[HOW TO] Has January Sucked for You? Here's How To Make February Not Suck

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Despite December being good for sales for many offliners and onliners, January has not been a continuation of that experience for most. I've seen a lot of posts asking, “Are your sales down, like mine are?”

The only people whose sales are not down are those with a consistent prospecting plan in place.

That plan does not have to include calling...but it sure helps.

Now when somebody calls you, it's pretty straightforward: they usually know what you do and they are asking around for help with that. We understand. But when you call them, the situation is different, isn't it? They don't know you, haven't identified you. What do you say?

The chief problem people have when making prospecting calls is they are trying to sell before they qualify. Can you sell immediately? Sure. Does it produce a lot of wear-and-tear on you? Yes. Let's find out one thing first: Do they NEED or want what you have to offer?

There's a painless way to do this. I know it looks lengthy, but it's actually straightforward and with only a few simple steps.

First, create something that tells your prospects what you do...and how you stand out. Could be an infographic. Could be a 15-page report. Could be a list of seven things they need to watch for when picking someone to help them that does what you do. Key point: this doesn't have to be fancy or long. Keeping it brief could be for the best anyway, since people don't have much time.

Now make a list of 50 suspects. These are businesses who fit a profile of those who you want to serve: size, revenue, industry, location. You do not need a contact name. We'll deal with that in a minute. All you need is a spreadsheet or even a handwritten list of the company name and their phone number. This is easy.

Call the number. When they answer, say:

“Hi, I'm not sure who I should speak with...maybe you can help me.”

Pause for a moment here. Give them a chance to say, “Sure!” or “Okay.” Whether they respond or not, continue with:

“I usually talk with the person who takes care of {whatever it is you do—eg. marketing, getting new customers, writing projects}...but I don't know who that would be there.” And trail off.

Wait for the person to reply. It may take a few seconds.

They may transfer you so quickly they don't even tell you who you're being sent to.

They may tell you, “That's {name}.” Ask to be transferred if they don't do this now.

They may ask you, “What's this about?” No problem. Expect this question, but don't give much weight to it. Don't get defensive. Do not get into long descriptions of what you do. Say, “Well, I help businesses {repeat what you said above—with their marketing, get more customers, complete writing projects, etc.}. But again, I'm not sure who takes care of that there.” And stop. The simple repeating of what you just said is almost always enough for them to send you along. They're looking for a reason to help you, to make the connection; give them this easy-to-understand reason (I did a radio interview in which the male host told me when asked this question he once told the gatekeeper, “It's his mother,” and was immediately sent through. I'm not saying to lie—I'm pointing out how little attention the gatekeeper is probably giving to their question and your answer. Give them an easy reason to send you along. Don't put so much pressure on yourself.)

Now you either have voicemail or a live suspect on the line.

If you get voicemail, you can leave a brief message:

“Hi {name, if you got it—don't worry if you didn't; sometimes you get transferred so fast and the voicemail greeting is so bad you can't hear it}, I'm not sure we should be speaking.” This makes them lean into the call. Whatdya mean, we shouldn't be speaking?! “Reception transferred me to you...I'm looking for the person who takes care of {whatever it is you do}. But I'm not sure if that's you. Could you give me a call back, and let me know whether that is you, or if there's someone else I should be talking to? It's {your local time} here in {your town}; I'll be in my office until {x-o'clock}. My number is ###-###-####.”

And that's it. Do not leave details. At least 1/3 will call back from simple curiosity.

If you get a live suspect, say:

“Hi {name, if you got it; see above}, I'm not sure we should be speaking. I'm looking for the person who takes care of {whatever it is you do}. But I'm not sure if that's you, or someone else?” And stop. Wait for them to answer. They'll confirm or direct you to someone else.

If it's someone else, ask, “Oh OK. But they aren't in, are they?” Get transferred. You can use a slight modification of the above voicemail, cutting out the “I'm not sure we should be speaking” part since you know it is the correct person now. Instead of “Could you give me a call back, and let me know,” say, “I've got a quick question for you about {whatever it is that you do}.” Then leave your local time, location and number. If they answer live, you can say the last person said to speak with them—now you have an internal referral, and that little fact gives your call more power.

If you find you're talking to the correct person, continue with:

“Great, glad to hear it. ...Is this a bad time to talk for a minute?”

You want to find out. There's no sense at all in fighting with someone who's having a bad day, and that's what you'll end up doing if it is a bad time for them. This simple act of getting permission to speak is very much appreciated by prospects, and I have had many, many business owners go out of their way to specifically tell me so.

If it is a bad time, say you'll call them back and hang up. Call them back in a day or two. Now you know their name, so you can ask for them directly.

If it's not a bad time--or the prospect has called you back from your voicemail--you can continue with:

“I appreciate that. Well, the reason I called is that I do help businesses with {whatever it is that you do}. Now I don't expect you to just drop everything and sign up with me, since we just met. What I have found, though, is that a lot of people don't really know what to look for other than price when they're picking out someone to work with like me.” Pause briefly here. They may give an “mmhmm” or something similar. “I've put together a {your giveaway document—writeup of the top seven things to make sure you cover/most important pitfalls to avoid when choosing/etc.}. I don't know if this would be helpful for you, though...” and trail off.

Wait for their answer. We used an advanced technique called a Negative Reversal here. If we asked right away, “Could I send it to you?” or tried to push them on taking it, they would likely resist.

If they answer “No,” you can say, “Didn't think so. Well, I guess there's no point in us continuing talking, is there?” Going extremely negative like this can cause prospects to respond by moving in the opposite direction—and it's a surprise even to them. (“Wait, I didn't say that!...what do you do?” and now you're starting a conversation.) And if they say “You're right,” you can hang up and it's only taken you a minute or two to get to this point. No frustration, no upset feelings. It's not rejection. They simply have no NEED for what you offer at this time. You can call them back in 3-6 months to find out if anything has changed.

Many prospects, however, will answer, “Sure!” And you can respond with, “All right. How can I send it to you?” Now you're getting their email address and permission to market to them.

At this point, they're letting you into their world (a little). This is the biggest hurdle to get over: the initial trust hurdle prospects have.You can ask if you can follow up in a few days to find out what they thought about it. Book the callback in your calenders. At that time you can discover what stood out for them, what it made them realize, and whether anything in that list made them think of something you could help out with—that's a potential sale, by the way. Now they're seeing you as an individual and are open to talking with you.

Again, this method is all about minimizing the wear-and-tear on you while getting you taking action on prospecting for new business. Could you go more directly and aggressively at getting conversions? Sure. And you could beat yourself up a lot faster and quit, too.

We want quality conversations with business owners and other decision makers. The more of these conversations we get, the more likely we are to achieving a sale. This is the most painless and quickest way I am aware of to start getting quality conversations with decision makers. Watch what happens to your calendar as you move through your dials. When you have worked through the first 50, make another list of 50 and continue. Feed the pipeline so that you always have new leads, new projects. Now when one drops out, it's no big deal—you have seven or eight more on the go.
#february #january #make #sucked
  • Profile picture of the author jamesfreddyc
    I really like infographics idea! It's a fairly new concept for me, but I've seen quite a few of them as of late from various sources I follow (@JerryMoran from SAP has some excellent stuff!).

    Perhaps an infographic would be a good idea for distributing to those prospects who are a "little unsure" themselves? I am thinking after a conversation we may have had, or maybe even as a quick follow up note/email I send out.

    Anyway -- another excellent post with great info!
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by jamesfreddyc View Post

      I really like infographics idea! It's a fairly new concept for me, but I've seen quite a few of them as of late from various sources I follow (@JerryMoran from SAP has some excellent stuff!).

      Perhaps an infographic would be a good idea for distributing to those prospects who are a "little unsure" themselves? I am thinking after a conversation we may have had, or maybe even as a quick follow up note/email I send out.

      Anyway -- another excellent post with great info!
      Thanks. The point of this approach is to get you starting conversations with at least somewhat-qualified prospects who are now seeing you as an individual.

      The initial call is simply to see if they are open to hearing from you. If not, no big deal. If so, great; send them the differentiator (look at Ewen's posts to see how to position yourself as 'the only' with one of these). Move through the calls quickly. Fast and painless. Each should take you a couple minutes or less. In under two hours, you can have your document in the email boxes of 10 or so prospects, and have callbacks booked with them.
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  • Profile picture of the author kemdev
    Fantastic post Jason.

    My approach differs in some areas but this is one of the best no-pressure processes I've seen talked about on here. Perfect for anyone wanting to jump into this but still reluctant to get on the phone and start having conversations. If you think offline might be for you and want to start getting sales sooner rather than later, follow this advice.
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  • Profile picture of the author Underground
    Thank you Jason. This is brilliant stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    It's Monday tomorrow...I hope you used the weekend to develop your differentiator piece!

    Remember, there ARE people out there just wishing someone like you would call.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Rhome
    Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

    "Hi, I'm not sure who I should speak with...maybe you can help me."

    Pause for a moment here. Give them a chance to say, "Sure!" or "Okay." Whether they respond or not, continue with:

    "I usually talk with the person who takes care of {whatever it is you do--eg. marketing, getting new customers, writing projects}...but I don't know who that would be there." And trail off.

    Wait for the person to reply. It may take a few seconds
    I like it! Thanks

    Will start using that tomorrow or Wednesday.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    It is a little quiet BUT I have had work to keep me busy, and due to our heat waves, being quiet isn't so bad.
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    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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    • Profile picture of the author Jay Rhome
      Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

      I feel like as soon as I am to say, I usually talk to the person who takes care of marketing, I would get a wall put up. I work with skilled trade business owners and it seems the word marketing scares them off for some reason.
      Well that's why I like Jason's twist: talk to the person in charge of getting new customers. Sounds way better to me

      Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

      It is a little quiet BUT I have had work to keep me busy, and due to our heat waves, being quiet isn't so bad.
      Ha ha. Here's it's freezing. The world is quite diverse
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  • Profile picture of the author nerfsmurf
    " 'I appreciate that. Well, the reason I called is that I do help businesses with {whatever it is that you do}....' "

    I offer SMS, so here is what I (will) say to my prospects. I think it does a great job in creating interest to at least hear me out. I have my list of 40 places and will be calling later today as I have school in the mornings.

    "Well, the reason I called is that I help businesses connect with their customers in ways that traditional e-mail newsletters and social media simply can't compete with."

    I think this creates a bit of interest, especially the social media part, on the prospects end cause they utilize both, but i make it sound like I have a better tool to show them. What do you guys think? And I'll post the results later!
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by nerfsmurf View Post

      " 'I appreciate that. Well, the reason I called is that I do help businesses with {whatever it is that you do}....' "

      I offer SMS, so here is what I (will) say to my prospects. I think it does a great job in creating interest to at least hear me out. I have my list of 40 places and will be calling later today as I have school in the mornings.

      "Well, the reason I called is that I help businesses connect with their customers in ways that traditional e-mail newsletters and social media simply can't compete with."

      I think this creates a bit of interest, especially the social media part, on the prospects end cause they utilize both, but i make it sound like I have a better tool to show them. What do you guys think? And I'll post the results later!
      Not bad if you're talking to the decision maker. Could be effective (test!).

      But if you're talking to the gatekeeper, it's Too Much Information (TMI!). I recommend keeping it more general. In fact, don't be ultra-clear or salesy at all here: you're trying to give the GK a reason, a simple reason, to send your call along. "I help marketing managers do their job more effectively." Do not pitch the gatekeeper. You want your conversation with the person who has the power to buy from you.
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  • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
    I feel like as soon as I am to say, I usually talk to the person who takes care of marketing, I would get a wall put up. I work with skilled trade business owners and it seems the word marketing scares them off for some reason. Like its a bad word. So I'm trying to come up with something like "I usually talk to the person who takes care of the company's visibility and getting new customers".

    Now, to be clear, I haven't used this script. I'm just saying what it seems like from past experience. I think the script itself is brilliant and honestly I'm trying to just make enough at this point so I can take Jason's training. I've watched many of his videos and I know his training is exactly what I need to get over this extreme fear of prospecting that I have (a fear for no reason really).
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

      I feel like as soon as I am to say, I usually talk to the person who takes care of marketing, I would get a wall put up. I work with skilled trade business owners and it seems the word marketing scares them off for some reason. Like its a bad word. So I'm trying to come up with something like "I usually talk to the person who takes care of the company's visibility and getting new customers".

      Now, to be clear, I haven't used this script. I'm just saying what it seems like from past experience. I think the script itself is brilliant and honestly I'm trying to just make enough at this point so I can take Jason's training. I've watched many of his videos and I know his training is exactly what I need to get over this extreme fear of prospecting that I have (a fear for no reason really).
      Nobody said you HAD to say "marketing". You can say whatever works for you. If you find "marketing" makes prospects defensive, use another word; preferably one of THEIR words. How do they phrase what you call "marketing"? Feed it back to them.
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      • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
        Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

        Nobody said you HAD to say "marketing". You can say whatever works for you. If you find "marketing" makes prospects defensive, use another word; preferably one of THEIR words. How do they phrase what you call "marketing"? Feed it back to them.
        Oh no, I didn't mean I thought anyone was saying I had to say marketing. Many of them associate the word marketing with advertising and also think it's a bad word. If I use the word marketing, I hear a lot that they get most of their business through referrals and don't need to "advertise."
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  • Profile picture of the author AussieT
    Good stuff Jason. Will bookmark this so I can review and put in practice when I get back to my 'office'.
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  • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
    I have another dumb question, well maybe not dumb but still. Will this approach work if it's somewhat obvious that the business is a one man show? Such as a plumber and on their website it's relatively obvious it's just him. Would it then be better to ask for him directly than ask him if it's a bad time to talk? I guess I just wouldn't want to sound like I did no homework prior to calling.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

      I have another dumb question, well maybe not dumb but still. Will this approach work if it's somewhat obvious that the business is a one man show? Such as a plumber and on their website it's relatively obvious it's just him. Would it then be better to ask for him directly than ask him if it's a bad time to talk? I guess I just wouldn't want to sound like I did no homework prior to calling.
      Understand what you are doing. There is a process here.

      You are not just talking to people. You are following a process for a consistent outcome.

      Start removing steps and you'll start removing the consistency from the outcome.

      Read what I wrote in reply to Claude's question of what problems new salespeople have. Don't know how to get DMs on the phone. Don't know how to start conversations.

      Have conversations. Don't worry about "doing your homework". 30 seconds of conversation will tell you a whole lot more than looking up their website. And they don't tell you their greatest weakness on their website. They don't tell you why they'll buy on their website.

      Don't try cutting out steps. People do, though. They think they know better. Then they say "It doesn't work." And I know from other trainers in other fields that people cut out steps from their processes, too.
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      • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
        Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

        Understand what you are doing. There is a process here.

        You are not just talking to people. You are following a process for a consistent outcome.

        Start removing steps and you'll start removing the consistency from the outcome.

        Read what I wrote in reply to Claude's question of what problems new salespeople have. Don't know how to get DMs on the phone. Don't know how to start conversations.

        Have conversations. Don't worry about "doing your homework". 30 seconds of conversation will tell you a whole lot more than looking up their website. And they don't tell you their greatest weakness on their website. They don't tell you why they'll buy on their website.

        Don't try cutting out steps. People do, though. They think they know better. Then they say "It doesn't work." And I know from other trainers in other fields that people cut out steps from their processes, too.
        Thank you so much Jason. That helped me more than I can say.
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        • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
          Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

          Thank you so much Jason. That helped me more than I can say.
          Think about it like baking a loaf of bread.

          You need the right ingredients in the right proportions and in the right order.

          It's chemistry.

          Remove an ingredient, or put too much or too little in, or add it at the wrong time, and your bread won't rise.

          But follow the recipe and it works. You don't even need to understand why the recipe works.
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          • Profile picture of the author Bread
            Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

            Think about it like baking a loaf of bread.
            Oh, I see..


            Thanks for another meaty post, Mr. Kanigan.

            I've implemented your technique and it has gotten me the names of many DMs.

            Would you happen to have any posts that address.. questions to ask prospects to identify their problems, so that I could connect my solution?

            I hope that wasn't too confusing. Thanks for your help.
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            • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
              Originally Posted by Bread View Post

              Oh, I see..


              Thanks for another meaty post, Mr. Kanigan.

              I've implemented your technique and it has gotten me the names of many DMs.

              Would you happen to have any posts that address.. questions to ask prospects to identify their problems, so that I could connect my solution?

              I hope that wasn't too confusing. Thanks for your help.
              What problems do you solve for your prospects?

              Lead with those.

              How long has that been going on?

              (If they've left it alone for years) Why haven't you tried to fix it before now?

              How big of a problem do you believe it is?

              Have you done anything to try and fix it?

              How much do you think leaving this like that is costing you?

              If I could wave a magic wand and fix everything, what would that look like for you?

              (To each stakeholder) From where you sit, what's the most important thing about this issue to you?


              What if you find they've identified but left this problem lying around for a very long time? What does that tell you about the urgency of solving it to them? What question does it lead you to asking once you know this?\

              What if they've brought in three people to fix it, and each one has 'failed' and been fired? What does that make you wonder? Whether you'd be #4? Or are you inexperienced, so you rush in with a "Can Do" attitude and get impaled? What questions can you ask next to make sure they're not actually the Client From Hell?


              You want THEM to give you THEIR numbers as often as possible, rather than you trying to push a case study on them.

              If they say it, it's true. If you say it, you have to defend it.

              http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...uch-again.html


              As Dave Kurlan said in our 2012 interview (linked to at the bottom of the first post in the following link), questions are easy. Listening well is much more tough.

              http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...d-calling.html


              To understand these typical reasons why buyers in a niche would hire you, you need to call for a week or two. They will tell you these reasons, but you have to put in some consistent effort to get these conversations. You'll start realizing you are hearing the same phrases over and over, and those are your keys to opening up this niche. Unfortunately, most people never stick with it long enough to find out. How many dials should you be making? The answer, and a whole lot more, is in this thread:

              http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...t-selling.html
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

      I have another dumb question, well maybe not dumb but still. Will this approach work if it's somewhat obvious that the business is a one man show? Such as a plumber and on their website it's relatively obvious it's just him. Would it then be better to ask for him directly than ask him if it's a bad time to talk? I guess I just wouldn't want to sound like I did no homework prior to calling.
      You might be surprised how many times in this situation you end up talking to the wife. And for me on an occasion or two talking with their son or daughter. It would seem that ultimately they may not be the one making the over all decision, but they are the one influencing the decision.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ricardo Furtado
    Awesome post Jason.

    Really appreciate you taking the time and the trouble to write and share this.

    All the best. Regards.
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    Ricardo Furtado

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  • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
    I know I'm not supposed to take it personally but I just got yelled at, hung up on and laughed at. And those were my first three calls. All this was after getting the right person and asking if it was a bad time. This is the reason I feared the phone, lol. Every single one said they wanted nothing to do with the internet and all I tried to do was send them a free report. Ugh!!
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    • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
      Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

      I know I'm not supposed to take it personally but I just got yelled at, hung up on and laughed at. And those were my first three calls. All this was after getting the right person and asking if it was a bad time. This is the reason I feared the phone, lol. Every single one said they wanted nothing to do with the internet and all I tried to do was send them a free report. Ugh!!
      DPM,

      My first thought here is # 1 you need to create Rhino Skin, skin so thick no matter what it does not effect you mentally. Oren Klaff has some great materials on this sort of stuff... In fact, this is a great video here to get an idea.

      Nothing in this world happens until something is sold, so get good at sales and develop super thick skin. One of the greatest professions in the world.

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

      I know I'm not supposed to take it personally but I just got yelled at, hung up on and laughed at. And those were my first three calls

      ..and amazingly you are still alive and able to tell us about it! Review those coversations and carefully compare to the one Jason defined. Its going to take more than 3 conversations to identify a qualified prospect. Just sort thru them until you find one that has a need for what you offer, can pay for it and is someone you'd be willing to work with.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

      I know I'm not supposed to take it personally but I just got yelled at, hung up on and laughed at. And those were my first three calls. All this was after getting the right person and asking if it was a bad time. This is the reason I feared the phone, lol. Every single one said they wanted nothing to do with the internet and all I tried to do was send them a free report. Ugh!!
      ...

      ...

      ...I did have a guy call me once who got yelled at in his FIRST call ever after listening to something free from me.

      Luckily I answered and patched him back up. Told him it was unlikely he'd experience that again in a year of calling. And it's true. You shouldn't need "rhino skin" because this kind of thing should not happen very often.

      Are you following the script? When you say "all I tried to do was send them a free report", I don't think you are. Because that's NOT what you're "trying to do" here. We're not trying to make anyone do anything.

      Note that you did get step #1 done, getting to the DM. I'll bet this is where you stop following the script, and start saying something like, "I have this report; can I send it to you?"

      "Free" giveaways still require a sale.

      Who are you calling? How did you put your lead list together?

      PM me 3 #s, and your report (dropbox it and send me the link).

      Did you record the calls? Make 20 and see how it turns out.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chad Kimball
    This is nice jason.. Thanks for this awesome stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author BigSnakeSituation
    You're right man, kids absolutly...
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    • Profile picture of the author Garble
      Yes, it's very common with trades that their wives or other member of the family are the office manager and make all the decisions regarding websites/marketing services.

      Some of them answer the phone the same way they answer their residential phone (because it often is in the rural areas). I always make sure to ask "oh, is this xyz plumbing?' - lots of these businesses go under quickly and the phone number is now owned by someone else and they have no idea what you're talking about.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
        Originally Posted by Garble View Post

        Yes, it's very common with trades that their wives or other member of the family are the office manager and make all the decisions regarding websites/marketing services.

        Some of them answer the phone the same way they answer their residential phone (because it often is in the rural areas). I always make sure to ask "oh, is this xyz plumbing?' - lots of these businesses go under quickly and the phone number is now owned by someone else and they have no idea what you're talking about.
        Target UP!

        These mom & pop shops are frequently too small to afford you.

        I made 15 dials over an hour this afternoon to $10 million and up in revenue control equipment firms. Made my list from manta and looking at their websites (I have control equipment experience so the home page tells me a lot in a few seconds). First call using the Little Unsure technique, the gatekeeper blocked me. The rest of them put me through. 2 conversations; the rest were unavailable (voicemail). That's how it turned out today. Tomorrow, same hour, a dozen of them could be available to talk. We don't know until we do the behaviors.

        One prospect exclaimed how his sales force was "kicking ass and taking names"--kinda funny language for a professional, but whatever. Seemed to me he was a bit defensive, like I was going to take his job away. Not a fit, and I found out in under 30 seconds if you factor the gatekeeper time in as well.

        Second conversation was better; we got into a lot of detail about their sales process and where the issues were. Then the call dropped at about 7:30 in. Now THAT sucked. Guy wasn't available when I called back--very strange, but who knows what happened; maybe he just got the news a relative was in a car accident. Fortunately this technical glitch thing hardly ever happens (I can't actually remember a situation like this one). He can call me back when he wants; I've moved on to my next dial.

        EDIT: I did get one callback which was a pretty good conversation, as well.

        That's how it turned out today. I have no control, and neither do you, about whether a prospect is available, can talk right now, has interest in what you have to offer, and can or will buy or not. All I can do is the behaviors--call and use the consistent methodology I have. You have to do this consistently. A one-shot effort isn't going to produce.
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        • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
          Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

          Target UP!

          These mom & pop shops are frequently too small to afford you.

          I made 15 dials over an hour this afternoon to $10 million and up in revenue control equipment firms. Made my list from manta and looking at their websites (I have control equipment experience so the home page tells me a lot in a few seconds). First call using the Little Unsure technique, the gatekeeper blocked me. The rest of them put me through. 2 conversations; the rest were unavailable (voicemail). That's how it turned out today. Tomorrow, same hour, a dozen of them could be available to talk. We don't know until we do the behaviors.

          One prospect exclaimed how his sales force was "kicking ass and taking names"--kinda funny language for a professional, but whatever. Seemed to me he was a bit defensive, like I was going to take his job away. Not a fit, and I found out in under 30 seconds if you factor the gatekeeper time in as well.

          Second conversation was better; we got into a lot of detail about their sales process and where the issues were. Then the call dropped at about 7:30 in. Now THAT sucked. Guy wasn't available when I called back--very strange, but who knows what happened; maybe he just got the news a relative was in a car accident. Fortunately this technical glitch thing hardly ever happens (I can't actually remember a situation like this one). He can call me back when he wants; I've moved on to my next dial.

          That's how it turned out today. I have no control, and neither do you, about whether a prospect is available, can talk right now, has interest in what you have to offer, and can or will buy or not. All I can do is the behaviors--call and use the consistent methodology I have. You have to do this consistently. A one-shot effort isn't going to produce.
          Most of the companies that I am targeting have between 1-5 mil. I'm calling companies that do excavation right now. It's a relatively competitive business around here and most of them do really well. Still, many are run like mom and pop businesses. So I wonder if the majority have that mom and pop mentality that they don't need the internet. It still really amazes me just how many contractors don't even have a simple website never mind anything else.
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          • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
            Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

            Most of the companies that I am targeting have between 1-5 mil. I'm calling companies that do excavation right now. It's a relatively competitive business around here and most of them do really well. Still, many are run like mom and pop businesses. So I wonder if the majority have that mom and pop mentality that they don't need the internet. It still really amazes me just how many contractors don't even have a simple website never mind anything else.
            It's a lot easier to sell something to a person who ALREADY BELIEVES what you do.

            Sort. That's what you're doing when you're qualifying: separating those who already believe what you do from those who don't.

            When we're calling to see who might be interested in our giveaway, we're potentially creating that agreement in an open mind.
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            • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
              Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

              It's a lot easier to sell something to a person who ALREADY BELIEVES what you do.

              Sort. That's what you're doing when you're qualifying: separating those who already believe what you do from those who don't.

              When we're calling to see who might be interested in our giveaway, we're potentially creating that agreement in an open mind.
              Well that was certainly a light bulb for me! Makes a lot of sense!

              I'm curious what others think about the times to make calls. The one thing I'm noticing with these particular companies as well as other contractors is I'm getting a lot of voicemails rather than live people. How late is too late to make calls since many of these guys (and girls) are probably out in the field?
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              • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
                Originally Posted by DPMJennifer View Post

                Well that was certainly a light bulb for me! Makes a lot of sense!

                I'm curious what others think about the times to make calls. The one thing I'm noticing with these particular companies as well as other contractors is I'm getting a lot of voicemails rather than live people. How late is too late to make calls since many of these guys (and girls) are probably out in the field?
                Here's a blog entry of mine on that very topic:

                I get this question frequently: "When should I call tradespeople?"

                It took me a year to understand this, working as a credit manager for a national electrical wholesaler, but your typical tradesperson is halfway up a ladder, juggling a tool in one hand a the cell phone in the other when you call. Later on, I worked in trades myself--running a metal fab shop and then a custom construction business--and learned first-hand. They do not have an easy time of it.

                If they're not working, they're not making money and they know it. Not the same picture as an office employee, is it? So what they want is, as fast as they can and as early as they can in the morning, to be out on a jobsite. Getting paid for doing what they do: paint, electrical, insulation, stonework, or whatever.

                That's what you're competing with. It's frequently "a bad time" when you call; they're tied up with technical work.

                Now many tradespeople like to start early, 7AM and even earlier, and be done by 2PM or 3PM. It's a different lifestyle than office work. So this means when it's really early in the day for us, they've probably already been on the job for an hour or so. You shouldn't call before 8AM, but right after can be effective.

                Also in the afternoon, after 3PM. Keep in mind they'll probably be tired. Which leads to the second point:
                This will probably be a two-step process.

                ALWAYS open with "Is this a bad time to talk?" You are being considerate. You know they might be lying on their back under a house, fiddling with a voltmeter.

                Expect that it is going to be a bad time. This is the only case where I recommend attempting to schedule a discussion call time. When they confirm it is not a good time to talk, I say something like:

                "Okay. I realize you're probably in the middle of a job, so let's pick a better time when you'll be free. When would work best for you?"

                Note I did NOT go into why I called, what I do, what the benefits are of working with me, etc.

                They may ask that. Keep it short: "I want to talk with you about getting you more customers. Won't take long. A lot of my trades clients want me to call after 3 or 4PM. Would that work for you?"

                And then calendar the callback and do it. Any questions?
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                • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
                  Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

                  Here's a blog entry on that very topic:
                  Thank you very much. That was also extremely helpful.
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        • Profile picture of the author Garble
          Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

          Target UP!
          I know, I should. But I wanted to get a few smaller clients to get my feet wet before I tried larger companies. Maybe that's one of the problems us newbies face, something Claude can address in his next book - lack of confidence which leads us to be bottom feeders, never gaining any momentum because we chase sales from those who can't afford to buy.
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      • Profile picture of the author DPMJennifer
        Originally Posted by Garble View Post

        Yes, it's very common with trades that their wives or other member of the family are the office manager and make all the decisions regarding websites/marketing services.

        Some of them answer the phone the same way they answer their residential phone (because it often is in the rural areas). I always make sure to ask "oh, is this xyz plumbing?' - lots of these businesses go under quickly and the phone number is now owned by someone else and they have no idea what you're talking about.
        Yes, I'm finding this a lot. This afternoon I started asking first, "is this so and so company".
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  • Profile picture of the author Xiqual
    Brilliant approach, Jason.
    Most thankful for sharing it!

    How it worked for you this January?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    OK, it's been a couple years since I provided my original audio examples of using the Little Unsure technique.

    What does it sound like today?

    Pretty much the same, so to show you I have put up an example from a couple days ago (no opt-in)

    Click here for the 2014 Little Unsure technique in action!
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  • Profile picture of the author nerfsmurf
    Gave it a shot yesterday, many more shots to be taken over the course of the next 29 days! I dialed 35 of 40 numbers, had 2 or 3 wrong/out of business; had about 12-13 No answers (these businesses open pretty late in the day, I called early hoping to get DM's/slow business periods), 3-4 machines, 2 DM's, and the rest were either gatekeepers telling me the time to callback or giving me the owners email.

    This is the first time I have dealt with gatekeepers and with this script, they are the sweetest little pies under the sky! I think finding business to call are gonna be my new choke point.

    Out of the 2 DM's I got in contact with, one already implemented SMS marketing, and the other said he was "on a reality TV show so he is good on business". I know, I know, I could have easily explained to him why that should make sms marketing his number 1 priority but I thought about the reply seconds after we ended contact. At least I know for next time. I think Ill call him back up after a bit (I fudged up on the script, i was expecting a GK to answer and when he said he was the DM it threw me off xD).

    Anyway, very nice script! February is gonna be my month!
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by nerfsmurf View Post

      Gave it a shot yesterday, many more shots to be taken over the course of the next 29 days! I dialed 35 of 40 numbers, had 2 or 3 wrong/out of business; had about 12-13 No answers (these businesses open pretty late in the day, I called early hoping to get DM's/slow business periods), 3-4 machines, 2 DM's, and the rest were either gatekeepers telling me the time to callback or giving me the owners email.

      This is the first time I have dealt with gatekeepers and with this script, they are the sweetest little pies under the sky! I think finding business to call are gonna be my new choke point.

      Out of the 2 DM's I got in contact with, one already implemented SMS marketing, and the other said he was "on a reality TV show so he is good on business". I know, I know, I could have easily explained to him why that should make sms marketing his number 1 priority but I thought about the reply seconds after we ended contact. At least I know for next time. I think Ill call him back up after a bit (I fudged up on the script, i was expecting a GK to answer and when he said he was the DM it threw me off xD).

      Anyway, very nice script! February is gonna be my month!
      Good for you for taking action.

      Remember, you cannot control who answers and how many can speak with you today...you can only control your own behaviors (do you make the dials). On Monday you could call and have a dozen conversations.

      Don't try to convince them of anything. Be the messenger. That's it. Somewhere out there are a ton of people who *already believe* that SMS marketeting should be their priority--and they're hoping someone like you will call, because they have no freakin' idea how to implement.

      Best thing is that you've tried it, you've found out just how easy it is to get GKs to help you, and that it's pretty painless.
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  • Profile picture of the author MeAmRussian
    Hi Jason, just discovered you recently, thank you so much for all the info!

    In your first post in this thread, you ask the DM "is this a bad time", and if no, you proceed with what you do. You later linked to an older video where you make the "contract" by asking for a minute to explain who you are and what you do. Have you found since then that the contract isn't so necessary? Is there a reason you left it out in this thread?

    Thanks!
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by MeAmRussian View Post

      Hi Jason, just discovered you recently, thank you so much for all the info!

      In your first post in this thread, you ask the DM "is this a bad time", and if no, you proceed with what you do. You later linked to an older video where you make the "contract" by asking for a minute to explain who you are and what you do. Have you found since then that the contract isn't so necessary? Is there a reason you left it out in this thread?

      Thanks!
      We are not giving a 30 second commercial here, and it's not the same thing as in the other thread. We're sorting quickly. Up front contracts are better used in situations where you are going to say something longer, and are fishing for "pain". All we're doing here is finding out whether they use outsiders or not, and whether they'll accept your differentiator piece. We aren't getting into a lot of detail. So setting up an up front contract isn't necessary this time.
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