    Change your perspective. Get a bigger bucket. Get bigger checks!

    Forgive if this was a little off topic from the OP... but definitely
    relates to post #9 and beyond... lol

    I surprised payoman never came back to this thread...

    I'm wondering if he started asking for the $2000 sale and
    how he's doing going for more $$$?
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