Cold Calling Works!

We all dread doing it. We make excuses not to do it, we procrastinate, delay, we put it off. We even consider paying someone else to do it. I refer, of course, to the dreaded cold call. Why do we fear it so much? Fear of the unknown, fear of rejection.

Most people tend to shy away from it because it’s often not a fun thing to do, since you have to hear “No” many times until you get a “Yes.” But there is no question that cold calling works, and is also one of the most cost-effective ways to get business.

As they say, successful people became successful because they did the things that unsuccessful people didn’t want to do.So as Nike says – just do it. Pick up the phone. Once you get going, it’s not that hard. The first call is the hardest to make – after that it’s easy.

Your pitch should be short and to the point. 90% of the challenge is finding the appropriate person. Once you have the decision maker on the line, explain what you do in 10 seconds – get right to the point. Then continue…keep going and don’t stop – features, benefits, price.

Ask questions, have a conversation, be friendly. If you make them laugh you’re half way there. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for the order. Many sales are lost simply for failure to ask. “So would you be interested in getting started with one of our packages today?”

Follow-up is key. If a prospect asks you to call back, write down the date and time and call back.

The most important piece of advice I can give is – HOW you say it is more important than WHAT you say. I’ve had many telemarketers over the years who have read the same exact script, and some were successful while others weren’t – and they were saying the same exact thing! How could that be? It’s because of HOW they said it.

If you sound like everyone earlier said “no,” then you likely won’t get a sale. If you sound confident like everyone earlier said “yes,” then you will. People want to deal with successful people. Who wants to buy from someone unsuccessful?

Now go pick up the phone! Your next deal is just a phone call away.