How to Make Cold Calling Work for Your Business

Written by Kevin M. Stirtz


Continued from page 1

8. Remember Why You're Calling

When you're cold calling it's easy to get distracted by rejection or by people who want to talk about things that do not help you reach your goal. Remember, you're calling for a reason. Stay focused on that reason. Write it down and keep it in front of you it that helps. Don't allow yourself to get distracted.

9. Schedule Your Calling

Set aside a block of time when you'll make your calls. This helps get you started and not get side-tracked by other things that come up duringrepparttar day. You might varyrepparttar 138360 time from day to day to see what works best. Also, it's best to not take incoming calls while cold calling (if you can arrange this.)

10. Manage Your Activities and Monitor Your Outcomes

Because cold calling often yields a low percentage return it's easy to lose motivation and feel like you're not getting anywhere. Remember though, we control our actions. We cannot controlrepparttar 138361 results of our actions. So, focusing onrepparttar 138362 results too much can be unproductive since you have no direct control overrepparttar 138363 results. Instead, focus on your inputs, your activities. Then observerepparttar 138364 results of those activities but don't get too tied up with them.

A good way to do this is to simply set an activity goal for each time you cold call. Maybe your goal is 25 outgoing calls a day. Do that for a week or two and see what your results are. Ifrepparttar 138365 results are what you want, then keep doing that activity at that level. Ifrepparttar 138366 results are not what you want, then change your activities or your activity level.

11. Warm Up First

Ifrepparttar 138367 very thought of cold calling sends chills up and down your spine then make your first call to a friend or customer with whom you already have a good relationship. This will relax you and get you used to talking onrepparttar 138368 phone. Then you can transferrepparttar 138369 good karma from that phone call to your first cold call.

12. Use a Script but Don’t be a Robot

My favorite actors are those who ad lib their roles. (Think of Bill Murray. I can't even imagine him playing a role exactly asrepparttar 138370 script reads.) Sure, they start with a script but they go beyond that. They becomerepparttar 138371 character and add their unique personality torepparttar 138372 role.

When cold calling use a script to guide your words and your delivery. But don't read any script word for word. If you do, you'll sound like a robot, not an intelligent professional.

13. Ask For a Commitment

Finally,repparttar 138373 most important part of your call: asking for a commitment. One ofrepparttar 138374 worst time-wasters for salespeople is when leads tell us they're interested but they really are not. They'll say something like “Yeah I'm interested. Call me back in a few days/weeks/months”. Often we'll spend a lot of time trying to connect with and close these people and we get nowhere.

The problem is people are nice. They don't want to hurt our feelings by saying “no”. It's easy to say you're interested and then ask someone to dorepparttar 138375 work of following up. This putsrepparttar 138376 entire burden onrepparttar 138377 salesperson. And for many people it's easier than saying “no”.

An effective way to prevent this is to get them to commit to something. If they're willing to commit something then it's much more likely they are interested in working with you. You might ask to schedule a meeting. Or maybe you're asking them to commit to a call back at a specific day and time. Some people even ask for a commitment before they send information. (Not a bad idea.)

Conclusion

Your goal is to moverepparttar 138378 person onrepparttar 138379 other end ofrepparttar 138380 phone line forward in your sales cycle, or move them to a lower priority in your database (or get rid of them). You want to filter outrepparttar 138381 leads who don't fit and identify those who DO fit. Then you can focus your time better on people who are more likely to do business with you.

A well-managed cold calling system can be a fantastic source of qualified leads for your business. So, if cold calling fits your industry or profession and if your pipeline has some empty space that needs filling, take a look at what an effective cold calling program can do for you.

Kevin is the publisher and president of Coffee News Twin Cities LLC, a national trainer and mentor for Coffee News USA and an online marketing blogger/columnist for AllBusiness.com where he writes "Better Local Marketing." He can be reached at www.CoffeeNewsMetro.com or www.BetterLocalMarketing.com


Do You Have The Most Desirable Selling "Mindset"

Written by Jim Meisenheimer


Continued from page 1

2. You have an appointment with Charley Discount who enjoys beating salespeople up on their prices. Expect Charley to ease up onrepparttar pricing pressure because forrepparttar 138359 first time he really does seerepparttar 138360 "True Value" ofrepparttar 138361 products and personalized services you provide. He's even willing to add torepparttar 138362 order to make it easier for you to justify better pricing to your sales manager.

3. You have a co-travel coaching day scheduled with your sales manager. The last one turned a little ugly. Expect your travel day to be a positive experience. Your manager is helpful and encouraging - and even tosses a few compliments your way. And it happens because you expect it to happen. It starts with your expectations.

If you want anything to be better it always starts with your Mindset. Expect things to get better and they will.

If you expect them to get worse - they will and you won't be disappointed. Here'srepparttar 138363 choice. You can expectrepparttar 138364 best orrepparttar 138365 worst but you can only choose one. Now really, isn't this a No-Brainer for you.

Don't try to succeed alone. Most salespeople don't get this one. You shouldn't think of yourself as a selling "Gladiator." Success won't come from your sword, in sales that's your mouth, it comes from a steady flow of new sales and marketing ideas you can use to help solve your customer's problems and grow your business.

The prescription for rigid thinking is a changing Mindset.

What Christopher Columbus did required "Radical thinking." What kind of radical thinking would help you to outsmart your competition?

Do you have a Mindset to double your business? Perhaps this book, "How To Double Your Sales Without Quadrupling Your Effort" can help you get it done. Here'srepparttar 138366 link: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=139298

This isn't about thinking - it's about doing!

Jim Meisenheimer is the Guru of No-Brainer Sales Training. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268, e-mail: jim@meisenheimer.com or by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com


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