
Cold Calling Techniques - faramarz
http://www.businessballs.com/cold_calling.htm
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keltex
A partner and I used to have a used medical equipment business. Cold calling,
unfortunately, was a big part of it.

One trick we learned was to pitch the OPPOSITE of what we were trying to sell.
That is, we asked if the medical office was interested in SELLING the
equipment we were offering.

So the typical call script (yes it was a script) was like this: "Good Morning,
this is XXX from YYY. We're the largest purchaser of ZZZ in the country. I
wanted to find out if you might be replacing any of your ZZZ over the next 12
months."

Now we became somebody interesting to talk with because we could solve their
problem, namely take some of their old equipment off their hands. Of course,
anybody who might be "replacing" something could also potentially be
interested in buying something.

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Helianthus16
I wish this were actually about cold calling techniques--i.e., how to honestly
approach someone and maximize the importance of the information you transfer
to them--instead of how awesome cold calling is.

excuse me, how awesome 'good' cold calling is. god. "why it's good that cold
calling is so difficult for most sales people"

because that makes it more exclusive. bleh. hacker news was made less
worthwhile with this link.

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dpatru
He gets more specific later in the article. It seems that the key to effective
cold calling is patience and seeing things from the prospect's perspective.

Cold-calling is difficult for most people because they don't have the patience
to understand the prospect's needs and help the prospect understand his own
needs and how the product they're selling can help meet them. Bad salespeople
try to convince prospects to buy their product.

Once you understand the basic principles of effective selling, it's up to you
to creatively apply these principles in your own situation. There is no one
true cold-calling technique in selling just as there is no one true
programming technique. The best you can do is study the basic principles and
examples of their application.

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arethuza
Great - I currently have 41 missed calls on my office phone. 41 of which will
be people cold calling me, even when I've had the receptionist repeatedly
putting them straight through to voice-mail if I don't recognize who they are
and why they would be wanting to speak to me.

If you make want to sell things via cold calling please give some
consideration to whoever you are calling.

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dublinclontarf
Bletch, I hate cold calling, that is having to do it, and I've plenty of
experience.

I had a job in a market research agency, and we'd do cold calls for mobile
phones companies, car companies etc. usually to do a survey (yes I was one of
THOSE people).

Then about a year later I went to a sales recruitment agency (I'm not a sales
guy, but at the time I was desperate for work and would try anything, despite
my father warning me to keep away from sales).

They were kind of a training outfit and recruitment agency. They would test a
bunch of candidates to see who had potential, then put the ones who passed
through a 1 week intensive coarse (great coarse by the way, I was exausted by
the end of it).

Then they try to "sell" you to other sales companies, it landed me with a
telesales job which lasted for about 6 months (in which I did much cold
calling).

All I can say is I hate cold calling, it gives me the sweats, but it damnwell
works, so if the margin is worth it, learn a little yourself and give it a
try, you don't have to hire a salesperson, become one yourself.

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Robin_Message
Where was this and what was the agency?

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dublinclontarf
This was in Dublin Ireland, and the agency was called School of Sales in
College Green, their website was <http://www.schoolofsales.com/> but theres
nothing there now. It was 2007 when I went through there.

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lsc
>* cold calling alone can create and be a business in its own right - because
cold calling is effectively the ability to make things happen - whereas every
other business activity needs cold calling to start up and survive

Huh. even if you expand cold calling to include all 'approach someone to ask
for a sale' this is plainly untrue, especially after the advent of the
Internet. I don't think I've cold-approached even one customer. And really, my
business model simply wouldn't work if i had to. with my margins, paying even
a mediocre salesguy a commission would eat me alive.

Actually, this is everything I don't understand about sales. What sort of
person responds to a cold approach, when it is almost always the case that you
can get a better deal (either a lower price, /or/ something that better meets
your needs, sometimes both) going out and searching for something on your own?
Are you targeting people who don't care about price only?

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j_b_f
Everything is dependent on your market. To paraphrase Dharmesh Shah,
"enterprise products are sold, not bought." Part of that selling process is
making sure prospects know you exist, and understand the value you provide.
Cold calls are one way to do that. Not a very cost effective (or effective)
way to do it, but still one way.

Personal example: today I got a cold call from a guy who runs a shop that
produces short video interviews with companies and their customers. Their
product looks awesome, but they're so small and I new I probably would have
never found them otherwise. We'll probably use them.

On the other hand, if we do it, that'll be the second cold-call product I will
have purchased in 10 years running this business.

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lsc
my biggest issue was his "all businesses depend upon cold calling" statement,
which is simply not true.

But yeah, in your case, that sounds like a company I might buy services
from... but I wouldn't respond to a 'cold call' at least not via phone, just
'cause I find that so offensive. (I might respond if the sales pitch was soft,
and it was pitched in a semi-social place. A "oh, and what do you do?" at a
local hangout, sure, i might buy from that, if I thought that the method of
sales wasn't adding significantly to what I'd pay (which is to say, if the
product wasn't available from a 'price on the website is what you pay' type
vendor.)

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Terry_B
I found "The Cold Calling Podcast" to be quite insightful and practical if
anyone is interested.

~~~
sk5t
I've tried to fetch this podcast, but it seems to be somehow unavailable or
defunct...

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Terry_B
Wow, you're right. Their site is gone and it's not downloading properly on
itunes. Wonder if its out there somewhere.

They stopped recording them a while ago and said they had recorded all they
had to say on the topic, but shame its been taken down.

~~~
MarkBook
Take the podcast down then human nature being what it is people get interested
in knowing what they've missed. This is a good technique.

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fauigerzigerk
There is of course a paradox (albeit not a true one) when a sales person tries
to act like an expert advisor. Prospective customers know he/she is a
salesperson, so acting like an expert advisor may come across as phony.

> "Your opening proposition in the introduction should be a broad strategic
> interpretation of your more detailed product offer"

Right. It's exactly what makes you think, Huh? What on earth is their product?
I see websites like that every day and I get annoyed. They show you a very
general strategic message on the home page even though they are a one product
company. I'm so grateful that startups do not follow this dated trick.

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skittles
The best technique I ever learned was to say 'Mr. Smith Please' instead of
'May I speak to Mr. Smith please?'. The first sounds more confident and is a
little devious (the receptionist often thinks you are a friend, coworker, or
important client). You can't be called out for lying, and it is extremely
effective at getting the cold caller past the 'gatekeeper'. I'm glad I'm not
in sales anymore.

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pramit
This is also useful The Superstar Salesman's Handbook: 150+ Greatest Tips on
selling [http://bighow.com/news/the-superstar-salesmans-
handbook-150-...](http://bighow.com/news/the-superstar-salesmans-
handbook-150-greatest-tips-on-selling)

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lebowa
a cold call is a pitch, and a pitch is a story. learn how to tell a compelling
story from beginning to end and you will find cold calls much easier and more
profitable. this takes REPETITION

