by Marta Malyk | Oct 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
I have noticed that many salespeople are quick to spend an exorbitant amount of time and money on live events, claiming that they offer networking opportunities that they cannot afford to miss. That time and money would be better spent on Cold Calling. Cold Calling IS networking!
When done correctly, Cold Calling provides all the benefits of networking at a much lower cost and in a shorter time frame.
Cold Calling vs Networking
Here are some of the most important reasons to network professionally:
- To build and nurture your professional network
- To stay visible and top of mind with your community
- To stay on top of industry news and advancements
- To help others and build good will
Cold Calling provides the opportunity to do all of these, and more!
- Cold Calling helps build and nurture your professional network. When making Cold Calls, you are introduced to new people and have the opportunity to touch base with older contacts. And since you are speaking with them, one on one over the phone, instead of across a table with numerous others – some of whom may be competitors – I would argue that the conversations you have during a Cold Call are more advantageous.
But the key word there is ‘CONVERSATIONS’ – when done correctly, a Cold Call is a conversation!
- Cold Calling helps you stay visible and top of mind with your community. Again, when Cold Calling, you are ‘touching’ the prospect – even if it is only to leave a voicemail. These ‘touches’ help establish a sense of trust and by maintaining a regular delivery cadence, you will stay top of mind.
- Cold Calling helps you stay on top of industry news and advancements. While you may not be gaining information from your prospects, a good salesperson will be sure to stay on top of industry news in order to be able to provide that on calls if needed. Cold Calling incentivizes salespeople to be in the know!
- Cold Calls provide opportunities to help others and build good will. A good salesperson will be listening, on a Cold Call, for problems they can solve. If they cannot provide an appropriate solution, they will offer a referral. This not only helps the prospect but serves to build good will.
How much time should you spend networking?
According to Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI (Business Network International, which claims to be the largest business networking organization in the world) people should spend 8 – 10 hours per week networking. To achieve this by attending networking events, you need to then add the commute time, factor in the costs of the event and the lousy coffee and hope that your target audience will be there.
Yes, attending some live networking events can be helpful but I say, cut to the chase! Pick up the phone and make a call. And start thinking of your Cold Calling time as ‘networking’ – making and building new connections. I bet this shift in mindset will you’re your calls become more conversational and productive. Let me know how it goes!
Do you need help shifting your mindset out of ‘selling’ mode and into ‘conversation’ mode? Check out our Call Center in a Box program where we train you and your team in our time-proven Conversational Selling technique. OUR SALES TRAINING gets YOUR people delivering real results!
by Marta Malyk | Mar 2, 2021 | Advice, Cold Calling, Cold Calling Success, Cold Calling Tips, Sales Prospecting
I, like almost all Americans, knew of Larry King. I knew his name and that he interviewed people. I knew he wore suspenders. But I had not really listened to him or watched his shows. Since his death last month, I have read a number of interesting articles about him and I realize that I should have been following him more closely as there is a lot to learn about Cold Calling by studying Larry King’s interview style.
What Can Larry King’s Interview Style Teach Us About Cold Calling?
In this interview, https://www.cjr.org/special_report/larry-king-interviewing-tips.php from a podcast episode of “The Turnaround” with Jesse Thorn from July of 2017, Larry King talked about being an interviewer and indirectly gave us all some excellent Cold Calling advice.
These 5 points jumped out as useful tips:
- Keep questions simpleIn his case, he did this to draw people out and to let the interviewee shine. As a Cold Caller, this is not the time to show off, it is your time to ask simple but pointed questions.
- Stay curiousKing enjoyed talking to people who were experts in areas he was unfamiliar with. When you are curious is it easier to stay engaged.
- “The key of interviewing is listening”He listened and engaged with his guests. Listening is key to Cold Calling success as well.
Click here to read more about Active Listening.
- “The less I know (about the guest), the better.”Larry King would do two–hour interviews with people without knowing who they were in advance. I guess that helped him stay curious.
When we teach people how to use our Conversational Selling technique, we don’t have them spend a lot of time researching the prospects before the Cold Call. There is plenty of time to do that if/ when they become a real lead.
- “No one’s ever done the perfect interview.”This is true for Cold Calling as well. Obsessing over getting it ‘perfect’ will keep you from dialing, engaging and successfully setting qualified appointments. Pick up the phone and get dialing!
But this is where the similarities end.
King didn’t believe in having a long list of prepared questions. He talked about how this allowed him to focus on the answer the person was giving to the current question, without worrying about how he would get to the next question. He relied on his experience, skill and wit to carry him through and come up with what to ask next.
When Cold Calling, I strongly believe that having a script, with your questions as well as some basic information, is vital to achieving success.
I totally agree that you need to listen to what is being said, rather than focus on your next question. Having a script provides you with the structure to stay on task and on message. It will help you address the objections you will likely face and save you time by helping you quickly and effectively identify who is, and who is not, a good prospect.
Larry King also felt that you didn’t need an agenda. Clearly, that worked for him – he had a 60+ year career – but he was talking to people who were paid to spend time with him. As Cold Callers, we don’t have that luxury. We need to tightly plan our calls to get the most out of the (often short) time we have. Scripts provide that ‘agenda’.
So, while Larry King may not have made a great Cold Caller, his interview style and expertise leaves us plenty to admire and learn from!
R.I.P. Mr King
If YOU are struggling with Cold Calling and need help crafting a script to keep YOU on message, give me a call at 908-879-2911 – I may not have 60+ years under my belt yet but I am a Cold Calling PRO. We can help you with scripting, training and provide the real–life practice you need to get you and your team up to speed!
by Marta Malyk | Jan 19, 2021 | Advice, Cold Calling, Cold Calling Success, Cold Calling Tips, Lead Generation, Sales, Sales Prospecting, Sales Training
Are you prepared for success?
Sales is a hard job – you hear a lot of ‘No’s’ before you get to a ‘Yes’ and actually make a sale. You need, as they say, to kiss a lot of frogs before you find that prince or princess.
But what if I told you that you are probably WASTING half your time?
Marc Wayshak, a well-known Sales Strategist shared this important stat last year: “At least 50% of your prospects are not a good fit for what you sell”
Yikes!
Many of you are probably spending way too much time on the phone with prospects who just aren’t going to convert to customers.
At One of a Kind Sales, we train our people to QUICKLY identify whether a prospect is a good fit or not and, if they are not, to efficiently end the call and move on. Let me show YOU how to do this yourself and how to be prepared for success.
It starts with your Call List
Make sure you are calling from a clean list with RELEVANT contacts. Click here to read more about this process.
Your script is your road map
Make sure your script includes questions that will elicit the information you need to QUICKLY determine if the prospect is a good fit or not. Ask pointed questions and then LISTEN carefully for the answers.
Have an escape plan
Your script must also include verbiage to EXIT the call QUICKLY once you have determined that they are not worth pursuing.
For example, “gee, based on what we discussed, I feel we would not be a good fit and I certainly don’t want to waste your time”. This allows you to acknowledge that you have been listening and that you respect their time.
Practice, practice, practice!
Being comfortable and CONVERSATIONAL is key to making an effective connection with the prospect. If you feel awkward about re-directing and leaving the conversation once you determine they are not a good fit, you WILL end up wasting your time – and theirs!
Be professional
We are NOT advocating that you rudely ask questions and then abruptly leave once you have your answers. That certainly won’t help you close more sales.
Be professional, prepared and succinct – they will appreciate it and you will save time.
Ask for leads
Once you have determined that a prospect is not a good fit, you should always ask them if they know of anyone who might need your product or services. This is a great way to make the most of your time and to turn a current ‘no’ into a possible, future ‘yes’.
How can you be prepared for success?
So, how much time do you calculate YOU have been wasting on calls with prospects that just aren’t a good fit?
Implementing these sales tips will help YOU stop wasting your time when making Cold Calls and help you to be prepared for success!
Contact us for help with your scripting and click here to learn more about how we can train YOUR staff to use our proprietary, One of a Kind Sales skills. And give us a call at 908-879-2911 to see how WE can make Cold Calls for YOU!
Are YOU prepared for success? Here are some more tips:
How to Leave Voicemail When Cold Calling
Addressing Cold Calling Objections
Successful Cold Calling Starts with Asking Permission
by Nancy Calabrese | Feb 18, 2020 | Best Sales Practices, Building Relationships, Cold Calling Tips, Sales Prospecting
I am often asked if there are different Cold Calling tactics for different Industries. The answer is, yes, we may modify our script slightly to provide industry specific examples or wording but actually, the biggest difference is in how much TIME it takes for the prospects to ‘convert’ to a qualified appointment.
Cold calling is cold calling no matter what industry you are calling. It is simply a discovery call. Your goal, across industries, is to engage a stranger, whom you have determined to be a decision maker, in meaningful conversation.
If you are going after SMB’s (small and midsized businesses) you are more likely to reach a decision maker sooner, as a small business owner is just more likely to take a call.
Typically, the larger the company, the longer it takes to reach that decision maker. When you have to navigate through multiple layers of gatekeepers, it slows the process.
It may also take a bit longer if the industry is oversaturated, like it is with IT providers, financial advisors, insurance providers and some others. With those, you may also face built up resistance and fatigue which can slow you down. As with all calls, PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE are your best tactics!
This isn’t a ‘one and done’ process
And remember, no matter which industry you are working in, cold calling is never a ‘one and done’ process. Making the calls is KEY – without those calls, you will never set any appointments – but you must also have a FOLLOW-UP plan in place if you want those appointments to convert to sales. Building RELATIONSHIPS for the LONG TERM requires a process to follow-up with those new prospects. Salespeople that have this ‘long game’ mindset and a plan to follow-up, will succeed. They know that they need to not only make the connection but to NURTURE it. They establish trust and STAY in touch on a regular basis so they stay top of mind.
It may take a bit longer to reach decision makers in certain industries but across the board, what really matters is that you have the patience and persistence to make, and then nurture, those connections so they convert to appointments and sales!
Do you need help connecting with decision makers? Assistance with follow-up? Our Call Center in a Box provides you with the training, management and monitoring YOU need to succeed in Cold Calling. Give us a call TODAY at 908.879.2911 to learn more!
by Nancy Calabrese | Oct 22, 2019 | Cold Call ROI, Cold Calling Tips
I am frequently asked, “is Cold Calling a waste of time?” Given that my business is to find and place, train and manage Cold Callers and that we at One of a Kind Sales LOVE making Cold Calls, I can confidently say, “YES” – when done poorly, Cold Calling IS a waste of time!
This may sound blasphemous – how can someone who LOVES Cold Calling, admit that it is a waste of time?! I am able to say this because I KNOW that it is true. I meet salespeople all the time who are wasting their time – and the time of their potential prospects – by using outdated scripts, poor techniques and/or ‘winging’ it. Too many people think that Cold Calling is just a matter of picking up the phone, dialing a number and chatting with, or worse yet, bullying the person on the other end into setting up an appointment. This could not be further from the truth!
Cold Calling is an art and a science. There are proven techniques and approaches that you need to learn in order to be effective. And you must be able to LISTEN to, and empathize with, your prospect. Most people are NOT born with these skills but with training and guidance, they CAN be learned.
Successful Cold Callers know:
- They need to be consistent, making calls daily.
- They need to be persistent – and know not to give up!
- Their KPI’s – their Key Performance Indicators (check out our post Are YOU Dialing Blindly for more on this).
- The VALUE of their work – they know that the appointments they set with qualified prospects lead to CLOSED SALES and a healthy bottom line.
Cold Calling is NOT for the faint of heart. It is a hard, often harsh, business where you hear “No” way more than you hear “Yes’. But it is also a rewarding one! Cold Calling is an important and EFFECTIVE part of many business plans and well trained, accomplished Cold Callers are ALWAYS in demand.
Are YOU wasting YOUR time Cold Calling without results? Give us a call at 908.879.2911, we can provide you with the training you need turn that around! And if you would like to HIRE one or more of our well-trained salespeople to fill your pipeline with qualified leads, give us a call. Our people are snatched up pretty quickly, so get on our list!
So, is Cold Calling a Waste of Time? When done poorly, yes, it can be. But when done properly, by well-trained salespeople, Cold Calling can be one of your most powerful funnel filling tactics! Are you and your salespeople wasting YOUR time?
