Cold Calling: The Art of the Unexpected

 
 Prospecting or “cold-calling” into decision makers and management teams about Central Desktop’s collaboration software, I have experienced, first-hand both the value as well as the frustration that comes along with the practice. Depending on your lead generation system, content marketing strategy and what you are selling, the approach and the response differ widely, but the main influence marketing guidelines remain the same. However, as we drift farther from land lines, it is becoming quite a challenge to actually get people on the phone. When calling an interactive marketing agency several weeks ago, I asked for a specified decision-maker and was told that she “works out of Starbucks.” Times are certainly changing.

I came across a recent article by John Grossmann on Inc.com which looks into the cold calling tips of uber-successful personal wine broker, David Rosen:

1. There is no such thing as a wrong number. Turn incoming wrong numbers into potential opportunities.
2. Cold calling is a matter of degree. Know as much as you can before calling into a lead. Personally, I have found LinkedIn and the company’s own website to be most valuable.
3. Gatekeepers are to be respected.
4. The customers know they are customers.
5. Learn your script, then ditch it.
6. Data is good. More data is better. Even if the person you are speaking with might not be a great prospect, talk to him and find out why. A “no” might still provide valuable insight into your target market.
7. A good salesperson does more than sell.
8. Nothing is more valuable than a good referral.

If your daily call statistics aren’t reflective of your efforts, don’t get discouraged. According to Inc.com’s “Cold-Calling 101,” only an average of 5 to 10 percent of calls are considered to be successful. More on cold calling to come…