Comments on: Compelling Argument Against Cold Calling http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/ Sales & Leadership Blog Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:37:58 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Lenati Blog » Cold Calling Is Dead http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-4902 Lenati Blog » Cold Calling Is Dead Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:45:52 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-4902 [...] woeful inefficiencies inherent in cold calling metrics, Jeremy Miller, in his excellent article “Sales People Don’t Cold Call”, unequivocally states, “Cold calling is an act of frivolity.” [...] [...] woeful inefficiencies inherent in cold calling metrics, Jeremy Miller, in his excellent article “Sales People Don’t Cold Call”, unequivocally states, “Cold calling is an act of frivolity.” [...]

]]> By: Danny Kitchener http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2665 Danny Kitchener Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:52:38 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2665 Many opinions are that "cold calling doesn't work for us/our business/product/service." What business are you in and does cold calling work for you? Many opinions are that “cold calling doesn’t work for us/our business/product/service.”

What business are you in and does cold calling work for you?

]]> By: Danny Kitchener http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2469 Danny Kitchener Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:17:10 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2469 I somewhat agree with Jeremy on his argument that cold calling is the most ineffective lead generation tool out there. However, the reason that it is not effective is because sales people believe they deserve a sale out of every call!..., and when they don’t they turn into the ‘pushy’, ‘aggressive’ ‘talkative’ professional that noone likes or respects. However, Cold Calling is THE BEST tool for understanding why your prospects ‘DON’T’ but from you, and why they buy from your competitors, what their buying motives are and what their decision making processes is. Don’t just Cold Call to sell your product - Cold Call to understand your customer Danny Kitchener Interim.sales.consultant@gmail.com I somewhat agree with Jeremy on his argument that cold calling is the most ineffective lead generation tool out there. However, the reason that it is not effective is because sales people believe they deserve a sale out of every call!…, and when they don’t they turn into the ‘pushy’, ‘aggressive’ ‘talkative’ professional that noone likes or respects.

However, Cold Calling is THE BEST tool for understanding why your prospects ‘DON’T’ but from you, and why they buy from your competitors, what their buying motives are and what their decision making processes is.

Don’t just Cold Call to sell your product – Cold Call to understand your customer

Danny Kitchener
Interim.sales.consultant@gmail.com

]]> By: Paul Leggatt http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2430 Paul Leggatt Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:54:35 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2430 Everyone has different views on cold calling but my view is simple, 100 'cold calls' per week leads to 12 new meetings per week which then leads to 8 new clients per week being generated within our business. Cold calling along with marketing, networking are key growth strategies within our business with no strategy having more of an importance over another. Cold calling is always made easier by carrying out extensive research on key decision makers firstly and then having an email/written proposal to follow up on Everyone has different views on cold calling but my view is simple, 100 ‘cold calls’ per week leads to 12 new meetings per week which then leads to 8 new clients per week being generated within our business.

Cold calling along with marketing, networking are key growth strategies within our business with no strategy having more of an importance over another. Cold calling is always made easier by carrying out extensive research on key decision makers firstly and then having an email/written proposal to follow up on

]]> By: Michael McGowan http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2345 Michael McGowan Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:16:31 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2345 Marc, you might be surprisd how many salespeople disagree with you and maybe even more surprised how many sales managers and senior (sales)people have a poor understanding of the nature of cold calling, so they are afraid of it. Many of the people against cold calling never really did it or did it badly. And so the viscious circle continues. How salespeople expect the phone to ring the right number of times with the "right" leads is beyond me: unless you work for a big brand or you don't need to do a lot of business development and you live off the famous referrals. Marc, you might be surprisd how many salespeople disagree with you and maybe even more surprised how many sales managers and senior (sales)people have a poor understanding of the nature of cold calling, so they are afraid of it. Many of the people against cold calling never really did it or did it badly. And so the viscious circle continues. How salespeople expect the phone to ring the right number of times with the “right” leads is beyond me: unless you work for a big brand or you don’t need to do a lot of business development and you live off the famous referrals.

]]> By: Mark Secko http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2344 Mark Secko Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:14:16 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2344 Doyle, Jeremy makes some valid points but any salesperson worth his/her salt knows that it is worth it to cold call. I would luv to sit on my hands and have leads fed to me but in a small company, even in a bigger company is it worth it? For example, even when people, go to your website, look at your materials, show some interest, that does NOT guarantee they are are a good lead. The sales rep needs to qualify further to ensure it is a warm lead. So the point to my ramble is that I cold call because I know the questions I need to ask in order to qualify a lead, and cold calling does work for me. I am sure other sales reps will concur... Regards, Mark Secko Mantralogix msecko@mantralogix.com Doyle,

Jeremy makes some valid points but any salesperson worth his/her salt knows that it is worth it to cold call. I would luv to sit on my hands and have leads fed to me but in a small company, even in a bigger company is it worth it?

For example, even when people, go to your website, look at your materials, show some interest, that does NOT guarantee they are are a good lead. The sales rep needs to qualify further to ensure it is a warm lead.

So the point to my ramble is that I cold call because I know the questions I need to ask in order to qualify a lead, and cold calling does work for me. I am sure other sales reps will concur…

Regards,

Mark Secko
Mantralogix
msecko@mantralogix.com

]]> By: Lilly Ferrick http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2280 Lilly Ferrick Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:54:25 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2280 I agree with you on most every point. I do "introductory calls" and build relationship from there. We look for a fit. Regardless of what terminology you use for outbound calling, business development people should have the discipline and the skill set to pick up the phone if they have to. I wish I could field incoming calls all day but that's not case where I work so I have to do the part of I have control over, and that means picking up the phone, in addition to the networking I do. I've landed almost every client engagement from introductory calling and they've been good fits because of the level of qualification I put them through in those initial conversations. I have spent time and money getting trained on the phone and have had good results. Hopefully at this time next year, I will be fielding more incoming calls. I agree with you on most every point. I do “introductory calls” and build relationship from there. We look for a fit. Regardless of what terminology you use for outbound calling, business development people should have the discipline and the skill set to pick up the phone if they have to. I wish I could field incoming calls all day but that’s not case where I work so I have to do the part of I have control over, and that means picking up the phone, in addition to the networking I do. I’ve landed almost every client engagement from introductory calling and they’ve been good fits because of the level of qualification I put them through in those initial conversations. I have spent time and money getting trained on the phone and have had good results. Hopefully at this time next year, I will be fielding more incoming calls.

]]> By: Paul Esch http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2262 Paul Esch Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:09:11 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2262 It's not "cold calling." It's simply making introductory calls to new friends. Over the years I have gotten more and more repeat business from past customers and referrals. But 10% of my sales still come from introductory calls. And they tend to have the largest average tickets. I can't ignore this fact and I can't afford to resist the importance of this part of selling, even though I get to kiss a lot of frogs in the process. It’s not “cold calling.” It’s simply making introductory calls to new friends. Over the years I have gotten more and more repeat business from past customers and referrals. But 10% of my sales still come from introductory calls. And they tend to have the largest average tickets. I can’t ignore this fact and I can’t afford to resist the importance of this part of selling, even though I get to kiss a lot of frogs in the process.

]]> By: Danny Kitchener http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2182 Danny Kitchener Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:38:32 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2182 Agreed - This goes along with my theory of 'stop sounding like a sales person'. Have a conversation with prospects, understand them and their needs instead of blurting out your features, benefits & accolades. The Demand Creation Team would fulfil this role perfectly, and the Sales team would deliver the all important solution/fulfilment stage in the cycle. It's time Sales moved into the 21st century with this sort of intelligent approach. Danny Kitchener interim.sales.consultant@gmail.com Agreed – This goes along with my theory of ’stop sounding like a sales person’. Have a conversation with prospects, understand them and their needs instead of blurting out your features, benefits & accolades.

The Demand Creation Team would fulfil this role perfectly, and the Sales team would deliver the all important solution/fulfilment stage in the cycle.

It’s time Sales moved into the 21st century with this sort of intelligent approach.

Danny Kitchener
interim.sales.consultant@gmail.com

]]> By: laurence Ainsworth http://salesblogcast.com/2009/05/27/compelling-argument-against-cold-calling/#comment-2089 laurence Ainsworth Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:31:24 +0000 http://salesblogcast.com/?p=809#comment-2089 The debate seams to have moved on a bit, since I last looked in and I agree broadly with Michael. I would say that Pipeline Management is a Sales Management activity and not really a salesperson (salesmans) activity.Why? Well salespeople as a breed are dreadful at coming up with a detailed and appropriately qualified pipeline. Firstly because sales people as a bread just hate reporting secondly for self preservation; once you can get a detailed understanding of salesman's pipeline you can immediately get a view on his bias and performance constraints. Thirdly, just lack of training. Pipeline management requires a clear understanding of how well each prospect is qualified and thus what work is needed to close (and with a bit of experience) the likelihood of a close. This has stuff all to do with CRM CEM or any other acronym its about understanding how to qualify your prospects and developing the skill to ask precise questions which the sales person cant easily fudge. Once you have a clear understanding of where you are it will naturally indicate how aggressive your prospecting needs to be. The debate seams to have moved on a bit, since I last looked in and I agree broadly with Michael. I would say that Pipeline Management is a Sales Management activity and not really a salesperson (salesmans) activity.Why? Well salespeople as a breed are dreadful at coming up with a detailed and appropriately qualified pipeline. Firstly because sales people as a bread just hate reporting secondly for self preservation; once you can get a detailed understanding of salesman’s pipeline you can immediately get a view on his bias and performance constraints.
Thirdly, just lack of training. Pipeline management requires a clear understanding of how well each prospect is qualified and thus what work is needed to close (and with a bit of experience) the likelihood of a close. This has stuff all to do with CRM CEM or any other acronym its about understanding how to qualify your prospects and developing the skill to ask precise questions which the sales person cant easily fudge.

Once you have a clear understanding of where you are it will naturally indicate how aggressive your prospecting needs to be.

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