I have been cold calling for fifty (50) years. When I walk into a potential customer, I always ask the gate keeper if they know if the company uses the services we provide. If the answer is yes, I ask for the decision makers information and I can call them to setup an appointment. Nine times out of ten, the answer is usually yes. The tenth time is usually wait a moment and they may be able to see you know.
Business from Clermont, FL
Commented on Mar 16th, 2023
Don't call. Go to their place of business and meet them on their home field. Do some research on who they are, and what they do, and then go meet them. There are VERY FEW people who know how to make a quality phone call to a total stranger. I have been teaching it for over 20 yrs.
Some good points made. I have come to the conclusion that it is actually best to simplify the whole thing down to a few very specific items: 1. do some decent-not exhaustive-research before the call. ID the primary and secondary decision persons. 2. Dial. 3.Once the decision person is on the phone, you have ONE 15 to 30 second shot at gaining interest. So yes...NO "Hi how are you". That will lose it immediately. So...Just CLEARLY and CONCISELY state your name and company. Then state what you have to offer. IF your research was done correctly, they will already NEED it. So you simply ask them if it is something they are working on or considering now. If YES, you have a bona fide prospect. If no or some smoke screen, you do not. 4.Then you decide whether to add them to your pipeline as hot, warm or cold/dead. I think doing it this particular way is the only way to increase successes. Still, cold calling should be just one of the strategies you have.
I wouldn’t be able to survive in the insurance business without cold calling. I find having a good leads system to compliment your script and followup matters. I use zoominfo. No gatekeepers and direct mobile phone numbers. It’s great.
Business from Mckinney Austin, TX
Commented on Mar 14th, 2023
In my experience, straight up cold calling is very ineffective. Success rate is 2% (tops) for skilled sales folks. You need to find a way to get some targeted / warm leads. This can increase your success rate to 3% to 6%.
I'm new to the B2B cold calling. I don't find it very effective. I was very successful in the B2C cold calling, even though it was really more warm calling. I wish I had an answer and advice but I find myself as an old dog needing to learn new tricks. Personally, I like face to face much better but that's not always easy to initiate from across the country. Any thoughts there?
I don't do cold calls because I refuse to buy anything from someone that calls me. Because of that I feel I would be hypocritical of me to expect others to buy from a cold call. If someone is interested in my products then I would ask if I could give them a call.
Comments (41-50)
I have been cold calling for fifty (50) years. When I walk into a potential customer, I always ask the gate keeper if they know if the company uses the services we provide. If the answer is yes, I ask for the decision makers information and I can call them to setup an appointment. Nine times out of ten, the answer is usually yes. The tenth time is usually wait a moment and they may be able to see you know.
Don't call. Go to their place of business and meet them on their home field. Do some research on who they are, and what they do, and then go meet them. There are VERY FEW people who know how to make a quality phone call to a total stranger. I have been teaching it for over 20 yrs.
Just my thoughts!
Some good points made. I have come to the conclusion that it is actually best to simplify the whole thing down to a few very specific items: 1. do some decent-not exhaustive-research before the call. ID the primary and secondary decision persons. 2. Dial. 3.Once the decision person is on the phone, you have ONE 15 to 30 second shot at gaining interest. So yes...NO "Hi how are you". That will lose it immediately. So...Just CLEARLY and CONCISELY state your name and company. Then state what you have to offer. IF your research was done correctly, they will already NEED it. So you simply ask them if it is something they are working on or considering now. If YES, you have a bona fide prospect. If no or some smoke screen, you do not. 4.Then you decide whether to add them to your pipeline as hot, warm or cold/dead. I think doing it this particular way is the only way to increase successes. Still, cold calling should be just one of the strategies you have.
zoominfo is awesome and I'm complimenting that with Datanyze. Similiar services.
I wouldn’t be able to survive in the insurance business without cold calling. I find having a good leads system to compliment your script and followup matters. I use zoominfo. No gatekeepers and direct mobile phone numbers. It’s great.
In my experience, straight up cold calling is very ineffective. Success rate is 2% (tops) for skilled sales folks. You need to find a way to get some targeted / warm leads. This can increase your success rate to 3% to 6%.
Be as nice and courteous to whoever answers the phone as you would to the person giving you a million dollar sale.
I'm new to the B2B cold calling. I don't find it very effective. I was very successful in the B2C cold calling, even though it was really more warm calling. I wish I had an answer and advice but I find myself as an old dog needing to learn new tricks. Personally, I like face to face much better but that's not always easy to initiate from across the country. Any thoughts there?
Read the book "Go for No" by Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz!
I don't do cold calls because I refuse to buy anything from someone that calls me. Because of that I feel I would be hypocritical of me to expect others to buy from a cold call. If someone is interested in my products then I would ask if I could give them a call.