Skip navigation

Essential Cold Calling Techniques

or Register to post new content in the forum

101 RepliesJump to last post

 

Comments

  • Allowed HTML tags: <em> <strong> <blockquote> <br> <p>

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Feb 10, 2009 8:45 pm

deekay - I don’t know about your RIA, but I had to file with FINRA. they get $675 a year from me.



As for the coffee mugs - all sorts of people brought swag. Just gave them away to the first five finishers. Simple.



hedge212 - I think we’ve already established that you are trying to sell your listing service. But tell me again how you are being creative by using the method that everyone uses? Walk me through a typical creative, phone session.



I am more than happy to eat crow when I am wrong - I do it often because I’m married. Just tell me how cold calling is so creative.



Once again, I wasn’t knocking it, just saying that it was uncreative. Not exactly tearing you down there buddy!



Feb 10, 2009 8:55 pm

Cold walking or calling -- introducing yourself to somebody and asking for their business -- seems a lot more upfront than asking your friends to invite their grandparents to a seminar .... or, worse, hanging around intensive care units under the guise of helping people.

Feb 10, 2009 9:00 pm

[quote=buyandhold]

Cold walking or calling – introducing yourself to somebody and asking for their business – seems a lot more upfront than asking your friends to invite their grandparents to a seminar … or, worse, hanging around intensive care units under the guise of helping people.

[/quote]

Hard to quarrel with that.
Feb 10, 2009 9:29 pm

[quote=buyandhold]

Cold walking or calling – introducing yourself to somebody and asking for their business – seems a lot more upfront than asking your friends to invite their grandparents to a seminar … or, worse, hanging around intensive care units under the guise of helping people.



[/quote]



I think asking your friends to invite their grandparents to a seminar is incredibly upfront. “Hey, my buddy is putting on this seminar - he’s a financial planner and wants your business”. They get a free meal, time with their grandson and maybe they might learn a little. What are people learning from your approach, that you have a good 50-year bond? That people “have the money available today, they should by some American Funds”?



Never said the “guise” of helping people. I’ve worked with the parents of cancer patients in helping them reconcile their debts and even finding money to do fun things with their children. The business I’ve gotten from that has been completely ancillary from doctors and nurses. Don’t think for a second you understand my motives.



I’m not questioning yours working for the get rich quick Ponzi scheme that is Edward Jones. Can you really tell me that your 80-year old retiree is a LONG TERM investor? I doubt it. How about those Lehman brothers bonds that up until the Friday before they went bankrupt your fixed income department was telling everybody that Lehman didn’t have a cash flow problem. I don’t think you can be holier than thou with me.



My approach is honest and forthright. I balance volunteerism with growing my practice. And if my volunteerism feeds my practice, then I am helping even more people.



Feb 10, 2009 9:43 pm

Can you explain how Edward Jones is a get rick quick Ponzi scheme? I think I understand your motives with the comment but better to have you explain them.

Feb 10, 2009 9:48 pm

[quote=Moraen] [quote=buyandhold]

Cold walking or calling -- introducing yourself to somebody and asking for their business -- seems a lot more upfront than asking your friends to invite their grandparents to a seminar .... or, worse, hanging around intensive care units under the guise of helping people.


[/quote]

I think asking your friends to invite their grandparents to a seminar is incredibly upfront. "Hey, my buddy is putting on this seminar - he's a financial planner and wants your business". They get a free meal, time with their grandson and maybe they might learn a little. What are people learning from your approach, that you have a good 50-year bond? That people "have the money available today, they should by some American Funds"?

Never said the "guise" of helping people. I've worked with the parents of cancer patients in helping them reconcile their debts and even finding money to do fun things with their children. The business I've gotten from that has been completely ancillary from doctors and nurses. Don't think for a second you understand my motives.

I'm not questioning yours working for the get rich quick Ponzi scheme that is Edward Jones. Can you really tell me that your 80-year old retiree is a LONG TERM investor? I doubt it. How about those Lehman brothers bonds that up until the Friday before they went bankrupt your fixed income department was telling everybody that Lehman didn't have a cash flow problem. I don't think you can be holier than thou with me.

My approach is honest and forthright. I balance volunteerism with growing my practice. And if my volunteerism feeds my practice, then I am helping even more people.

[/quote]   You could volunteer at the soup kitchen, but I guess even rich people need a free meal every now and then.    
Feb 10, 2009 9:53 pm

Back to cold calling… was reading Chris Gardener’s book… he made 200 calls a day and landed some huge accounts from it… I know naysayers will say, but that was before the DNC… well now you know the list is smaller and when you get to the end of it you can start over…

  Plus there is lot more wealth today then there was back then and in less concentrated areas then it was back then..
Feb 10, 2009 10:05 pm

[quote=buyandhold] [quote=Moraen] [quote=buyandhold]

Cold walking or calling – introducing yourself to somebody and asking for their business – seems a lot more upfront than asking your friends to invite their grandparents to a seminar … or, worse, hanging around intensive care units under the guise of helping people.



[/quote] I think asking your friends to invite their grandparents to a seminar is incredibly upfront. “Hey, my buddy is putting on this seminar - he’s a financial planner and wants your business”. They get a free meal, time with their grandson and maybe they might learn a little. What are people learning from your approach, that you have a good 50-year bond? That people “have the money available today, they should by some American Funds”? Never said the “guise” of helping people. I’ve worked with the parents of cancer patients in helping them reconcile their debts and even finding money to do fun things with their children. The business I’ve gotten from that has been completely ancillary from doctors and nurses. Don’t think for a second you understand my motives. I’m not questioning yours working for the get rich quick Ponzi scheme that is Edward Jones. Can you really tell me that your 80-year old retiree is a LONG TERM investor? I doubt it. How about those Lehman brothers bonds that up until the Friday before they went bankrupt your fixed income department was telling everybody that Lehman didn’t have a cash flow problem. I don’t think you can be holier than thou with me. My approach is honest and forthright. I balance volunteerism with growing my practice. And if my volunteerism feeds my practice, then I am helping even more people. [/quote]



You could volunteer at the soup kitchen, but I guess even rich people need a free meal every now and then.



[/quote]



Funny you should say that. My wife and I volunteered at a soup kitchen this past Thanksgiving. Got an nice client out of it.
Feb 11, 2009 1:09 am

Back to my question 3 pages ago.  Who in the hell cares about being creative?  What the hell does creativity have to do with opening accounts?  All this talk about creativity makes me think Morean is a little light on his toes....

Feb 11, 2009 1:30 am

Bottom line: Cold calling is labor intensive. Using creative methods that take up less of your time - Not as labor intensive. It’s called working smarter, not harder.



Being creative is another way for working smarter. How’s that?



I also find it odd that someone named Baba Booey would question anyone’s sexual orientation.

Feb 11, 2009 1:47 am

[quote=voltmoie] Can you explain how Edward Jones is a get rick quick Ponzi scheme? I think I understand your motives with the comment but better to have you explain them.

[/quote]



Let’s see: General partners recruit like crazy, throw brokers at the wall until they stick. Those brokers gather assets, wash out. New brokers come in and say, “oh, your old broker messed up. sign this switch letter”. Using the new broker to generate more commissions. Rinse. Repeat. How does that sound?



Not a get rich quick scheme for the broker. But for old Jimmy boy and his crew.

Feb 11, 2009 2:02 am

The creativity in cold calling comes from how the calls are handled. A good cold caller is creative because they handle themselves with confidence, are adept at handling objections and are adaptive with their responses, tone, and listening skills.   

"Bottom line: Cold calling is labor intensive. Using creative methods that take up less of your time - Not as labor intensive. It's called working smarter, not harder."   Cold calling can be done in your cozy office, feet up, sipping a cup of joe, no driving, parking, nothing in your way. Just you and the next prospective client. There is no risk of picking up nasty diseases "volunteering" in the hospital waiting for a "weatlh transfer", either!     Working smarter gets a job done efficiently, it doesn't do it by adding layers or complexity.    <> & $$$=costs.   Labor intensive? 1. Dial 2. Ask for appointment   OR Labor Intensive? 1. "Volunteer" 2. Sit at the hospital 3. "Help" someone 4. Wait for someone to die {You aren't helping them die, are you?} 5. Ask for appointment   OR Labor Intensive? 1. Book a room 2. Pay for dinner <$$$> 3. Invite young people and tell them to bring a friend or their grandparents 4. Mail fancy invitations <$$$> 5. Arrange a menu 6. Put together a presentation 7. Flyers 8. Handouts.... 9. Ask for appointment.     You be the judges.    
Feb 11, 2009 2:16 am

How much time do you spend talking on the phone?



I go to a run, run 3.1 miles, meet two attorneys at the end. I got exercise, was not in the office.



Seminar - qualified prospects already with a level of trust



Oh, and I don’t use flyers. And paying for lunch (I never do dinner) quite inexpensive, especially if you find some wholesaler to buy it.



Go to a hospital, spend time with people who are suffering - really, you think that’s labor intensive.



I’ll tell you this. I spent eight years in the infantry, been to war and done this. If you think that volunteering to help people is “work”, then I feel for you.



And if I spend ten hours a week at the hospital and get a total of $3.2 mil in assets for helping cancer patients parents - I think that the hours you spend dialing will garner you less goodwill and assets than my time.



Really? There’s no comparison.

Feb 11, 2009 3:18 am

If you don’t know who Baba Booey is then you just made my point.  I’m bored with you on this thread.  Move on.

Feb 11, 2009 5:22 am

[quote=Moraen]How much time do you spend talking on the phone?

I go to a run, run 3.1 miles, meet two attorneys at the end. I got exercise, was not in the office.

Seminar - qualified prospects already with a level of trust

Oh, and I don't use flyers. And paying for lunch (I never do dinner) quite inexpensive, especially if you find some wholesaler to buy it.

Go to a hospital, spend time with people who are suffering - really, you think that's labor intensive.

I'll tell you this. I spent eight years in the infantry, been to war and done this. If you think that volunteering to help people is "work", then I feel for you.

And if I spend ten hours a week at the hospital and get a total of $3.2 mil in assets for helping cancer patients parents - I think that the hours you spend dialing will garner you less goodwill and assets than my time.

Really? There's no comparison.[/quote]

Moraen please stop!!!  You're trying harder and harder with each reply to defend your prospecting technique and your ship is taking on more and more water, with every reply.

I hope you have tremendous success with your prospecting technique. I really do!! But, man you sound like you need a hug!! 

My best advice if your anti cold calling, stay away from pro cold calling topics in the forums!!!!!!!!
Feb 11, 2009 5:32 am
hedge212:

[quote=Moraen]Of course you will. And that’s fine. I never said that my techniques are for everybody. But neither is cold calling.

And I’ve only used about half of those.

What I’m saying is that there are alternatives to cold calling. But people don’t want to use them. Hell, I would assume that half the people on this board have taken a marketing class at some point in their lives.

I’ll stick to what works for me, you stick with what works for you. All I’m offering is a little insight into how I work.

My methods have allowed me to grow my business with very little effort. And the things I do are fun.

For example: I gave away five coffee mugs at a road race for Autism speaks. Spoke with two trust attorneys. This was two weeks ago. Since then, we’ve begun work on three special needs trusts.

I spent two hours three miles from my house. I gave away five coffee mugs and now I will be earning close to $20k in fees. Not a bad two hours. I could have spent that time on the phone and POSSIBLY got some business. Spinning my wheels, boring myself to death.

Whatever works for you. Just don’t tell everybody that they HAVE to do it your way.

    Nobodys saying that cold calling is the only way moraen..  I think the post is for those who cold call and would like to learn some different techniques for their arsenal.    I'm sorry brother, but to say that "cold calling is for the uncreative mind" is just downright idiotic. Cold calling is one of , if not the hardest ways to prospect, although it has the potential to yield you the highest returns in the least amount of time and $$$.  To really master cold calling, takes an incredible amount of creativity.    The quickest way from A-Z is a straight line...  FROM MY EXPERIENCE , cold calling has been that straight line.  Especially for rookies in the business.[/quote]   Hey Moraen - maybe I can help.   I suppose this forum is open; so people can write whatever they want so long as the intent is to be helpfu.  Though I do like some of the one-off comments for a laugh.   If I had to pick a side here, I'd go with Moraen.  Assuming the people who come to this board for help the most often are rookies or those who are trying their best to grow their book...the sharing of ideas can only be beneficial.   I happen to be an RIA.  I cold called for two years and, I guess I was pretty good at it.  However, my old wirehouse didn't think I was good enough and after 2 years they kindly gave me the opportunity to resign.  I had about $8 million under managment and it was 2002.  My production was about $110,000 and my 'take home' was $24,000.  The minumum my firm paid any FA at the time while under their training program.    About 1/2 of the business was had from cold calling and took about 1 1/2 years to get.  The other 1/2 of the business came from seminars and only took 6 months to get.   When I cold called I worked every evening and every weekend.  I hated my job and often wondered why the he*l I chose to be in the business in the first place.  My friends who tended bar 3 nights a week and partied 4 were making more money than I was.   Once I found some modest success doing seminars I decided to stay in the business, but go independent and do nothing but seminars.  Because I was scared to death of my non-compete I started all over again from zero.   Long story short - I'm pretty sure that my AUM and production (fees in the RIA world) are greater than all but 1 of the 20+ reps in my old office.  I enjoy what I do, haven't made a cold call in 7 years, and never intend on making another again.   There are a lot of ways to make it in this business.  I've yet to meet an advisor who committed to the seminars or another "cold calling alternative" that, if giving 100% commitment to the task for at least 2 years, didn't become a big producer.  About 90% of my class of 220 from 3/2000 at the old MSDW didn't make it 2 years.  All we were taught was cold calling, and it was the aquistion process of choice for almost everyone.   Draw you own conclusions from this, maybe others experiences are different.
Feb 11, 2009 5:45 am
[/quote]    The bottom line is rookies have to pick up the phone and introduce themselves to people they don't know.  Don't hate.[/quote]   I couldn't agree more bababooey..  It's essential to get on the phone to  build a business in the beginning.  Like you said, I don't see many alternatives in the beginning.     For the beginner search the posts and topics, there's tons of great ideas for prospecting and cold calling.   Look how far Chris Gardner from Pursuit of Happyness has come from cold calling.  "Tell him cold calling doesn't work".  People who make idiotic replies, saying cold calling don't work, are smurfs in the business, who project out there own weak insecurities, and inner conflict onto posts and topics, because they don't have what it takes, and try and make themselves feel better, by putting other peoples advice and experiences down..   Again, to quote the Pursuit of Happyness  " People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you, you can't do it".  "You want something; go out and get it, period". If that means cold calling make it happen.  Here, I posted the link to that segment in the movie...    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_yW3152Ffc&feature=related   My advice if you wanna be successful in the business, stand on the shoulders of giants. Be very wary, taking advice from rookies in the business, or brandnewadvisors..   [/quote]   Sorry bababoey - wasn't trying to hate   Hedge - yeah, the name is a little deceiving.  I joined the board a couple of year ago and was a "brandnewadvisor" to the board.  I've been in the business for about 9 years.  Was once a rookie too, not that long ago.  I guess I do okay now, and even hired my first rookie to join my own firm about 2 years ago.  He never had to do a cold-call and works about 30 hours per week.  Rather, I tought him exactly what I did to grow my book and today he manages about $15 million and brings home about $150k/year.  Not great, but a whole lot better than I was doing after cold-calling for a couple of years.   So I do know a thing or two about being a rookie; from my own experience of how to ef it all up, and the experience of someone who I showed to do it right.   Cheers - no offense to anyone who is a success from cold calling; it just didn't work too well for me and I'm always a little bitter about it.
Feb 11, 2009 2:18 pm

What kind of seminars did you run?  How did you market them?

Feb 11, 2009 3:23 pm

[quote=brandnewadvisor]

[/quote]    The bottom line is rookies have to pick up the phone and introduce themselves to people they don't know.  Don't hate.[/quote]   I couldn't agree more bababooey..  It's essential to get on the phone to  build a business in the beginning.  Like you said, I don't see many alternatives in the beginning.     For the beginner search the posts and topics, there's tons of great ideas for prospecting and cold calling.   Look how far Chris Gardner from Pursuit of Happyness has come from cold calling.  "Tell him cold calling doesn't work".  People who make idiotic replies, saying cold calling don't work, are smurfs in the business, who project out there own weak insecurities, and inner conflict onto posts and topics, because they don't have what it takes, and try and make themselves feel better, by putting other peoples advice and experiences down..   Again, to quote the Pursuit of Happyness  " People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you, you can't do it".  "You want something; go out and get it, period". If that means cold calling make it happen.  Here, I posted the link to that segment in the movie...    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_yW3152Ffc&feature=related   My advice if you wanna be successful in the business, stand on the shoulders of giants. Be very wary, taking advice from rookies in the business, or brandnewadvisors..   [/quote]   Sorry bababoey - wasn't trying to hate   Hedge - yeah, the name is a little deceiving.  I joined the board a couple of year ago and was a "brandnewadvisor" to the board.  I've been in the business for about 9 years.  Was once a rookie too, not that long ago.  I guess I do okay now, and even hired my first rookie to join my own firm about 2 years ago.  He never had to do a cold-call and works about 30 hours per week.  Rather, I tought him exactly what I did to grow my book and today he manages about $15 million and brings home about $150k/year.  Not great, but a whole lot better than I was doing after cold-calling for a couple of years.   So I do know a thing or two about being a rookie; from my own experience of how to ef it all up, and the experience of someone who I showed to do it right.   Cheers - no offense to anyone who is a success from cold calling; it just didn't work too well for me and I'm always a little bitter about it.[/quote]   Hey now problem brandnewadvisor!  My motto is: If it ain't broke don't fix it.  If cold calling didn't work for you, and your method of prospecting yields you the highest returns God bless. Keep doing it!   There's more than 1 way, to get to the top of a mountain!!!!
Feb 11, 2009 3:41 pm

[quote=Moraen] I’m sure some of these have been re-hashed over and over. But here goes:



There are two worlds: the broker world and RIA world.



I will point out some methods in each that work other than cold calling.



Broker world - find attorneys and CPAs (not CPAs and attorneys with established practices). Try to find recent graduates who are also looking to grow their businesses. This can be difficult as most attorneys and CPAs don’t know the first thing about marketing.   Before you try to flame, notice I said “most” not all.



Get a will from them, or send a friend or family member to get a will from them - this builds trust. And makes them want to do a good job too.



- Become and expert on anything. I don’t care what it is. Helping divorced men deal with the amount of alimony they are paying, helping divorced women deal with managing finances. Helping newlyweds merge their finances. Something that does not necessarily have anything to do with investments. TELL people this is what you are good at. The more obscure, the better. You don’t want to be like everybody else.



- Ask your friends to come to seminars. If they are young that’s great. Ask them to bring a grandparent or parent to a seminar. Grandparents love spending time with their grandkids. They probably don’t get to do it often when the grandkids are grown up. Instant access to the older crowd. If you have ten friends bring grandparents, that’s a lot of old people at a seminar.



- Find people you work well with and capitalize on it. I work well with professional women, so the majority of my clients are professional women. You may work best with biker guys, or plumbers. What do you have a background in? Did you used to work for a general contractor in college? Talk to them. Go ask if you can help out on the weekends. Tell them, “you miss getting your hands dirty”. If you’ve never worked, what about your fraternity? Or bong smoking group? Does someone know someone in a band?



- If you have no friends, no family and have never worked - cold call.



RIA world - All of the above, but you can also write articles.



- Blog on websites



- Create a neat, FINRA - compliant, interactive website



- Use social networking sites and Twitter to drive traffic to your media (articles, podcasts, etc.)



- Write a book, write an article (once again, become and expert)



- Create brochures that brand your business



- Sponsor a road race. Give t-shirts out at a road race. Any kind of event.



- Volunteer to help people who are having trouble with their finances (bankruptcy, debt, etc.) This gets you in front of some people who are NOT having trouble with their finances and they look at you as a huge help and a nice person.



- Write a newsletter



- Volunteer at hospitals to help families that are having difficulty paying their medical bills (usually terminally ill patients).



- Be controversial



- Be controversial, but true to your own thoughts and feelings. Find something you don’t like about the industry and set out to change it… could be anything. This separates you from “the rest of them”.



- I hear people complain about Suze Orman and some of the other people who are using mass media - don’t get left out. Make a creative podcast that allows you to make an impact.



Once again, I am not all of that creative. These are things I thought of in ten minutes. You can’t tell me that people who can come up with some colorful posts on this board can’t be creative enough to find alternative methods of engaging prospects.



I will reiterate - cold calling works. It’s not for me and I have generated much more business from utilizing relationships and skills I’ve gained in other places in my life.



Think about it.[/quote]





I sent you a PM asking this, but I thought I read somewhere that they weren’t working well, so here goes:



I am putting together a business plan for my second interview with a firm, and I wanted to get an idea of how exactly you handle finding business by volunteering at the hospital. I was trying to think of places to volunteer in the community anyways, and this sounds like a phenomenal idea. How do yo do it, though? How do you find prospects through this?



I also wanted to let you know you have posted some of the most helpful prospecting tips I have seen on this forum, and I thank you for that. It’s been a tremendous help for me. My hopefully future boss wants me to come to the next interview with an idea of how I will build my business and get people in front of me. The road race promotionals idea is another great one. My husband is actually huge into marathons and other races (he’s a wheelchair racer) so that would work great for me.



I appreciate you taking the time to share these techniques.