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Cold calling hope for those who doubt

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Sep 25, 2009 4:14 am
Squash1:

What kind of office are you in? Established office working on referrals? Then they probably don’t need to cold call.

  I think it's a need or want thing. I get lots of referrals, and accounts from it. More...I love the hunt. Really do. Love opening an account from a cold call. (...wipes blood drop from lip)
Sep 26, 2009 12:46 am

[quote=Gaddock] Month 25 in retail.



$264k TTM already taking home a paycheck well into the six figures.



ALL from cold calls.[/quote]



90% of the guys in my office stopped cold calling. The guys still in the training program don’t even call at all…they try to get referrals from friends and crap.



It is really really strange to me.
Sep 26, 2009 3:06 am

Which means MORE FOR YOU if you are doing it.  I can't tell you how many conversations I have had (or more importantly, heard) from people who were or are going to do it " all on networking" or "Referrals only" as I'm making my cold calls. What I can tell you is that most of them are out of the business and aren't around to trouble me with their pet theories about all the networking business they are going to pick up from a trade show, symposium, or networking events where they serve pale flaccid shrimp.

Absurd.  It takes a fraction of the time to cold call that it takes to network, and while referrals are nice, it also takes more time.   
Sep 26, 2009 10:08 am

[quote=Takingnames]

Which means MORE FOR YOU if you are doing it.  I can't tell you how many conversations I have had (or more importantly, heard) from people who were or are going to do it " all on networking" or "Referrals only" as I'm making my cold calls. What I can tell you is that most of them are out of the business and aren't around to trouble me with their pet theories about all the networking business they are going to pick up from a trade show, symposium, or networking events where they serve pale flaccid shrimp.

Absurd.  It takes a fraction of the time to cold call that it takes to network, and while referrals are nice, it also takes more time.   [/quote]   All the folks that selected th 'networking tract' in my training class. Of the ones that are still here, out of the upper 70's less than 20 are still alive, they became cold callers within weeks as they burned through their 750 people list very quick.
Sep 26, 2009 3:34 pm

[quote=Gaddock] [quote=Takingnames]

Which means MORE FOR YOU if you are doing it. I can’t tell you how many conversations I have had (or more importantly, heard) from people who were or are going to do it " all on networking" or “Referrals only” as I’m making my cold calls. What I can tell you is that most of them are out of the business and aren’t around to trouble me with their pet theories about all the networking business they are going to pick up from a trade show, symposium, or networking events where they serve pale flaccid shrimp.



Absurd. It takes a fraction of the time to cold call that it takes to network, and while referrals are nice, it also takes more time.

[/quote]



All the folks that selected th ‘networking tract’ in my training class. Of the ones that are still here, out of the upper 70’s less than 20 are still alive, they became cold callers within weeks as they burned through their 750 people list very quick.[/quote]





Yeah, that is something that I never understood. “Use your contacts” is what I was always told by upper management. How many contacts does one have? If I had a list from Perez Hilton then maybe I would get it.
Sep 28, 2009 1:50 am

At AGE you used to have 750 as a requirement to take the ‘networking’ tract.

  I dont have 750 that don't like me let alone 750 that do.
Sep 28, 2009 3:01 pm

the idea behind cold calling or any part of dealing with potential customers is to build repeat business… if you get the one time sale… great… but theres no promise of long term business if you arent doing your job right. cold calling is a very good way to build on this. i do it on a regular basis. no not every person agrees to do business but whatever money i spent on a list is paid for when i pick up just one client. its one of those things where you actually have to put the work in.  


anybody that says cold calling is a waste of time is practicing nonsense.
Sep 30, 2009 12:54 am

I had a rough day today. I am building my business through cold calling, six months in at a wire. Today was a rough day! I had absolutely no confidence. After 18 dials of no I had a big prospect call me back to say he is going another direction. It was out of the blue as we had  an appointment for him to come in Thursday, do the paperwork, and write a 600k check. While I kept dialing I absolutely SUCKED on the phone!

It is almost laughable what a #$( I was. I am going to have a beer tonight and regroup for 250 good dials tomorrow. I have to say this career can be extremely humbling!

Sep 30, 2009 3:50 am

Take the dump from the 600k jackass as a learning opportunity. Find out WHAT the other direction is, and then  - stay tight with him. Don’t let him go - drip, drip, drip. Find different ideas.

  In the meantime, pick up the phone, dial and repeat. Toughen up and you'll be fine.   AND HEY....why in hell are you picking up incoming calls when you are making cold calls outbound???????????    Don't let ANYTHING interfere for 1 hour when you pick up the phone, not a call in, not an e-mail, not your assistant, not your branch manager, not a fire drill, not the shadow of a big plane coming toward your building. When you are cold calling it is you and the phone, looking for opportunities - and NOTHING ELSE. Think of the phone as your trusty guide, your handsome hunting dog - guiding you to your next meal. DON'T waver.    
Sep 30, 2009 3:53 am

[quote=Takingnames]Take the dump from the 600k jackass as a learning opportunity. Find out WHAT the other direction is, and then  - stay tight with him. Don’t let him go - drip, drip, drip. Find different ideas.

  In the meantime, pick up the phone, dial and repeat. Toughen up and you'll be fine.   AND HEY....why in hell are you picking up incoming calls when you are making cold calls outbound???????????    Don't let ANYTHING interfere for 1 hour when you pick up the phone, not a call in, not an e-mail, not your assistant, not your branch manager, not a fire drill, not the shadow of a big plane coming toward your building. When you are cold calling it is you and the phone, looking for opportunities - and NOTHING ELSE. Think of the phone as your trusty guide, your handsome hunting dog - guiding you to your next meal. DON'T waver.    [/quote]   Ur a dumbass
Sep 30, 2009 2:07 pm

He was exaggerating big guy… Don’t ask for advice if you don’t want an answer.



Why are you picking up incoming calls when you are dialing? Let it go to voicemail or have an asst pick it up(depending on your setup) and call them back. It may sound weird but I don’t think prospects feel confident when you answer the phone on the first ring(like you have nothing else to do. For prospects I call them back, they get to leave a voicemail and then I return it, even if I am not that busy and ESPECIALLY not during prospecting time…



Taking is a good example of what to do.

Sep 30, 2009 3:32 pm

[quote=Takingnames]Take the dump from the 600k jackass as a learning opportunity. Find out WHAT the other direction is, and then  - stay tight with him. Don’t let him go - drip, drip, drip. Find different ideas.

  In the meantime, pick up the phone, dial and repeat. Toughen up and you'll be fine.   AND HEY....why in hell are you picking up incoming calls when you are making cold calls outbound???????????    Don't let ANYTHING interfere for 1 hour when you pick up the phone, not a call in, not an e-mail, not your assistant, not your branch manager, not a fire drill, not the shadow of a big plane coming toward your building. When you are cold calling it is you and the phone, looking for opportunities - and NOTHING ELSE. Think of the phone as your trusty guide, your handsome hunting dog - guiding you to your next meal. DON'T waver.    [/quote]   You're giving me chills! That's exactly the right attitude and the only way to make it work.
Sep 30, 2009 4:10 pm

What’s your spiel.  I’m have more luck with product pitches but bounce back in forth between intro call and this is what I do and are you and investor to I’m recommending so and so.

Sep 30, 2009 8:22 pm

Ok you sold me on cold calling!

 Those of you that are doing it, I am impressed.   Now I am going to start a calling campain.      
Oct 1, 2009 2:49 am
Made you react......      
Oct 1, 2009 2:53 am

Meant that for Jonesy boy a few posts up.

Oct 1, 2009 3:00 am

If you do a few layers. Call to fill seminars, call to do 401k review, call to review annuity (one of my favorites last year at this time) call to do portfolio review - you will always have a pipeline full of prospects for this month, next month - and heck - 401ks for 3 months out.

Tailor your prospecting to allow for some product if you need to catch assets fast, and for process if you are hunting an elephant.  Get a book of scripts together....make up your own...ask your company if they produce any (or - as this post has prompted a number of people to do - PM me and I'll send you some of mine).    Cold calling is not rocket science and that's the biggest hurdle for a lot of people. They think it's demeaning or imbue it with all sorts of ideas that it's not. It's communication. That's it. Are you interested? Are you qualified? Yes, No, Yes, No. Suspect, Prospect, Client. Repeat.    
Oct 2, 2009 2:29 pm

If you guys are actually interested in picking up some leads… I do have a company that I like to go through. They arent 100% but they definitely do better than the 2 other companies I tried. I am fairly certain that since I use such a small area that I can give their information out here. The company is Whitehall Marketing Group. The guy I deal with is named Eli. Seriously, call them up and order some leads if you are interested in cold calling. Also, my first list with them had about 50 fax machines and when I called to complain instead of taking forever they actually sent out the replacements that day for free.


Seriously, give them a call as far as leads companies go I have not dealt with a better one.

(618)288-9100 ask for Eli.
Oct 2, 2009 5:58 pm

Thanks peddler.

Oct 2, 2009 7:57 pm

FA_Yates - The _ is actually meant for a G.