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Cold Calling today

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Nov 10, 2009 6:12 pm

I have not done any cold calling since the Do Not Call deal started. I am a 1 man office (independent). I had good success cold calling when there where no restrictions, right out of the phone book, white and yellow pages. I want to start cold calling again to bring in new money.

  What are good sources today for numbers that are not on the Do Not Call list. Thanks
Nov 10, 2009 6:41 pm

Sales genie… there is no reason to overpay for residential numbers now that there is the DNC…

   
Nov 10, 2009 6:54 pm

Biz numbers are not subject to DNC. Dial away!!!

Nov 10, 2009 6:55 pm

Salesgenie is pretty expensive… about $200/month .

  However, they do give you a free 3-day trial subscription with 100 free leads which is nice. They'll also extend the 3-day trial for to about a week.   Henry, have you had any luck negotiating a lower rate?
Nov 10, 2009 7:01 pm

No, but you can use reference USA(same company) with a library card for free(at my library…online, so i don’t have to be there).

Nov 10, 2009 7:09 pm

Ok. Also, I just got off the phone with a rep. Basically the rates are as follows:


For 500 leads per month (phone numbers, names, addresses of residencies), it's $125/month.
For 11,000 leads per month, which would equate to calling about 400/day for the 500-day war, it's $520/month.   Note: the required min. subscription is for 12 months. $1500 and $6250 respectively.
Nov 10, 2009 7:39 pm

rather than buy a list, buy a reverse directory or biz directory. On lists i use CIS, they’re Ok but no better than home grown leads from directories. To find out which directories work, go to the reference section of your local library and bring quarters.

Nov 10, 2009 8:11 pm
BondGuy:

rather than buy a list, buy a reverse directory or biz directory. On lists i use CIS, they’re Ok but no better than home grown leads from directories. To find out which directories work, go to the reference section of your local library and bring quarters.

  My library must suck because I have never found anything there....
Nov 14, 2009 5:27 pm

Good thread westy. I am like you, a small indy with an assistant. I (back in the pre-DNC days) won the old Ted Jones gold shovel prospecting award ( I did not take over an office).
I called anything, phone book, door knocks ( I was young and stupid). Now that I’m a little older and with the DNC list, I do not prospect like I used to. I do seminars now with mild success.
Like I said, I am indy now, but obviously still want to grow.
I assume the people not on the DNC are being called by everyone. Anyone out there still having luck with cold-calling? Or are you focusing on seminars?

Again, this is a good, civil thread so far with useful posts. Good luck to everyone!

Nov 14, 2009 6:00 pm

I don’t think as many brokers cold call as you think.  I know alot of brokers and hardly any of them do it so I wouldn’t worry about someone not on the DNC getting bombarded with brokers calling them every day.  Yes, it does work and it’s alot cheaper than seminars.  If you’re having any success with seminars and its profitable for you, keep it up.  Maybe add 1 hour of cold calling each day to mix things up.

Nov 17, 2009 5:52 am

Switchboard.com

Free
Nov 17, 2009 6:33 pm
somebroker...:

Good thread westy. I am like you, a small indy with an assistant. I (back in the pre-DNC days) won the old Ted Jones gold shovel prospecting award ( I did not take over an office).
I called anything, phone book, door knocks ( I was young and stupid). Now that I’m a little older and with the DNC list, I do not prospect like I used to. I do seminars now with mild success.
Like I said, I am indy now, but obviously still want to grow.
I assume the people not on the DNC are being called by everyone. Anyone out there still having luck with cold-calling? Or are you focusing on seminars?

Again, this is a good, civil thread so far with useful posts. Good luck to everyone!

I don't do seminars anymore. My area is seminared out. People just show up for free food, never really produced much. What are the good sources for phone numbers that are not on the DNC?
Nov 18, 2009 3:05 am

Try a lead broker like SECO Financial for a lead list.  They scrub the list for National DNC list and can explain how to keep current on the list vs. DNC list.

As for success in cold calling I started calling again a few months ago, just 1 hour a day and have had the most success since the tech bubble.  Now some of that may be 10+ years experience finally paying off, but people seem more open to talk since as a whole they get fewer calls.

Nov 21, 2009 4:12 pm

probably shouldnt say this, but i don’t think the dnc is a big issue today.  if you’re polite and somebody tells you that they are on the dnc list just apologize and move on.

Nov 21, 2009 7:47 pm

So would you say you skirt the DNC? just use the phone book? What is you live in a smaller town (35k+) won’t that be an issue. I have a friend who doesn’t use the DNC and call everyone, but not sure I want to find out what happens when you get caught.

Nov 21, 2009 7:51 pm
Squash1:

So would you say you skirt the DNC? just use the phone book? What is you live in a smaller town (35k+) won’t that be an issue. I have a friend who doesn’t use the DNC and call everyone, but not sure I want to find out what happens when you get caught.

  I don't think that the issue is the fine if you get caught.  I think that the bigger issue is getting terminated if you get caught.   I don't cold call residences.  I will call a residence if I have been referred and I can't get a business number. 
Nov 22, 2009 4:46 am

[quote=henrybar]Sales genie… there is no reason to overpay for residential numbers now that there is the DNC…

   [/quote]    I guess you think you taught the teacher a lesson that the tail can wag the dog huh? Well let me clue you in, pal. The ice is melting right underneath your feet. Did you think you could've gotten this far this fast with anyone else, huh? That you'd be out there d*cking someone? No. You'd still be cold calling widows and dentists tryin' to sell 'em 20 shares of some dog sh*t stock.