The Selling E-Letter®
Why Is Cold Calling So Tough?
Why Is Cold Calling So Tough?
Why do salespeople hate to cold call so much? Logically, all you have to do is pick up the phone and talk. How hard is that? Maybe it’s the frustration of not being able to reach the people you want to speak with. You could be making your prospecting harder than it needs to be.
When should I stop? Often when you’re trying to reach a prospect, you have an idea that the customer could be right for your business. You may have a list of criteria which you use to identify your prospects. Maybe it’s the type of industry. Perhaps it’s the number of years they’re in business. Revenue might determine that they’re a fit. You start your sales process by calling with the goal of learning more specifically that the prospect is a fit. You just can’t get past the gatekeeper, despite leaving compelling messages. What should you do? You stop calling.
In this case, I would set a specific number of tries. Face it, after ten tries, that person has heard what you can do and who you are. It’s just not the right time for them or they’re not the right person. Either you put your follow up on a much less frequent basis, or you simply stop calling.
Who are your prospects? What if you’re not using the right (or any) criteria to prospect? That could be why it’s so difficult for you to make contact with them. Maybe you’re not choosing the best prospects for you. You may be chasing them.
Are you choosing your prospects or chasing them? This is a concept that Steve Straus, Executive Coach, discusses with his clients. Chasing prospects is when you believe there’s a scarcity of potential buyers in the market. You blanket the market with sales literature and make frequent cold calls.
Choosing your prospects means you apply a filter to prospects in the marketplace. Instead of thinking you’re going to reach everyone, you decide who is best for your business and you. You could use filtering criteria like Straus suggests of profitability, ease, whether you like them, or their ability to refer you. If you can’t think of the criteria to use, think about your business with an abundance of customers. Now pick the ones you enjoy working with. Those criteria should be the ones you use to choose your prospects.
What this means for your selling. Selling from a chasing strategy is a different mindset than one in which you choose. Chasing comes from being desperate. Choosing comes from a position of power. If you don’t realize that you can choose your customers and be successful, this should be your first aha moment. Next, you should develop your criteria and be consistent in looking for customers who meet your criteria. Just be sure you can deliver what those prospects need and want to improve their businesses and their lives.
Choosing versus chasing requires patience in a salesperson. When you choose your prospects you’ll be waiting for your sales success. When you chase, you’ll be waiting for frustration and you won’t have to wait long.
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Best@Selling
The Selling E-Letter ® Volume 315 9723800200
www.BestatSelling.com
Maura Schreier-Fleming, author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results, writes The Selling E-Letter®. The Selling E-Letter is a semi-monthly subscription service for sales professionals who want to close business faster. Have Maura speak on sales tips and skills at your next meeting or conference.
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