If you are in sales, in any form, you have probably heard the concept and later a book called, “Cold Calling is Dead.” Call me old fashion, but the way is see it is this: as a professional I bring a lot to the table and the idea that you can market yourself without picking up the telephone and connecting with an individual is ridiculous. I think the only reason that concept even had a hearing and brief following is that there is a lot of sales people that hate picking up the phone and calling someone that is not expecting their phone call. Some say it is “call reluctance”, I call it “fear of the phone.”
I learned a long time ago that I could do a lot on the phone and contact a lot of people in a short amount of time. Sure some people are initially annoyed when I call them, but if I can overcome that, then I have entrée. The most successful sales professionals consistently do the things that others are not willing to do and do it well. Cold calling is one of them.
That being said, there is nothing wrong with softening the beaches with a note, email, or marketing piece (which essentially gives you another reason to call). These can aide us in giving information about us or what we offer and can make what we have relevant. And a strong referral is also a fantastic way to get into a business. But you cannot arrange a meeting or sell a concept by telepathy – You have to contact them and the first way I would try to contact them is on the phone.
Remember how important it is to relate things you offer from their point of view. What you have may be wonderful, but if you cannot relate to them, showing how it will impact them in a positive way, you will go nowhere fast.
Hey, if I could get my phone to ring so much I didn’t have to make outbound calls, I would be all for it. But in reality, it just doesn’t work that way. Some people prefer to communicate via email, but I have never seen a business card with only an email and no phone number. Sometimes the person I am trying to reach won’t pick up the phone. My next move is to send an occasional email to get a response. And from there I will call and schedule an appointment. I can gain interest and gage response by conversing with them personally and will have a better chance of making a qualified appointment when I actually talk with someone.
People say I have a great face for inside sales, but I wonder if I have the look for someone who markets themselves electronically. Truth be told, people respond better on the phone because it is a conversation and not a planned out communication. Even better is the face to face meeting, which is where business is done. The point of cold calling is to secure appointments.
Maybe if I wrote a book and sold it online then I would never have to pick up the phone again, but until I do, I have to connect personally with people, get their attention, and solve problems.
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