(An excerpt from the ebook-“The ART of Influencing Customers to BUY from YOU.”)
When should you stop calling a qualified prospect who doesn’t return your calls? I can remember the days when I was working in sales for an international training and development company. The sales manager gave me an answer to that question which still stays with me today. He said, “Until you hear the words “NO, I’m not interested.”
While I agree with him, experience has taught me that the most effective approach is to limit the number of times you’re going to attempt to reach someone. Also, make sure you don’t become viewed as “pesky,” or overbearing. Although it’s true that many studies suggest that a prospect needs to hear from you seven times before they will pay attention, a better rule of thumb is to call every 10 days, for a total of three times.
If you don’t receive a return call, don’t throw in the towel! Simply call them less frequently. Try once a month, or once every two months, and you’ll get better results.
What’s In It For You? Just More Sales!
The sales manager I worked for expected his sales people to spend half of each business day cold calling, with a minimum of forty calls per day. The remainder of the day was to be spent on physical appointments in front of customers. He’d emerge from his office several times an hour, to make sure he’d see the sales staff either in the act of dialing, or engaged in a conversation. Sometimes, he’d say, “Folks, the phones are too quiet today. No calls coming in, means not enough calls going out.” He was tough, but he was right. It was never easy making call after call, but it was a part of my job to do it.
As time passed, I became grateful for that experience. In 1993, when I started up my own company I was already disciplined to make those daily forty cold calls. (After all, I couldn’t make warm calls, because I didn’t have any clients yet!) As a result, I was able to get my business up and running quickly.
Within two years, my business was profitable. Many of my colleagues were asking how I was able to get established so quickly. “Forty cold calls a day,” I’d tell them. Then, I’d ask, “How many do you make?” All too often, I’d hear this, “I can’t stand making cold calls. I’m just not comfortable doing it.” To me, anyone who is in sales, business development, or is who responds this way is just setting themselves up for failure.
Today, we don’t have to make forty calls a day at my office, but we make sure we spend time every week making a significant number of cold calls to introduce ourselves to potential clients. Often, our timing is right, because we call when clients have a need. Call! Your timing might be right too!
Even though you know that your chances for success are stronger when you can make a “warm” call, discipline yourself to block out some time each day to make a significant number of cold calls. Here’s why: My philosophy has always been to “leave no stone unturned.” If there’s business out there for you, you need to go get it. That’s why you need to bite the bullet, pick up the phone, and learn how to perfect the ART of the COLD CALL.
Photo Courtesy of (Jon Curnow) – Flickr
About Christine Corelli
