Let’s quickly conduct an unscientific, random, non-strategic survey. By a show of hands, how many of you agree with the following sentence: people buy people, not companies.
Well? How did you do?
I know full well that this is not a black and white proposition and that a certain amount of gray area exists between the two choices, but if push came to shove, and you could only sit squarely on one side of the fence, which side would you be resting upon?
I ask this question in nearly every single training session that I conduct and the feedback that I receive is nearly universal. Roughly 85% of the participants whom I pose this question to will answer resoundly that people buy people, not companies.
If you agree with that statement, let me ask you one direct question: does your answer to this question reflect how you are making cold calls? If I were to listen in on the next cold call that you make, am I going to walk away thinking that you are selling yourself as a person, or are you selling your organization as a whole?
There is such an incredible disconnect in the sales profession between what we believe and what we say. The majority of the people whom I present to will reach a consensus that their clients are buying them as people and are more interested in the relationship with the person than the relationship with the company.
Those people, however, usually lead with information about the organization in their sales calls and are surprised that they receive less than stellar results. The good news is that we can remedy this relatively quickly!
My wife and I met on an online dating site in August 2009. As a young man with workaholic tendencies, I did not much partake in the social scene and thought that online dating would be the most effective, efficient way for me to get exposed to potential suitors.
Not only did that vehicle work well in my personal life (we were married in June 2011), it provided an ideal roadmap for success in my professional life. I quickly came to the realization that cold calling is very similar to online dating in certain aspects.
Just like when you look at somebody’s profile picture, more often than not what catches your eye are the physical attributes of the person in said photograph. If you find them aesthetically appealing, they tend to attract your attention and, once your attention is had, you naturally progress to reading through the contents of their biography.
Where do they live? What are their hobbies? What are their favorite movies, books, songs, and places to go on vacation? All of this information is of interest to you now because you are acutely attracted to this individual based on what you saw in their photograph.
Upon reading her profile, if I ascertain that the young woman in question is a chain smoking atheist who enjoys kicking puppies as a weekend activity, rest assured I will spend less time on her page than it takes Usain Bolt to run the 100-meter dash.
If, however, I uncover that she is a physical fitness addict who goes to church weekly and volunteers at the local Humane Society, I may fall madly in love with her on the spot and be compelled to send her an introductory e-mail.
The same is true with cold calling! Your initial cold call is not to sell the company, but rather to sell yourself. If the prospect in question finds what you have to say attractive and is interested in learning more about you, they will give you the time to do so.
Once they have given you the time you need, you have the ability to educate them on who you are, what you do, the services that you provide, and how you can bring value to them in some capacity.
If, however, what you say comes across as unattractive, pushy, salesy, and aggressive , they will not give you the time of day and you will not realize the desired level of success that you are aspiring for.
Just about all of us know in our heart of hearts that we work with people we like, trust, respect, and feel good around. We all need to buy and sell real estate anyway, so we might as well do that with someone we like.
We all need to go to the doctor anyway, so we might as well go see someone we trust. We all need to get our cars fixed and have regular maintenance conducted on them anyway, so we might as well go to the person who makes us laugh and increases our outlook on life.
The same is true with cold calling! Your prospects need your services anyway, so they may as well work with you! They are not going to give you the time of day, however, unless you can sell yourself first, pique their curiosity, and compel them to take a closer look.
The next time you pick up the phone to make a cold call, ask yourself the following question: based on what I am about to say, am I selling myself or the company?
If you can get in the habit of selling yourself time and time again, not only will you be scheduling more appointments, you will be closing that business with greater ease and effectiveness because your prospects want to work with someone they like and trust, not an organization they know very little about sight unseen.
Want to learn how to customize a cold call script that is designed to sell you? Want to learn how to bring a value add proposition to your prospects quickly that highlights your unique talents and abilities? Then give me a call today at 414-313-8338 and let’s get to work!
For more information about The Cold Call Coach, including the services that we provide and how we can make your business more profitable through the successful implementation of this skill set, visit us online at: www.coldcallcoach.net
