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Guest post by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith Become an Author

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Do you need more sales as service professional whether you are a business consultant, sales coach, financial advisor, insurance agent or realtor? Are you making those necessary cold calls? Did you ever think that you are potentially creating a sales catastrophe of becoming a commodity?

Recently, I had a Ah-Ha moment and realized that many coaches and probably others within any service industry are literally turning themselves into commodities when a potential client sought me out. This new referral came from an existing center of influence and a raving fan. She was speaking with a new client of mine who she had also referred to me. This new customer was just bursting about the value through the actual results that I brought to her business within the first meeting. She shared that she has already received back her investment through some specific strategies and suggestions from the initial coaching session.

During this conversation at a local Chamber of Commerce, the newest referral shared he receives one call a day from a business coach looking to help him out. He thinks he may need some help, but isn’t sure and just doesn’t want to go with just anyone.

Now think of those two words “just anyone.” Doesn’t that sound like a commodity?

Cold calling is a necessary business building strategy especially when the referrals run dry and you need some new potential customers (a.k.a. prospects) in your marketing tunnel. (Yes, tunnel not funnel. This is not a typo, but I believe in using the tunnel analogy compared to the funnel one.)

What this tells me is that these business coaches have not developed a cold calling script based upon the value that they bring through the results that they have delivered. For example, if I were cold calling, my opening statement might be: “Hello, I am Leanne Hoagland Smith. My client, insert name, shared that you are interested in doubling your profitability just like she has. Is this a good time for you to talk or what would be a better time?”

Of course, you will have to do your research and make sure that the cold call lead knows your client and has had some conversation even if a direct referral was not made. The one thing you do not want to say in your cold calling conversation is that you are a business coach, sales coach or business consultant and can help them as you have helped so many other business (not named) or something trivial to that effect. By making that statement, you have already doomed yourself into that sales catastrophe known as commodity.

Sales Coaching Tip: Craft several value driven opening statements to be used in your cold calling scripts. Remember, your goal is to be that Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits if you really want to increase sales.

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