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Being pushy in cold calling

by thet
18 replies
What are your thoughts on being "pushy" during cold calls?
#calling #cold #pushy
  • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
    Define pushy.

    Life is about momentum. Things move. From the planet to a sale.

    And Newton's First Law of Motion covers what you need to do.

    'Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.'

    To expand; if nothing is happening to you, and nothing does happen, you will never go anywhere. If you're going in a specific direction, unless something happens to you, you will always go in that direction.

    If any entity, eg a business wishes to move from A to B and B is a non negotiable (eg greater revenues, profits, venues, lower costs, more markets etc etc) then it is a fact that it has to do something to make B happen.

    Your job is to either move them from doing nothing to something or to deflect them from their current path onto your path.

    So Newton says you can be pushy.

    Dan
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    • Profile picture of the author thet
      Originally Posted by jimbo13 View Post

      Define pushy.

      Life is about momentum. Things move. From the planet to a sale.

      And Newton's First Law of Motion covers what you need to do.

      'Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.'

      To expand; if nothing is happening to you, and nothing does happen, you will never go anywhere. If you're going in a specific direction, unless something happens to you, you will always go in that direction.

      If any entity, eg a business wishes to move from A to B and B is a non negotiable (eg greater revenues, profits, venues, lower costs, more markets etc etc) then it is a fact that it has to do something to make B happen.

      Your job is to either move them from doing nothing to something or to deflect them from their current path onto your path.

      So Newton says you can be pushy.

      Dan
      Well. I am asking you Great anwer btw!
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      • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
        Okay.

        If what you have is no benefit to me then you trying to get me to have an appt is pushy.

        If you call me and establish that I am a fit with what you have, then you persuading me that an appt with your rep is in my interest, then I would not deem that pushy.

        If what you have can genuinely affect my cashflow then I am interested.

        Your appt would have been with the IT Manager and Finance Manager.

        So if I say I am going to direct you to the IT manager and you insist it has to be me then that would get on my nerves.

        So even though you may have been speaking to me the owner you would not have wanted the appt with me.

        Make sure what you have is relevant to the business you talk to and make sure you are talking to the right person.

        Do those two things and be as pushy as you like.

        If you feel as though you are brow beating then you are either talking to the wrong people or you are saying the wrong things.

        It shouldn't feel like a battle but it shouldn't feel like coasting either.

        Just like you pushing your cup of tea across the table.

        Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author jamesfreddyc
    Originally Posted by thet View Post

    What are your thoughts on being "pushy" during cold calls?
    I've always believed its better to be the one being chased. If anything I want to be a bit standoff'ish, as if I don't REALLY need to do business with them.
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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelWinicki
    I think being "pushy" on a cold call is the main culprit of the person receiving the cold call– hating it and the person making the cold call eventually hate doing it.

    Being pushy during the initial contact seems like it's a result of trying to combine too many marketing steps in the very first call.

    I'd rather offer something of value for free in order to qualify the prospect, and then follow up at a later point with another call. The difference being the prospect is more of a warm lead and then you can start being a little pushy.

    The more contacts you have with the prospect, the more pushy you can become.
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  • Profile picture of the author thet
    Interesting comments so far.
    Especially to see that even the people here don't like the pushyness. Where, in reality, you see so many telemarketeers pushing it.
    I even heard a sales director once say along the lines of: "It's a game. They want you to hang up. You lose the game when you do. Never hang up"
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    • Profile picture of the author MichaelWinicki
      Originally Posted by thet View Post

      Interesting comments so far.
      Especially to see that even the people here don't like the pushyness. Where, in reality, you see so many telemarketeers pushing it.
      I even heard a sales director once say along the lines of: "It's a game. They want you to hang up. You lose the game when you do. Never hang up"
      The interesting thing is that I get far fewer cold phone calls (as a business) than I did say 10 years ago.

      So many businesses have left telemarketing for email (rightly or wrongly).

      And if you eliminated the cold calls that dealt with SEO, I get virtually no cold calls as they relate to business.

      I think there's terrific opportunity in telemarketing.

      Pushy telemarketing will get you some business, but I think a more gradual telemarketing process, where the prospect is reached out to several times over a period of time will yield far better results.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Yeah, define "Pushy".

      To me, if the prospect is getting closer..you aren't pushing. If the prospect is trying to get away from you...and you keep talking, that's pushy.

      But some people think asking for an appointment is pushy.
      Some people think you aren't pushy until the prospect is screaming at you..
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  • Profile picture of the author Mwind076
    No pushy. You say no, or if I would have to resort to badgering you...you're not interested and I'm wasting my time. I can more easily find someone that is interested in that time. Aside from a few questions to determine how interested you are, I'm not pushing. You say not interested or no, I'm out...have a nice day. Got more calls to make.
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  • Profile picture of the author thet
    So, when you feel like he wants to quit the talk.. and you continue, you are being pushy?

    Is this effective, to keep talking, to keep asking question if you know he wants to quit the talk?
    Or do we get better results ending the call there and call back in the future?
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by thet View Post

      So, when you feel like he wants to quit the talk.. and you continue, you are being pushy?

      Is this effective, to keep talking, to keep asking question if you know he wants to quit the talk?
      Or do we get better results ending the call there and call back in the future?
      If the tone of his voice indicates that he's losing patience, or it's obvious he's trying to get off the phone.....I'd let it go. Pushing implies that they are resisting.

      Getting objections is another matter. If they are giving objections, it means they are still in the conversation. And, depending on the way they are objecting, it may be worth the battle.

      It never ceases to amaze me, why prospects just don't hang up. I hang up on 15-20 telemarketers a day. If I spent even 5 minutes with each one, explaining why I'm not interested, That would be a fifth of my day.

      I never give an objection. Objections keep them on the phone. I just hang up.
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      • Profile picture of the author thet
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        If the tone of his voice indicates that he's losing patience, or it's obvious he's trying to get off the phone.....I'd let it go. Pushing implies that they are resisting.

        Getting objections is another matter. If they are giving objections, it means they are still in the conversation. And, depending on the way they are objecting, it may be worth the battle.

        It never ceases to amaze me, why prospects just don't hang up. I hang up on 15-20 telemarketers a day. If I spent even 5 minutes with each one, explaining why I'm not interested, That would be a fifth of my day.

        I never give an objection. Objections keep them on the phone. I just hang up.
        So, I just had a call. Guy said: Man, you are the thirth this day about that area.

        I said, Hm.. Then I have a real problem, because the thirth time,..you really dont want to talk anymore

        He said, That's right

        So.. I asked him a question.. He said: No, really..

        So, I said: have a nice day

        My previous sales manager would not have approved. But, I wonder, why should I make people angry?

        There is always next month where I can try again.
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        • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
          you have a good ear.

          you know when someone is getting impatient or angry.
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          • Profile picture of the author thet
            Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge View Post

            you have a good ear.

            you know when someone is getting impatient or angry.
            My gut instinct said that this guy was getting annoyed.

            IMO, but correct me if I am wrong, better to get another change in the future then blow him off now.
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            • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
              Originally Posted by thet View Post

              My gut instinct said that this guy was getting annoyed.

              IMO, but correct me if I am wrong, better to get another change in the future then blow him off now.

              I called a pharmacist once, he was angry right away. I hung up

              thinking he (like all target markets, small business, people),

              gets so many calls, is so busy, and maybe caught him at a bad time..

              I called him back the next week just for fun.

              like it was a 1st call from a list.

              he bought, and a lot.

              I couldn't believe it!!!
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              • Profile picture of the author thet
                Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge View Post

                I called a pharmacist once, he was angry right away. I hung up

                thinking he (like all target markets, small business, people),

                gets so many calls, is so busy, and maybe caught him at a bad time..

                I called him back the next week just for fun.

                like it was a 1st call from a list.

                he bought, and a lot.

                I couldn't believe it!!!
                The first time I realised that was the same kind of situation. Dude was super angry.. So, I ended the call.
                Month later I called him like I never called him before. Was super friendly..

                Didn't buy.. So not a good sales call.

                But it did make me realise that you always catch people in a moment.
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                Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
                — Charlie Munger

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                • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
                  Originally Posted by thet View Post

                  The first time I realised that was the same kind of situation. Dude was super angry.. So, I ended the call.
                  Month later I called him like I never called him before. Was super friendly..

                  Didn't buy.. So not a good sales call.

                  But it did make me realise that you always catch people in a moment.
                  you did a marketing test. next best thing to a sale, is some result!
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