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An Apple a day.... or something like that.

by John Durham
22 replies
Ever heard the term "An apple a day keeps the Doctor away"?

Well the same thing is true when it comes to prospecting.

Now Im not saying that its the only way to do it, but daily telephone prospecting in a routine will absolutely bring you to a place where there are sales coming in every day.

Its not that outlandish to think you can make that happen. Most full time sales people ARE making sales every single day, and its very realistic, but it takes an apple a day.

That apple in my definition is TWO HOURS PER DAY ON THE PHONE.

If you can get into the habit of spending TWO HOURS PER DAY phone prospecting, then you dont even have to think about marketing any other way if you dont want to. It's effective which is really cool, but even cooler- It's SIMPLE.

Two hours per day isnt hard, its just a short routine.

Try it, and you will see what I mean. The most important thing any newby or even seasoned professional can do is two hours per day of prospecting. Thats all it takes, and for most, the phone is going to be the best way to do that. It's a recipe for success....right here in this one post.

Everything else can go right, and it wont work if you arent prospecting daily, however if you ARE, then you have business PERIOD.

An apple a day...

Hope this particular way of wording helps yet another person....sometimes you can say the same thing in different words and suddenly it clicks for someone.

It may take you a day or two to warm up, but is two hours per day worth it? Some people do it EIGHT hours per day Two isnt much.

Those who prospect daily, consistently, make sales every single day...

Two hours per day on the phone = "An apple a day..." = Daily sales.

-John
#apple #day
  • Profile picture of the author massiveray
    Interesting..... I kind of use the same concept, but with number of dials, number of connects, number of pitches etc

    Is there a reason you prefer to use a time value rather than number of people spoken to?
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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by massiveray View Post

      Interesting..... I kind of use the same concept, but with number of dials, number of connects, number of pitches etc

      Is there a reason you prefer to use a time value rather than number of people spoken to?
      Thats a good question.

      If you are really moving, and focused on the goal for that two hours, then you are dialing around seventy numbers per hour. However, even if you are dialing only 50 numbers per day , what happens is that you get comfortable with the routine, you get comfortable with the phone, and your spiel gets better, you are more relaxed, and you within a week will literally be doing it twice as well as you did the first day.

      3 weeks into it your call back pipeline builds up and you also start getting sales from those.

      So the actual number of dials, I think is important, but getting into a routine is even MORE important.

      If you can get into that routine, your conversion comes up and within a VERY short time, every single call session you have will be productive.

      I keep my eyes focused on the prize itself... So I dont pay as much attention to number of dials anymore, however for a new person its CLASSIC wisdom, to do a certain number of dials... because they dont know how to focus on the prize yet, and so you have to get them to work the NUMBERS instead.

      It really doesnt take long to get good on the phone...but it seems like it because most people just dont get even 2 days into the routine to find that out.

      Also I think that if you give yourself a scheduled time to get on and off the phone every day it takes a little anxiety out of sitting down and focusing.

      Ps. The more numbers you dial the faster you will get through that curve also.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mwind076
        Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

        3 weeks into it your call back pipeline builds up and you also start getting sales from those.
        THAT statement is an ounce of gold. I'm going to go blue in the face telling people that a week isn't the sweet spot for a campaign. You have to work things, work up to things, work your list, work your call backs, work it all. The more you are on that phone, the more people you reach.

        So, start small, with the 2 hours a day, and pretty soon (not after just a week) you will see some major fruits of your labor!
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        • Profile picture of the author Saluki Guy
          Originally Posted by Mwind076 View Post

          THAT statement is an ounce of gold. I'm going to go blue in the face telling people that a week isn't the sweet spot for a campaign. You have to work things, work up to things, work your list, work your call backs, work it all. The more you are on that phone, the more people you reach.

          So, start small, with the 2 hours a day, and pretty soon (not after just a week) you will see some major fruits of your labor!
          It's funny you should say that...
          I've also found 3 weeks to be the amount of time a pipeline starts cranking out sales.
          Good thread.
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          • Profile picture of the author John Durham
            Originally Posted by Saluki Guy View Post

            It's funny you should say that...
            I've also found 3 weeks to be the amount of time a pipeline starts cranking out sales.
            Good thread.
            If I have seen it once, I have seen it a hundreds times..
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  • Profile picture of the author James English
    He mentions it in the post, but I think its just a different way for people to wrap their minds around setting a defined cold calling amount per day.
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  • Profile picture of the author sk121
    really interesting dude
    !!!!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Interesting, this is what I have been recommending in my training since I got here. (EDIT: actually, 2 hours twice a day for newbies genuinely wanting to take their biz beyond hobby status.)

    Two hours has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

    As soon as you start, you can see the end in sight.

    Contrast with "Make 100 dials."

    Hey, the first 2 took 10 minutes. This is gonna take SIXTEEN HOURS!

    "Ulp."

    Think like an athlete training. You're here for these two hours, whether you feel like it or not. Because you want the results.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

      Interesting, this is what I have been recommending in my training since I got here.

      Two hours has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
      .
      I didnt realize you had a whole teaching on it. I have just looked at this from so many different angles over the years in different scenarios... there isnt really one way to look at it, but there are alot of minds out there, and different ways of communicating it unlock different peoples hang ups.

      I can say 200 numbers per day, and that is right, or 2 HOURS per day , and that is right.

      We could say "GO HARDCORE AND DONT EVEN LET THEM HANG UP WITHOUT 3 REBUTTALS"

      And that WORKS, on a different operating system....

      Or we could say "Relax, and dont rebuttal a single person" that also works, on a different operating system.

      We could say "be high energy and enthusiastic" and that works, or we could say "Be non threatening and laid back" and that works.

      The deal is that each of these ways of doing it operates on a different system, and different synergistic elements make the different styles and operating systems in cold calling work, each by their own set of rules.

      The very easiest way for most people to view it is "2 hours per day".

      In other words

      "Whatever you do, mellow, high energy, dialing fast and working the numbers, or rebutting and doing high conversion instead... put in two hours per day and you will get it... the routine will start working for you".

      This much Jason, we can both agree is FACT... Its nice to know there are some marketing strategies that are just black and white- they work PERIOD.

      Telemarketing is one of those.

      For the benefit of the readers- cold calling is a guaranteed way if everything else disorients you....do that....just put in the two hours per day, and you will get sales.

      -John

      Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge View Post


      think of the compounding effect of 2 hours/day for 3 weeks

      you have call backs, email addresses, contact names, website information, marketing analysis, momentum, leverage, and more.
      Exactly.
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      • Profile picture of the author Vikuna2009+
        Funny you should say that John because I just decided yesterday that after today, I will go buy the local newspaper every morning (getting in a half hour walk up and down the hill to get there and getting some exercise as a bonus) and on a daily basis, call the advertisers to drum up some business.

        Calling it an apple a day... is absolutely perfect, as least for me, since I can relate to that saying. Thanks for the share,

        Eva
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        • Profile picture of the author iain1066
          Good advice John. Og Mandino (who I know you like) mentions this in the first scroll from 'The Greatest Salesman in the World'

          "In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have
          succeeded lies in the differences of their habits. Good habits are the key to all
          success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I will obey,
          which precedeth all others is - I will form good habits and become their slave."
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          • Profile picture of the author John Durham
            Originally Posted by iain1066 View Post

            Good advice John. Og Mandino (who I know you like) mentions this in the first scroll from 'The Greatest Salesman in the World'

            "In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have
            succeeded lies in the differences of their habits. Good habits are the key to all
            success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I will obey,
            which precedeth all others is - I will form good habits and become their slave."
            Nice. Today is a new day.... great chapter.
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            • Profile picture of the author nyk24
              Thank you John for giving me renewed energy to pick up the phone...I spent today freezing my arse off doing cold walkins......do you think I should be focusing on the number of dials rather than the number of walkins?
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  • Profile picture of the author Kunle Olomofe
    John, one word... genius. Cheers for the kick in the pants.
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    • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
      How do eat a tree?
      1 apple at a time.

      think of the compounding effect of 2 hours/day for 3 weeks

      you have call backs, email addresses, contact names, website information, marketing analysis, momentum, leverage, and more.

      JD offers great advice, listen to what he says and you won't be barking up the wrong tree. (couldn't resist that)

      man am I having a fun day!

      happy monday!
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      • Profile picture of the author kcom
        Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge View Post

        How do eat a tree?
        1 apple at a time.

        think of the compounding effect of 2 hours/day for 3 weeks

        you have call backs, email addresses, contact names, website information, marketing analysis, momentum, leverage, and more.

        JD offers great advice, listen to what he says and you won't be barking up the wrong tree. (couldn't resist that)

        man am I having a fun day!

        happy monday!
        Maybe, its because of the roughage from eating that tree.:rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author hayfj2
    Hi John

    I share with my marketing coaching clients that they can achieve what they want with 12 hrs a week.

    1hr - To Plan their week

    2hrs - To review their marketing knowledge, systems and materials

    9hrs - Prospecting - by phone, mail, email, networking or various online tactics.

    I try to get them to work backwards from their weekly goal and revenue objectives to determine how many dials, leads, emails, fans, friends, followers, signups they need and which activities they will use and measure.

    I think it was robert collier who said "“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out", so couldnt agree more John.

    Its not so much how long we spend each day, more a case of how effective we are in achieving our daily goals and keeping track

    Hope that makes sense

    regards


    Fraser
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  • Profile picture of the author ZeldaKing
    There still is a place for time-based goals - I switched back n forth with time-based and action-based goals, before landing on action-based goals (with a small, fixed interval - like 30 minutes). 2 hours of calls is exactly that: it's really an ACTION-based goal with a fixed time interval, disguised as a time-based goal. Nice
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  • Profile picture of the author PaulintheSticks
    Great post John. Reminds me what Dan Kennedy says: I do at least one thing every day to bring in business. 2 hours on the phone will probably get you there a lot faster than one thing though depending on what that one thing is I guess. I think the habit is the ticket and after a while you won't even have to think about it. Kind of like brushing your teeth, you do it at least once a week whether you need to or not.
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  • Profile picture of the author Salashwal
    This is question is for John and Jason but I'd love to hear anyone else's perspective as well.

    So when you say 2 hours a day (or 4 in Jason's case) are you guys referring to the amount of time spent appointment setting or are you going for one call closes during that time. Because 4 hours of appointment setting a day will lead to appointments, which would also take up a whole lot of more time then 2 hrs of calling with the intent to one call close.

    I just wanted to get an idea of what you guys meant there.
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  • Profile picture of the author rbecklund
    Just spending 2 hours per day on the phone calling, prospecting - whatever you want to call it. You can't predict the outcomes. Some will let you one call close, some will want to see information and you can close them on the next conversation a few days later; some will want to meet 2 or 3 times before they actually make a decision. The fact that you are hitting the phones 2 hours a day is what counts. By making the calls whether they are cold calls or following up with people that showed interest from a cold call, you are stirring things up and making things happen.
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  • Profile picture of the author kellyyarnsbro
    Nice one, it makes sense. At least 3 hours a day works for me and I make that a habit already, thus it goes "An apple a day gives the doctor a headache" .
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