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| | The Marketing, Channels/Partnership & Sales Execs Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | re: re: re: Cold Calling Techniques (That Really work!) OK JEFF | Views: 489 | | Aug 04, 2004 10:34 pm | | re: re: re: Cold Calling Techniques (That Really work!) OK JEFF | # | 
David Lawson | | From being on the receiving side for many years and having spent the past 4 years on the sending side, I don't see how you can say that anything but an interesting, poignant conversation in any phone call (cold, warm, hot) would go anywhere toward building a relationship that results in a business relationship.
I have seen many people have success with scripted calls like the one mentioned here but I have thought about it and I think it comes down to volume. If you come to everyone on your list with this same script, those uninterested by it will tell you and end the call. Those uninterested in it, but polite, will humor you and then end the call. Those interested will listen. By qualifying only those immediately interested, aren't you not making a low-quality call (however highly developed your script is)? If you operate under the assumption that the more people you call, the more business you get- great- this works. If you are truly trying to ascertain the state of a propective client's business, an unscripted conversation unique to their business and environment is necessary. To make a call like that, you should come up with questions that evoke answers (not in any order necessarily but to ask if and when opportunities to ask come up) that direct you toward solutions you provide, but you also have to be willing to admit you might not be the best solution based on their answers.
Some of the better relationships I have today are from making cold calls to people and offering them alternative solutions with other vendors because that'd be a better fit. They respect me for that and remember me either by referral or by calling me when they are ready.
I guess my point is, which would you prefer and what lends itself to your business more- quality or quantity- that'd be a good place to start.
Have a great day!
David
> Adam Herbel wrote:
> I agree... I'm waiting for something I can use...
>
>The "effective" call seemed to start off talking all about him instead of the person he was calling. I would say no thank you too.
>
>Advertisers that I try to get on our stations would hang up alot earlier in the spiel if I tried that script.
>
>Please don't get me wrong... I would like to find better ways to get past the first call, but I'm still skeptical of the method just proposed.
>
>~ Adam Private Reply to David Lawson | | Aug 06, 2004 3:24 am | | re: re: re: re: Cold Calling Techniques (That Really work!) OK JEFF | # | 
Gary Dale Cearley | | David,
First of all, I used to agree with what you wrote 100%. But then I read these Schiffman books, Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!) and Getting to Closed, I thought that Schiffman's approach was too basic and would leave out too much potential. After all, I am the guy who has 17 years in the logistics business, not Steve Schiffman, and I can smell business potential when I walk in the room, correct? The number one thing that proved me wrong was following Schiffman's advice for a week.
The way I read into these cold calling techniques is that you are not focusing on volume per se. You are focusing on getting players, punters, what ever you call them, down your sales chain - moving them to the next step in the sale. After reading the books I did a complete overhaul of how I conducted sales. I basically scripted every step so that I could weed out those who weren't going to play ball. Although I may have had a friendly and interesting two way communication, I wouldn't get them as a customer during this sales cycle. I then concentrate more on the ones moving up the steps. The scripts made sure to ask the right questions to qualify all the way down the line until it was time to close.
When I first read these books what was going through my mind was "this seems to impersonal" and that it wouldn't work with my style. Actually, at the end of the day it is just as personal but I am finding it to be much more profitable. I have gotten to know more clients than I would otherwise have. When you mention that some of the better relationships that you have had came from cold calls of people you eventually referred to others, well, that will still happen anyway. What Schiffman basically does is refocus you on the ones who reciprocate in the relationship.
I know this is a long message, but I will just say this: The proof is in the pudding and the proof in the pudding is the eating. I read Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!) in May and I read Getting to Closed in June. After having a look at what I was doing, following his advice and making the necessary changes in what I do, my revenue in July doubled over June (May and June were about the same) and my revenue from August 1st until August 5th is already equal to June. I thought I had been around my industry and to boot was a real people person; sales should have been second nature. In retrospect had lots of interesting acquaintances, but not much business. These "techniques" have changed me.
I have another of Schiffman's books, Sales Don't Just Happen (26 Proven Strategies to Improve Sales in Any Market) that I haven't read yet, so maybe you will be seeing more from me on this in the future.
When it comes down to it, I owe much more than the price of the book to Stephan Schiffman.
Best regards,
Gary Dale
> David Lawson wrote:
> From being on the receiving side for many years and having spent the past 4 years on the sending side, I don't see how you can say that anything but an interesting, poignant conversation in any phone call (cold, warm, hot) would go anywhere toward building a relationship that results in a business relationship.
>
>I have seen many people have success with scripted calls like the one mentioned here but I have thought about it and I think it comes down to volume. If you come to everyone on your list with this same script, those uninterested by it will tell you and end the call. Those uninterested in it, but polite, will humor you and then end the call. Those interested will listen. By qualifying only those immediately interested, aren't you not making a low-quality call (however highly developed your script is)? If you operate under the assumption that the more people you call, the more business you get- great- this works. If you are truly trying to ascertain the state of a propective client's business, an unscripted conversation unique to their business and environment is necessary. To make a call like that, you should come up with questions that evoke answers (not in any order necessarily but to ask if and when opportunities to ask come up) that direct you toward solutions you provide, but you also have to be willing to admit you might not be the best solution based on their answers.
>
>Some of the better relationships I have today are from making cold calls to people and offering them alternative solutions with other vendors because that'd be a better fit. They respect me for that and remember me either by referral or by calling me when they are ready.
>
>I guess my point is, which would you prefer and what lends itself to your business more- quality or quantity- that'd be a good place to start.
>
>Have a great day!
>David
>
>> Adam Herbel wrote:
>> I agree... I'm waiting for something I can use...
>>
>>The "effective" call seemed to start off talking all about him instead of the person he was calling. I would say no thank you too.
>>
>>Advertisers that I try to get on our stations would hang up alot earlier in the spiel if I tried that script.
>>
>>Please don't get me wrong... I would like to find better ways to get past the first call, but I'm still skeptical of the method just proposed.
>>
>>~ Adam Private Reply to Gary Dale Cearley | | |
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