Cold Calling: It’s Not Just About the Numbers

Will you win based on offense or defense? When it comes to cold calling, you will often hear these words of wisdom: "It's not what you say, but how you say it." Although I agree with that statement, I would take it even further yet. “Numbers don’t lie” … or so an old saying goes. If you’re in sales, you know all about numbers. They drive your daily activities. They’re plastered everywhere on tracking sheets. They determine your success (or lack thereof). When you’re constantly dealing with quotas and goals, it’s easy to get zoned in on numbers. It’s easy to overlook that, behind every sales prospect, is a real live person (or people). Do so at your own peril. If this is your perspective, and your sales outreach uses cold calling, you’re not just dead on arrival – you’re dead … [Read more...]

Are you smart enough to come in out of the rain? Sure, this probably sounds like something your mom would have asked (sorry if that stirs up complex memories). Oh, and by the way … I’m presuming your answer is “yes.” There is a point here. You seek shelter from rain in a structure. It might be a house, or a garage, or an overhang, or even – if you’ve been caught in one of those occasional deluges at Summerfest – a beer tent. Life can get pretty damp without a structure or two nearby. Reminds me of several sales reps I’ve worked with, who felt like a black cloud appeared every time they picked up the phone to do some cold calling. First, it rains. Then it pours. They can’t get callbacks. They can’t get past the gatekeeper.  If they actually get a decisionmaker on the line, … [Read more...]

Rifle or shotgun: Which describes your approach to sales? If your answer is “Huh?” understand that the analogy refers to stark differences between the firearms. A rifle fires a bullet that must be perfectly aimed to hit its target. A shotgun shell contains pellets that spread into a pattern, requiring less accuracy to strike. In other words: Do you know exactly who your prospects are, or do you kind of fire away and hope that you’re close? If you’re like most self-assured sales reps, you answered “rifle.” You qualify your prospects. You’ve done the research. You know who you’re going after, and why. You don’t waste time on fruitless outreach. When the time comes to make those cold calls, you do so confidently … unless you don’t. As I’ve reiterated countless times, … [Read more...]

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin No doubt, Ben Franklin was one of the smartest guys who ever lived. You could fill books with his words of wisdom. He was a man of keen intellect, driven by unbridled curiosity and a driving need to shape the future. Need ultimate proof? Look no further than this quote. He was explaining cold calling more than a century before the telephone was even invented! How much more visionary, or proactive, can you get? If Ben Franklin was around today, I’d invite him to speak at my cold calling seminar or Cold Call University. His advice applies to many facets of life, of course. Preparation does beget success, no matter what you’re doing. Warm Up for Cold Calling If you’re a sales rep using cold calling, … [Read more...]

RECIPROCITY: “The quality or state of being reciprocal, meaning to give back, usually in kind or quantity.” Most people want to do the right thing. Or, at least they try. Wouldn’t you agree? Even in the rough-and-tumble, sometimes take-no-prisoners world of sales, most folks you encounter are decent human beings. Do someone a favor, and they’ll try to return it. Maybe not right away … but eventually. People understand reciprocity. They appreciate someone going the extra mile for them. They feel valued, which fulfills a basic human need. Reciprocity is (for most) the natural response. Return the favor, right? Note the “for most” qualifier. Despite the best intentions of personal generosity and societal norms, a small minority of people still won’t “get it.” They’re not … [Read more...]

Victimhood sucks. Unfortunately, in the often hardscrabble world of sales, it’s all too easy to fall into it. We all know the verbiage: "He (or she) didn’t call back." "They put me off another two months." "I’m too busy to contact them again." The last one, especially, evidences a victim mentality. Busyness is an excuse – nothing more. It essentially tells a prospect, "I haven’t made you a priority." Well, who wants to buy from someone who doesn’t make them a priority? Look, as I’ve written before, sales isn’t easy. It takes persistence. Patience. Bounce-back ability. A thick skin, too. As we began addressing last month, being good at sales also means being good at something else: planning. Unless you’re selling toothpaste at Walgreens, most prospects won’t buy just … [Read more...]

Timing, you often hear, is everything in life. And, to a certain extent, it’s true. You just happened to be at the same party as your future spouse on the night you met. A friend invited you to a game, and you saw your favorite player have a career performance. Timing can be critical to your livelihood, too ... especially if you’re in sales. Contacting a prospect, at the exact moment they happen to need your product or service, is the ultimate sales catnip. You actually found the needle in the haystack! “And time waits for no man, and it won't wait for me Yes, time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me” -The Rolling Stones Timing, you often hear, is everything in life. And, to a certain extent, it’s true. You just happened to be at the same party as your future spouse on … [Read more...]

“We could learn a lot from dogs.” When someone says this, they usually follow with a litany of all the qualities we appreciate about dogs: enthusiasm, unconditional love, unbridled curiosity, and the like. If you work in sales, some of these could be of benefit. Others, maybe less so. Oh, but there is a bit of “dog history” that is absolutely invaluable to salespeople. Learn it … apply it … and you’ll have reason to bark about your success. Yes, this is serious. Ever heard of “Pavlov’s dogs?” The term references a famous psychological study that largely defined the concept of “conditioning.” And, it applies to sales. Stay with us here. Ivan Pavlov was a noted Russian physiologist (not psychologist, mind you). He won a Nobel Prize in 1904 for his studies of dogs’ digestive … [Read more...]

Recently, Udemy bestowed upon Cold Call University two of its most prestigious honors: Highest Rated & Best Seller. With millions of courses available online via this platform, this puts our program in a league of its own. Recently, Udemy bestowed upon Cold Call University two of its most prestigious honors: Highest Rated & Best Seller. Officially launched in early 2018, our online educational platform now has over 1,000 students enrolled from 93 countries across the globe. That's 47.3% of the countries on Earth! Want to see for yourself why Cold Call University is rated so highly by so many individuals? Want to gain the competitive advantage on the phone that you crave? Want to take your business to heights never before imagined? Then enroll in Cold Call University today and … [Read more...]

For far too long, LinkedIn and cold calling have been operating in silos. The question "Do you use LinkedIn or cold calling for networking and new business development?" misses the fundamental point: these two modalities are complementary, not antagonistic. … [Read more...]