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Cold Calling Isn’t the Only Way to Get Prospects

Guest post by: Kendra Lee

Article Overview: Not many sellers like cold calling. They may be forced into it but they go kicking and screaming, avoiding it with any excuse. Unfortunately, they think it’s the only approach to prospecting, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Cold Calling Isn’t the Only Way to Get Prospects

Not many sellers like cold calling. They may be forced into it but they go kicking and screaming, avoiding it with any excuse. Unfortunately, they think it's the only approach to prospecting, but it doesn't have to be that way. John was a managed services provider looking to grow his company. He created a cold calling plan to reach three different micro-segments that he'd identified as his hottest opportunities. Together we put a strategy in place with a dynamite approach. He learned how to tailor his message to different companies, tips to get past gatekeepers and techniques for leaving gripping voicemails.

John was excited! He spent weeks perfecting everything, holding off on any calls until he felt he was fully prepared.

And then it was time to execute.

After two weeks of failed attempts, John fessed up. He didn't want to pick up the phone.

He'd convinced himself that this was the right way to prospect. John assumed that all successful sales people did it, and if his business was going to be successful, he had to master it, too.

Not true.

Cold calling can be one of the most inefficient ways to find leads. Unless you have a list of specific contacts you want to reach, it simply isn't your best technique to fill your funnel.

I'm a passionate believer in alternate ways of prospecting, especially when you've got a big region you're attempting to cover and you're strapped with a large number to sell. Instead, you need a plan that'll bring leads in the door in a manner that's comfortable for you.

It's time to change your prospecting strategy. Here are some ideas for you.

Start an email campaign. Afraid of the spam laws? Keep your list small and personalize your emails to participants' needs so it feels as if you sat down to write them an individual message. Send a series of 3-4 emails three days apart to encourage a response.

Know your target market. John knew where to look for his hottest opportunities. You want to do the same. Keep your micro-segments small, 20-125 contacts at a time, so you can be more personal in your communications.

Hold an on-line event. Sound time consuming and expensive? You can run one practically for free so don't let the price stop you. If content or participation is your concern, remember that you're the expert. Make your topic relevant to your target market's top issues and they'll want to hear what you have to say. Share recommendations based on work you've done with other clients. Offer something at the end that'll separate hot prospects from warm leads.

Use social media, press releases and / or articles to get noticed. They'll keep you in front of your target market where they get to know you as an expert. You'll begin to create a relationship even before they require your assistance.

Create a mini-campaign by linking email, events, social media, and articles together to keep you in constant touch with your micro-segments. As a seller you don't have time to run a complicated 6-month campaign, but you can run a simple one over 6 weeks that generates new leads all along the way.

Some people love cold calling. But if you aren't one of those people, relax, breathe a deep sigh of relief and change your prospecting strategy. Not only will you build your funnel, you'll also create awareness for yourself and your company through consistent exposure. When your target prospects have a need, they'll remember you and reach out. And isn't that so much more inviting that interrupting their day with a cold call?

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Article Tags: attempts, believer, cold calling, different companies, dynamite, email campaign, excuse, funnel, gatekeepers, li li, participants, segments, services provider, spam laws, successful sales, target market



Related Forum Posts
Re: How to develop sales contacts? - Everyone has the right idea here. Depending on your business, there are different techniques that you could use. For consultants and sales heavy businesses, there are three tactics that I have found especially useful in my business: 1. Attend Networking Events 2. Cold Calling 3. Referral Program 4. Affiliate Program (most successful) The affiliate program was successful for me, as I hooked up with a franchise consultant, and he gave multiple unit businesses that needed my credit card processing services. I highly suggest you hook up with a sales partner, and give him a cut of the monthly revenue.
Re: Direct Mail Postcards - Post cards would be really expensive to send from Japan...but one way to advertise that is not expensive from overseas is by Cold Calling using cheap VoIP equipment. I know Japan has a really good internet connection, so as long as you are willing to stay up late, it might be an option. I cold call from Thailand far, far away from any city using a CDMA wireless internet connection and have had pretty good results. I find tho, that cold calling works best for business 2 business (b2b), rather than b2c products. --matt
Re: Cold Calling - As long as people are out of jobs, you'll probably have a lot of people who say they want to work for straight commission, but if they don't get paid fairly quickly, they usually move on. We've run into that and went through about 500 people (whose resumes looked really good) until we found about 3 good resellers. People just don't want to work for anything. Or they do a good job getting the business but don't do the follow up necessary to make the sale......so they move on thinking they need money NOW. Our business requires all cold calling as well. It's really tough for people to perfect that but there are a lot of good books out there. On is Cold Calling Techniques, by Stephan Schiffman
Re: Email Etiquette - [quote="jvprosperity":24jznj58] The P.S. suggestion is good but it depends on the type of communication (e.g. Autoresponder series verses one off emails to Clients or Prospects)[/quote:24jznj58] Andy, You are right. I was mainly referring to Auto Responder emails. To end a normal email, I attach signatures. Takuya
Re: Cold Calling - Cold calling is an extremely difficult job to do and unless one learns that being told no by people is not a direct refusal aimed at the cold caller but at whatever is being sold, it can be very soul destroying work to do. One needs to have absolute confidence in themselves and a pretty thick skin. MichelleJ


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