I like you am frequently bombarded with cold calls and find them not only intrusive but also unprofessional. Those familiar with my columns know that although I have 31 years of sales experience I never have nor ever will believe in cold calling. This is especially true in our crazy world of multiple meetings, multi tasking, multi touch and caller ID. It is just too easy for people to avoid you. Yet the true reasons why cold calling is ridiculous is that 1) most companies that are too cheap to train new staff will send them to the phones with “lists of people to call” (indicative of the scene from the original movie Wall Street or even Boiler Room, and 2) the individuals calling have no clue what to say after “hello” – they are completely unprepared.
Here is a call I received on March 2 that exemplifies my point:
Me: Hello, Drew Stevens
Cold Caller: Hello
Me: Hello, Drew Stevens
CC: Hello, um I would like to speak to the department that does credit card processing.
Me: Which department do you want?
CC: um I would like to speak to the department that does credit card processing.
Me: We do not do any credit card processing!
CC: You um don’t? Uh Do you want to?
Me: How long have you been selling?
CC: Two years but do you do credit card processing?
Me: You need work.
Cold calling does not work because it is intrusive and the process uses the wrong people in the wrong job. If you ever get stuck cold calling then know it requires several things 1) the proper personality that has the ability to carry on a purposeful conversation, 2) conviction and passion for the products and services, 3) understanding that cold calling is not a transactional process but the beginning of customer centered relationships, 4) the ability to ask provocative questions to understand need 5) and finally business intelligence so that you know what to say after hello.
Without the proper skills the time, energy and money involved with cold calling are simply a waste of time. In a world where time is of the essence, why waste it? Take the time before picking up the phone otherwise you will kill every call you make.
© 2012. Drew Stevens PhD, all rights reserved.
