Cold Calling: Should You (Voice) Mail it in?

Everyone has fears. But cold calling? C’mon. We’ve covered this ground before. Do your research, be fully prepared ... and melt those fears away.One of the oddest hesitations out there, though, deals with a specific aspect of cold calling: voicemails.If you’re in sales, you know voicemail well. It’s a tool or a terror, depending on your perspective. The voicemail response rate for cold calls hovers around 1 percent ... so it’s probably the latter for most. Here’s why the callback rate is so bad: Most salespeople stink at leaving voicemails. They talk too long. They try to do too much. They sound like salespeople, without even realizing it. Everyone has fears. But cold calling? C’mon. We’ve covered this ground before. Do your research, be fully prepared … and melt those fears … [Read more...]

Sometimes you meet a person, and hit if off right away. Other times, a relationship only develops after several interactions. The dynamics are unpredictable. Anyone in sales knows this. Patience, and frequently persistence, are virtues with no price tag. However, salespeople should never forget one of the most valid entries in the oft-trod world of clichés: You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Sometimes you meet a person, and hit if off right away. Other times, a relationship only develops after several interactions. The dynamics are unpredictable. Anyone in sales knows this. Patience, and frequently persistence, are virtues with no price tag. However, salespeople should never forget one of the most valid entries in the oft-trod world of clichés: You don’t get a … [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...]

Traditional sales training instructs that the gatekeeper is a person to be overcome by any means necessary. After all, they’re just an obstacle to your reaching the head honcho! Get them out of the way! Well, no. You can’t outsmart the gatekeeper. They deal with salespeople all the time. They’ve been instructed on handling uninvited sales calls. Like it or not, they’re smarter than any salesperson. Sales isn’t easy. Being good at sales is even harder. The challenge only grows when salespeople put false obstacles in their way. Some are self-made. Others are put into their heads by so-called “sales experts.” Still others come from trite “you have to read this” sales training literature. The concept of “The Gatekeeper” is true for all three. A gatekeeper is, of course, someone who … [Read more...]

Wayne Glenn, Accounts Manager at Great Impressions Graphics & Printing, has been attending our Cold Calling for Success Seminar Series, which is being sponsored by The Starr Group, at Alverno College in Milwaukee. After only four hours of training and through watching The Cold Call Coach Training DVD on a few occasions, Wayne's cold call success rate is an astronomically high 89%. In fact, he has found so much value in our training, that he asked to take the microphone prior to the commencement of Session #3 to tell those in attendance just how much his professional life has been changed via our methodologies. Ready to be the next Wayne Glenn? Then give us a call today and let's get to work! … [Read more...]

Recently, Paul M. Neuberger, Founder & CEO of The Cold Call Coach, was interviewed by the legendary Rob Shore on his Wholesaler Mastermind Podcast. Rob's program serves as a training resource and best practices medium to folks in the wholesaler profession to ensure that they have the tools they need to be successful. At Rob's request, Paul was asked to come on the program and discuss best practices in cold calling, including effective psychology, pre-call strategy, and what the call should and should not be used for. Since the ability to pick-up the phone and secure meetings is vital to the success of personnel in this field, Paul was asked to share his expertise in this regard. If you're a wholesaler, you won't want to miss this interview, but even if you're currently in another … [Read more...]

The amazingly talented sales team at Health Payment Systems in Milwaukee notched a perfect 100% cold call success rate on their very first day of live cold calls. Think it's too good to be true? Think again! Upon completion of their Group Cold Call Training Program, the sales team met with Paul M. Neuberger, Founder & CEO of The Cold Call Coach, to try out their new scripts and see if they received the response they were hoping for. Not only did they encounter success, they surpassed their highest expectations! The sales team at HPS scheduled appointment after appointment after appointment for a perfect 100% cold call success rate on their very first day of implementing their new scripts and approaches. If they are already this good on their first day, imagine where they will be in a few … [Read more...]

Paul M. Neuberger, Founder & CEO of The Cold Call Coach, has been asked to speak at the prestigious Non-Profit Day in Madison, WI, which is taking place on October 11 at the Monona Terrace & Convention Center. The annual event, which is attended by nearly 1,000 individuals, brings together professionals, volunteers, executives, and thought leaders in the non-profit industry. Neuberger, who himself spent eight years as a professional fundraiser at the collegiate and secondary school level, will present his "Cold Calling for Non-Profits" seminar which will show attendees how not only to identify potential major donors, but how to put themselves in a position for success on the phone. By reducing the salesy nature of the call and by focusing on several best practices in effective … [Read more...]

Get Past the Gatekeeper? Why? In the world of sales, one character has forever held a mythic, intimidating, larger-than-life stature. Their mere presence strikes fear in sales reps everywhere. Epic tomes have been written about grappling with this foreboding figure. Sales trainers have given countless seminars (and made millions of dollars) offering similar advice. Encounter him or her on the street, and you wouldn’t feel threatened in the least. Yet salespeople have forever schemed how to get around, over, under or past this person. You know who we’re talking about: “The Gatekeeper.” Virtually every organization (unless very small) has gatekeepers. They’re its initial point of contact for outsiders. Call or visit, and this is the first person you encounter. Larger … [Read more...]

All good things must come to an end ... but not without a flourish! I’ve been having serious fun dissecting an Inc.com column that sang the tired "cold calling is dead" refrain. To be polite, we could just say that its author, Geoffrey James, is more than a bit off-key. My first article delivered a few body blows against his claims. My next article landed some sharp jabs. My last article left his argument reeling on the ropes. “This is not to say that there aren't companies attempting to develop sales leads through cold calling. However, they're not getting much of anywhere because the only people who still use land lines, listen to voice mail and answer the phone directly are senior citizens and low-level people at ‘buggy whip’ companies.” - Excerpt from Inc.com column written by … [Read more...]