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Cut the BS, pick up the phone and don't accept NO for an answer!

by TheArsenal13
16 replies
Greetings Warriors!

A few days ago I found a thread titled, "Top 3 Things That Suck About Offline Internet Marketing". (great post btw)

After digging through the thread and reading peoples responses I noticed at least 90% of the replies stated they hated "cold calling".

So I decided to share some insight for increasing your overall success in sales and prospecting.

IMPORTANT TIP: Ignore the word NO!

If you want to be successful when dealing with local business owners you must not let your emotions get the best of you if they choose to decline your offer or sales pitch.

You MUST learn how to get positive results from negative circumstances.

Heres an important tip for getting past the word NO:

Do not confuse refusal with rejection - Just because a local business owner declined your pitch/offer doesn't mean you did anything wrong. There are 100's of reasons why a new marketing strategy or service might not be for them.

For example:

1)Their budget might not permit spending anymore money on advertising or new marketing strategy.
2)They've already hired someone in the past that promised results but fell short of delivering.
3)They receive a large amount of sales calls daily and have decided to stop listening.

If you deal with one of these situations, you have to learn from it. Take the situation and turn the negative circumstance into a positive learning experience.

Try to keep making your case and find out the REAL reason for the continuous refusal or reluctance. Even if you don't land a sale or service with your current prospect, you will be more prepared for you next call.

Like I said, it's all about turning a negative into a positive. Even if you get rejected 100 times, that 101 time could be your golden nugget!

Did you know it took Thomas Edison over 10,000 tries before he actually got the light bulb right? Keep that in mind before you think about giving up!

Anyways, I hope this helps.

*Cheers*
#ignoring #importance #prospecting #word
  • Profile picture of the author s4nt0s
    Thanks for sharing this, I too often know how it feels to get shot down by local businesses during cold calling.

    It took a lot of courage for me to pick up the phone and throw my sales pitch at these business owners so when I first started getting rejections it hit me pretty deep.

    I finally realized that it was part of the process and that you cannot win them all.

    Awesome stuff, thanks for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    You know what I do when I get a cold call that doesn't understand the word NO.

    *** click ***
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    • Profile picture of the author GoGetta
      I agree and have been saying this for a while now! hehe The phone is a magical thing in the offline arena if you stick with it! ; )

      Originally Posted by sbucciarel View Post

      You know what I do when I get a cold call that doesn't understand the word NO.

      *** click ***
      Yes, this maybe true in your case, but not everyone does this. I see it like salesletters online. The chances are if you got a 4% conversion which is high, you also get 96 ****Clicks****

      Cold calling is different in regards to conversion but it is the same analogy! You gotta dial the numbers, not everyone will say yes, and thats the same in every niche, however you market!

      GoGetta
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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      • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
        If you are that easily discouraged by rejection, you may as well just hang up your marketing hat.

        I think it is extremely important to follow up with a call in offline prospects.

        Not only that, but when you get a "no" it is silly not to call back again a few months later and try again - because you don't know really how someones business has progressed and if they are hurting or still in the same boat you may sway them the second or even third time around.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gavin Abeyratne
    Hmm, I don't really recommend cold calling as a good way to generate leads. Its certainly not the most time effective.

    Choosing your prospects is actually a lot more important than how well you sell them.

    The same principles of 'targeted' lead generation apply to offline business as to affiliate marketing.

    You're much better off searching for leads that are to some extent pre-sold on the idea, and then starting a dialogue... people that already understand the value of marketing, business owners you know, or friends know etc.

    my 2 cents
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  • Profile picture of the author MRomeo09
    The average sale takes almost 10 calls to make. 10!!!! That means they say no 9 times before they finally say yes.

    So, you have to keep that in mind. No doesn't mean No. No means not right now, I don't trust you yet.

    Your goal should be two fold to get a decision yes or no(too many people are happy with Let me think about it.), and to develop the relationship a little further. Because the next time you can ask how the ball game of Sally's went and be just a little further along in the relationship. And as they get to know you it gets harder for them to say no.

    In other words the goal of a cold call is to make it a warm call.

    I go by what Jay Abraham said in the Strategy of Pre-Eminence. I know what I offer, I know they need what I offer. I won't take no for an answer because it wouldn't be in their best interest. If it takes me "visiting with them a dozen times" then so be it.

    Just my opinion.
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    Your opinion of yourself becomes your reality. If you have all these doubts, then no one will believe in you and everything will go wrong. If you think the opposite, the opposite will happen. It’s that simple.-Curtis Jackson- 50 Cent
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  • Profile picture of the author TelegramSam
    It is a numbers game, just like lots of other things.

    However, there are ways to improve the numbers and one of them isn't to beat someone over the head until they buy.

    I get what the OP is trying to say, but it is incorrectly stated.

    If someone doesn't take my NO for an answer I will hang up or give them a verbal.

    There should be no such thing as a cold call for best success. I should agree to have a conversation on the phone with you beforehand somehow.

    If someone cold calls us they get the click.

    Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author kevinfar
    You can't just give up just because someone gave you the cold shoulder.

    If you keep on trying time and time again, you will surely find someone who will respond back in a positive manner.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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      • Profile picture of the author Keith Boisvert
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post


        To become successful, you need to spend as high a proportion of time as possible on the phone with "high probability prospects".
        Hit the nail on the head with that statement. If you spend the time to identify who your target demographic is, then your chances for success increase dramatically!

        Not every business owner is your prospect. You obviously want to target the ones that have money to spend or willing to invest in their company.

        keith
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  • Profile picture of the author Riz
    You will get a lot of rejections in the offline world - but the ones that do not reject can put 1000's of pounds in your pocket and in return you can help improve their business.

    Personally for me, cold calling (on the phone) has been the least responsive but their are many other ways to make contact with higher success.

    Riz
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  • Profile picture of the author grandstar
    No may simply mean they do not truly need your product! Some marketers have to get that fact.

    Its akin to an im'er expecting to have 100% conversion rate or even 50%! People must see a need. If they do not need it, they don't need it!

    All you're keen on is to make that $ and not the clients view.

    We must know when to quit and say good bye.

    Perhaps another product may entice them
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  • Profile picture of the author kay12345
    is there any good cold calling tutorials available?
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  • Profile picture of the author Adrianne_
    Cold calling is not for everyone. You definitely have to have the right personality to accomplish such a brave task. Does it work? Absolutely! It's similar to belly2belly marketing excepts its over the phone. Once you get past the learning curve of cold calling, you become proficient at it and its a cakewalk after that.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by sbucciarel View Post

      You know what I do when I get a cold call that doesn't understand the word NO.

      *** click ***
      I usually preface the click with "what part of NO was I unclear about?"

      A good cold caller can take my "no" gracefully and move on without ruining the chance of doing any business with me. The average "don't take no for an answer" caller leaves me determined that, even if I eventually buy from his company, it won't be from him.

      My favorites are the guys (and it seems to always be guys) pitching high-end business coaching programs. When I don't follow the script to a quick sale like they role-played it in training, they shift quickly to brow-beating, badgering and manipulation.

      Originally Posted by kay12345 View Post

      is there any good cold calling tutorials available?
      Ari Galper has some good stuff, especially if you aren't comfortable with trying to apply pressure.

      His program is a little pricey, as it's aimed at companies with training budgets, but his blog and free stuff will get you started.
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