Cold Calling Around a 9-5 job

14 replies
Since I am starting my offline business while still working a 9a-5p day job, by the time i get home from my day job, most business are also closing for the day. I am looking for advice from those who have been in this same situation before going to full time offline. I know that it all depends on the markets I select to call, I have noticed that certain business will stay open until 6-7. So is the simple answer to just focus on those business?

Thanks in advanced!!
#calling #cold #job
  • Profile picture of the author abelamorales
    If you're in the EST zone, get yourself leads from PST zone businesses and give them a call. If you get home at 6PM that means that it is only 3PM for them so this will give you an opportunity to start your business.

    Once you have created a business that is producing more than enough revenue to replace your current income, you can then focus on your EST zone prospects.

    In the even that you are not on the EST zone, try calling during your lunch time.
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    • Profile picture of the author pmmorris
      Originally Posted by abelamorales View Post

      If you're in the EST zone, get yourself leads from PST zone businesses and give them a call. If you get home at 6PM that means that it is only 3PM for them so this will give you an opportunity to start your business.

      Once you have created a business that is producing more than enough revenue to replace your current income, you can then focus on your EST zone prospects.

      In the even that you are not on the EST zone, try calling during your lunch time.
      I was under the impression that an in person meeting would be necessary to close the deal and to be able to discuss the clients needs in more detail? So essentially focusing on the West Coast (yes I am in the EST) would mean that I would have to be closing over the phone as opposed to in person?

      Thanks for the quick reply!
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    • Profile picture of the author CollegeCEO
      Originally Posted by abelamorales View Post

      If you're in the EST zone, get yourself leads from PST zone businesses and give them a call. If you get home at 6PM that means that it is only 3PM for them so this will give you an opportunity to start your business.

      Once you have created a business that is producing more than enough revenue to replace your current income, you can then focus on your EST zone prospects.

      In the even that you are not on the EST zone, try calling during your lunch time.
      That's actually a really good idea that I never thought about.
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  • Profile picture of the author HAdrian1239
    Just about anything you can do in person, you can do over the phone. If you can't one call close (which is harder... or can be harder and take more time to learn... ) you can do "phone appointments with something like Join.me where the prospect can see your computer screen and go from there.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Qualify first; sell second.

    Use your initial calls to qualify people In or Out of your offer.

    Arrange a second call/screenshare/webinar with those who qualify In, to discuss in more detail what they need and how you can help them. You can book these around your schedule. If they really believe you can help them, people will do the call whenever you say you're available.

    And saying you're booked solid except for these funny times makes you even more rare and desirable to work with from their point of view.
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  • Profile picture of the author JoshP
    When I first started my offline company, I was still working a full time job and what I did to make cold calls was take an early or late lunch.

    I would take my prospect list, sit in my car, and make calls on my cell phone. That's how I got my first 10 clients.
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    • Profile picture of the author pmmorris
      Thanks for the responses!

      Originally Posted by JoshP View Post

      When I first started my offline company, I was still working a full time job and what I did to make cold calls was take an early or late lunch.

      I would take my prospect list, sit in my car, and make calls on my cell phone. That's how I got my first 10 clients.
      Josh just out of curiosity on average how many calls were you able to get through during your lunch break?
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  • Profile picture of the author Ninja Ana
    Hiya,

    I suggest your to check it out Mark Helton's voice propecting WSO, perhaps thats a solution for you.

    I am not assocciate to Mark on any way, I got that WSO, I know the way how it works, basically you can set up an automated cold calling system for you, and can call up 1000 businesses in one hour time, therefore during your lunch break, you run the cold calling, if there is any potenial clients call back, then you stop the automated cold call, and start dealing with your hot leads.

    Anyway, just google it VBX for a little insight first.

    Hope it heps.
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  • Profile picture of the author beeswarn
    Originally Posted by pmmorris View Post

    I know that it all depends on the markets I select to call, I have noticed that certain business will stay open until 6-7. So is the simple answer to just focus on those business?
    Yes, that's the simple answer. With one modification as follows, call anyone who can answer, not just those open until 7. Many professionals stay in their office after business hours. And call other time zones if you need to as suggested above.

    Here's a longer answer:

    Start calling as soon as you get home. Don't rest before you're too tired to work. Don't stop to have dinner before you're too hungry to work. Don't watch TV or play games. Don't cry when people call you back when you're at your 9-5 job and don't get frustrated when you can't call them back between 9 and 5. Call them back during your lunch hour. Make up for your screwy time schedule by working all day on Saturday, or whenever your days off are. Work hard. Be aggressive. Make a lot of calls.
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  • Profile picture of the author beeswarn
    With the exception of the reply above from Ninja Ana, every response so far has been thoughtful, practical and actionable. You got lucky today.
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    • Profile picture of the author cwill184
      I think this is the best time to call for a lot of businesses. After 5pm most small businesses, or at least the decision makers are still working. It's the time they probably are most receptive to a cold call. There are less likely to be distractions in the office or staff issues to deal with.

      Small businesses are a lot easier to deal with than large ones because you can get to speak to who you want quite easily. You will probably get a better response if you market yourself as a small business also, so you have at least something in common when you make your call.
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      • Profile picture of the author RecessionPROOF
        Cold calling is the most difficult strategy of all when it comes to sales. If you even reach the decision maker, you are lucky, most do not, and most businesses are well insulated from cold callers. If you don't have the owners name, forget about, you will suffer from rejection in the first week.

        As a traditional business owner for years, I never took a call from a cold caller, never. If a person had gotten my name on a previous fishing call, I would still not take their calls. If a person sent me inforamtion first, by mail or email, and introduced themselves, and allowed me the opportunity to say I was interested or not, then and only then would I accept a call or an appointment.

        Sorry, but this is the reality of cold calling, and I have been on both sides of fence being in the sales and marketing industry myself. What I learned long ago was to never lead with a sales pitch, it doesn't work. I utilize the Pay It Forward, Give To Receive, Care To Share and People Helping People strategy, and it works like nothing else. Everyone appreciates something for nothing, even if of small value, it will open the doors like nothing else. Y

        I developed a strategy of reciprocal referrals, so by sending one of my customers to a business I am looking to sell to, and making sure they said they were referred by my business, it opened more doors than any cold call ever could. Incentives work, free works, referrals work, cold calling is the hardest work. Good luck.

        Success to all,
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        • Profile picture of the author beeswarn
          Originally Posted by RecessionPROOF View Post

          Sorry, but this is the reality of cold calling, and I have been on both sides of fence being in the sales and marketing industry myself. What I learned long ago was to never lead with a sales pitch, it doesn't work. I utilize the Pay It Forward, Give To Receive, Care To Share and People Helping People strategy, and it works like nothing else. Everyone appreciates something for nothing, even if of small value, it will open the doors like nothing else.
          That is manifestly not the "reality of cold calling." It is the reality of hippie-dippie, multi-level marketing BS from a new age networking nincompoop.

          His little tale of hiding in his office not talking to anyone he didn't know samples nothing more than the meaningless experience of one lonely crank who claims to have once run a small business, but doesn't any longer for what are fairly obvious reasons to me.

          Follow the good advice you've been given in this post and ignore people who are trying to get you to click their signature links.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rearden
    Thanks for this post.

    I was wondering the same for myself, as I will be CC'ing locally after my 9-5 job.

    But I realized, when I ran a small local business several years ago, I was ALWAYS there until 6:30PM to 7:30PM, servicing clients.

    I don't think you'll have a problem; and, as someone mentioned, calling after business hours complete IS probably the best time to speak with the owner.
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