Tweet

Trust is Better than Selling in Cold Calling

Written by: Ari Galper

Article Overview: I’d like to introduce you to a radical new thought. In the old sales mindset, you’ve probably been trained to focus only on making the sale. You approach your cold calls with the idea of moving things towards a sales event.

Trust is Better than Selling in Cold Calling

I’d like to introduce you to a radical new thought. In the old sales mindset, you’ve probably been trained to focus only on making the sale. You approach your cold calls with the idea of moving things towards a sales event.

But think about what this does to your cold calls. Before you even say “hello,” basically then, you have an agenda. You want something.

Well, your prospects can sense this immediately, and they put up their guard. As people, whenever we know that someone wants something from us, we automatically move into a defensive place. You probably do, too, if you’re talking with someone who has an agenda.

Can you see that your sales focus actually destroys the possibility for a genuine, trusting conversation? Because it’s focused on yourself – your desire for a sale - and not on the other person.

Salesmanship vs. Relationship

So it’s time to re-think the way you approach cold calls. When your strategy is to make a sale, then you’re someone who has to be “watched.” You’re not weighing what’s important to the other person. And so to them, you can’t be trusted.

It’s much better to build trusting relationship into your cold calling process. When the other person feels that you’re relating to them from this place, there’s no need to be suspicious and defensive. There can be a pleasant, productive, truthful dialogue about whether what you’re offering makes sense for them.

So, really, it’s about trust and relationship. Why? Because when given the choice, people always prefer to do business with someone they can trust.

Here are two fundamental shifts you’ll need to make if you want to move away from the old “sale-focused” mindset.

1. Release the Need for Control
Whenever you’re trying to control the outcome of your cold call, you’re not allowing the conversation to have a natural rhythm and flow. You’re trying to maneuver things in a certain direction.

So you’re not building relationship, you’re trying to build sales. You’re focused on things like getting information, finding the decision maker, scheduling an appointment, or closing the sale.
And all of this sets off “alarms” for the other person. Prospects can sense that this kind of interaction is somewhat of an impersonal, pre-ordained process. They know it really hasn’t much to do with them.

So how can you to shift into something more positive? You begin by consciously surrendering to the outcome of your cold call. When you do this, you’re no longer trying to manage things. You can be relaxed and helpful.

This is subtly but powerfully felt by the other person. When they recognize you’re not “pushing” for a certain outcome, there’s an opportunity for mutual exploration, and you can be viewed as someone who’s trustworthy.

2. Focus on the Other Person
When you start your cold calls by talking about your product or service, most people “shut down” right away. You’re talking to someone who doesn’t know you, and you’re trying to get them to step into your world.

Instead, try stepping into their world. Think about what matters to them. Put yourself in their shoes.

The best way to do this is to think about what kinds of problems they may be having. For example, let’s say you provide invoice management systems. You might start with something like, “I’m just calling to see if you’d be open to exploring new ways to solve revenue loss from unpaid invoices.”

Now you’ve started your cold call by focusing on the other person’s issue right away. You’re not talking about yourself. You’re “tuned into” their problems and difficulties. This feels really good to them, and you’ll more likely share an open, trusting conversation.

When you don’t have strategies and “pitches” built into your cold calling agenda, you can be a real person talking to another real person. Now there’s an opportunity explore together in a more trusting way whether what you’re providing is a fit for them. And the difference will astonish you.

To your success,

Related Articles
  Cold Calling Does Work – Have You Tired It Lately?
  Make Cold Calls More Successful- Stop Focusing on the Sale
  Stop By All That Business Your Are Driving By If You Want to Increase Sales
  What approach should I take when cold calling?
  It Ain\'t About You by Keith Rosen, MCC

Article Tags: cold call, cold calls, desire, dialogue, fundamental shifts, mindset, natural rhythm, new thought, prospects, rhythm and flow, sales focus, salesmanship, trusting relationship



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: Essential Leadership skills - Vigilance Trust An ability to DELEGATE
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


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

The Neglected Art of Receiving

Four Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Blog

The Future of Online Marketing

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.