September 30th, 2009 by Barry Caponi
This one is an easy one. If you think it is, it is.
Okay, here’s a little more on the topic. Our introduction (of ourselves) includes what we call a 7 second commercial, so by definition it should be very short.
One of the reasons we suggest starting the purpose for the call with, “The reason I was calling you today is…”, is just in case we are a little long, we’re signaling to the target that we’re getting right to the point. Most will let us continue.
The operative question to ask yourself is, “Do I think it is too long?” Are you getting nervous while continuing to talk? If you are, it’s too long.
Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called The Prospector’s Academy™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations – the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 214 483-5800 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.
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September 23rd, 2009 by Barry Caponi
We’re asked consistently, “How much qualifying is appropriate on a cold call?”
Here’s our thoughts:
- The key point to understand is this. People will open up to us more in a face-to-face meeting than they will over the phone, so don’t qualify yourself out of a sale over the phone. There is no trust or credibility yet built on a cold call. We may still be lied to on the phone if the reason for the question is viewed as entirely selfish and a way out. “How many widgets a year do you think you buy a year, Mr. Target?” It’s pretty easy to get rid of us if they know we’re looking for a large number, right?
- Do you sell to a very broad audience or is it difficult to find them? The harder it is to find them, the more qualifying is appropriate. No sense wasting your time or theirs.
- The larger our territory is the more qualifying is appropriate. No sense wasting our time getting there and back.
- If you sell into large organizations, can you find out information on an Initial Appointment that would help you penetrate further into the target? If so, why not go on the appointment? It’s getting the door open that can sometimes be the greater challenge.
- Remember, our cold call targets don’t think they need us when we call. Add to that the fact we’re interrupting them. Ergo, we want to keep our calls short. If we’re using the concepts we teach in The Formula™, our target should have developed a good understanding of the value of seeing us by the end of the call. Therefore, it is entirely appropriate to ask one or two key qualifying questions after we’ve gotten their agreement to meet with us.
We like to use the following language: “To help me be better prepared for our meeting, do you mind if I ask you a couple of quick questions?” This approach won’t irritate the target as much than if they think we’re going to get into a long drawn out conversation, as we’re telling them we’ll be quick and it will help me make the meeting more productive.
- Be careful how you ask your questions. This actually happened to me. Since we generally are looking for larger sales forces, one of my favorite qualification questions is to ask how many sales people they have. In one instance, the number I heard was smaller than I wanted, but it was with the new indoor arena here in Dallas, so I wanted to go anyway. Turned out that this guy was able to hook me up with several related sales forces that also sold into the arena. His team was small. I’ve since rephrased that question!
Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called The Prospector’s Academy™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations – the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 214 483-5800 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.
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September 22nd, 2009 by Barry Caponi
The ‘Rule of 45’ says that 45% of sales leads will turn into sales in the next twelve months and 75% intend to purchase at some point. The catch is that it may not necessarily be us that will get the sale.
Great sales people follow-up until the target ‘buys or dies’ as the old saying goes. If a lead is several months old, there is still an 80% chance that the target has yet to make a purchase.
One last thought - the older the lead, the less likelihood that our competitors are still following through on them. Let them be the ones that give up, not us.
The moral of the story is how, not if we’re going to do this. The operative question is how to stay organized so we don’t forget to call on prospect efficiently and effectively according to a well thought out process again. It’s why 88% of all leads are never followed up on thoroughly. Coldcalling101 users don’t even have to worry about it as our tool (Klpz) is the epitome of the ‘set and forget’ approach to following up on a target. Build that well thought out process (we call them Best Practices) and Klpz won’t let you forget.
Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called The Prospector’s Academy™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations – the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 214 483-5800 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.
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September 9th, 2009 by Barry Caponi
Sales people many times get down when their appointment setting success rate falls. For instance, we tend to take it personally when our targets do not call us back. After all, we have this really great widget that will turn their lives around, right!
The obvious answer is that if someone is going to call us back, it will not be because of our sparkling personality, it will be because of the value of our message. If that’s the case, it stands to reason that when they don’t call us back, it is also because they don’t like us.
Remember, even our happiest customers do not always call us back. That’s because they don’t look upon what we supply as their top priority when we call them. Although we may get a bit nervous when we don’t hear from them right away, we don’t take the non-responsiveness personally; we just pick up the phone and try again.
Think of that the next time a target isn’t returning a call. Smile into your cold calling mirror and try again. Remember there is a cumulative effect to the calls we make if we’re leaving well thought out messages.
Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called The Prospector’s Academy™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations – the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 214 483-5800 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.
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September 2nd, 2009 by Barry Caponi
Depending on the area of the country, the level you’re calling into and what you say (remember – they don’t think they need us when we first call), some of us experience the target hanging up on us when making appointment setting calls. So what to do when that happens?
If they abruptly hang-up without saying goodbye, call back and reintroduce yourself and say, “I’m sorry, I think we got disconnected a minute ago and although I really don’t want to be a pest I’m persistent because many of our current customers weren’t interested either until they heard how we had _____________ (benefit statement of how you’ve helped others) ,. I’m just curious…” and ask your Bridge Question.
If they hang up on you again, either try them back in 60 – 90 days (maybe they were just having a bad day) or find someone else to contact within the organization (if it is a target you’d still like to penetrate).
Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called The Prospector’s Academy™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations – the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 214 483-5800 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.
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