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Any Warriors cold-calling across timezones?

by Scott Stevens
10 replies
I've literally just started cold-calling as my main prospecting method. My aim is to qualify them, and then sell a face-to-face appointment where I will close them. I work locally.

But I am looking at scaling this up and calling more round the clock, possibly making calls to Oz/NZ in the early mornings, and then again possibly to US/Canada in the evenings. I make my UK calls during office hours, obviously.

My challenge is I've never sold right over the phone before - except websites to people that had contacted me initially, and then I followed-up over the phone and closed. Also, I've no idea if cultural differences have an affect. I used to phone people in the states/Canada years ago - but again, I was doing MLM at that time and they had initially contacted me.

Does anyone have any experience/tips to share? I'm particularly after some tips/threads on selling/closing on a one/two call basis. I imagine the cultural difference thing is really a non-issue?

Thanks in advance.
#cold calling #coldcalling #timezones #warriors
  • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
    Originally Posted by Scotty Stevens View Post

    I've literally just started cold-calling as my main prospecting method. My aim is to qualify them, and then sell a face-to-face appointment where I will close them. I work locally.

    But I am looking at scaling this up and calling more round the clock, possibly making calls to Oz/NZ in the early mornings, and then again possibly to US/Canada in the evenings. I make my UK calls during office hours, obviously.

    My challenge is I've never sold right over the phone before - except websites to people that had contacted me initially, and then I followed-up over the phone and closed. Also, I've no idea if cultural differences have an affect. I used to phone people in the states/Canada years ago - but again, I was doing MLM at that time and they had initially contacted me.

    Does anyone have any experience/tips to share? I'm particularly after some tips/threads on selling/closing on a one/two call basis. I imagine the cultural difference thing is really a non-issue?

    Thanks in advance.
    in USA 9 am thru 9 pm is the legal hours to make unsolicited calls.

    everyone here ( USA ) uses TZ's to get more calls in per day.

    also... we start calling 1 hour before they open ... to one or two hours
    after they close.

    We get an extra 4-5 hours of calling per day in that way.

    Saturdays we call from 9 am until 3 pm EST

    Sundays we don't call at all.

    Those hours and times are pretty universal for USA phone rooms.
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    • Profile picture of the author nickjoselle
      Our company does cold calling (although not me, I'm the back room nerd)...

      However, even though I am not doing the calling, I can tell you that our biggest advantage is taking the risk out for the potential client as much as possible. For example, if you can offer something like a $1 trial offer, it allows your customer to get to know you, like you and trust you while trying you out.

      (Sorry if this doesn't fully apply, since I don't know what you are selling.. but you get the idea).

      Hope that helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Schuman
    I have not done that, but I have started doing forum marketing in the evenings and on the weekend with the idea that more people in the U.S. will be online. I try to keep in mind that 3:00 p.m. here in Denver is 5:00 on the east cost and 10:00 p.m. is 9:00 on the west coast. This has helped me increase my mailing list for my target market.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Originally Posted by Scotty Stevens View Post

    I've literally just started cold-calling as my main prospecting method. My aim is to qualify them, and then sell a face-to-face appointment where I will close them. I work locally.

    But I am looking at scaling this up and calling more round the clock, possibly making calls to Oz/NZ in the early mornings, and then again possibly to US/Canada in the evenings. I make my UK calls during office hours, obviously.

    My challenge is I've never sold right over the phone before - except websites to people that had contacted me initially, and then I followed-up over the phone and closed. Also, I've no idea if cultural differences have an affect. I used to phone people in the states/Canada years ago - but again, I was doing MLM at that time and they had initially contacted me.

    Does anyone have any experience/tips to share? I'm particularly after some tips/threads on selling/closing on a one/two call basis. I imagine the cultural difference thing is really a non-issue?

    Thanks in advance.
    Just make sure you're calling within legal & reasonable hours.

    People I work with call across time zones in their countries all the time, no big deal at all. Just get calling.

    For dialing other countries, you are as usual going to run into two kinds of people:

    Those who care that you have a funny accent

    and

    Those who don't and just want to get down to business.

    Identify and qualify Out the former as fast as possible and concentrate on the latter.

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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Calling across time zones is IMO no different than cold calling any city say 2 plus hours away. Basically anyone you would not be willing to drive to meet in person.

    All you need to be aware of is the time in the location you are calling. But with B2B calls this isn't as big of a deal as most businesses will have an after hours machine if you call when they are closed.

    International calling like you are planning should work fine as long as the calls are priced low enough to give a good return on investment. As long as the local market is tapped out why not expand. But if what you are doing is working I would not change it if you are still closing good numbers locally.

    It will always be easier to sell locally and regionally than nationally and easier to sell nationally than internationally. So expand but expand in a way that works and test test test. If you can sell 3% of calls in the UK and only 1% to the US is it really worth it? If you are doing it yourself no of course not. If you have employees it may be. Though myself I would just have multiple people calling in the UK vs. having people calling the US.
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    Aaron Doud - Sales & Success
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  • Profile picture of the author Mwind076
    We call from EDT and call AU, UK, all over the US and Canada. Just plan your day with what you want to accomplish. Start with EST, then as you hit a slow time, move to somewhere else that is still prime.

    1)Keep LUNCH in mind...that's my advice. It sucks to get 20 calls in and realize you miscalculated.

    2)If you are in doubt, google the time zone. There are many cities that are on the border of 2 time zones.
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    • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
      Originally Posted by Mwind076 View Post

      We call from EDT and call AU, UK, all over the US and Canada. Just plan your day with what you want to accomplish. Start with EST, then as you hit a slow time, move to somewhere else that is still prime.

      1)Keep LUNCH in mind...that's my advice. It sucks to get 20 calls in and realize you miscalculated.

      2)If you are in doubt, google the time zone. There are many cities that are on the border of 2 time zones.
      Also remember to keep track of local time changes in the area you are calling. There are areas in the US that do not observe DST for example so those states are really in different time zones different parts of the year.

      Arizona gets really complicated. The state doesn't observe it but an Indian Nation within it does and another Indian Nation within that one doesn't. So on some highways you can have multiple time changes as driving.
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      Aaron Doud - Sales & Success
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      • Profile picture of the author Scott Stevens
        Thanks everyone for the tips. Great help.
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        Yours in prosperity,
        Skochy - The Musical Salesman

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  • Profile picture of the author kevin Hislop
    There is some sound advise here.

    Good luck with it Scott, and remember to give us an update on how your are getting on
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    • Profile picture of the author Scott Stevens
      Originally Posted by kevin Hislop View Post

      There is some sound advise here.

      Good luck with it Scott, and remember to give us an update on how your are getting on
      Will do, Kevin. Cheers.
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      Yours in prosperity,
      Skochy - The Musical Salesman

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