Strikes me there are two types of trainers / speakers who have gone over to the dark side in an attempt to win more business…
The you must “never cold call clan”. They’ll tell you it doesn’t work, they’ll tell you it costs money and they’ll tell you it’s outdated. They’ll also tell you that anyone who disagrees with them is a charlatan! They’re wrong. I’ve delivered sales training programmes for teams who have set up on average 2 qualified sales appointments with senior decision-makers in an hour each. One large corporate I worked with landed a £350,000+ contract (year 1 only) from a cold call made whilst actually on one of my training programmes. Doh!
These so called sales trainers are cashing in on the fear of cold calling because they know that people will pay good money to try and avoid it… There’s a sales tip there… fear sells!
And then there’s the “you must only cold call crew”. Sales managers and sales teams who do no other lead generation activities other than cold calling. And guess what? They’re wrong too. Even though I have trained £100k+ per year sales aces to cold call more effectively it’s not the only way. No-one likes a one-trick pony and if cold calling is your only route to market then that’s what you are!!! So no matter how good you are – find more than one way to win new business!
Incidentally, I bought the CDs and workbook of one of the “never cold call clan” and guess what? Well, firstly it was pretty good, outlining several other ways to create business opportunities but…
And it’s a big but… at one point in the course there is a whole section devoted to… having your PA ring their PA and set up an appointment! So you never have to cold call but your PA does!
Smells like good old call avoidance to me!
Check out my sales training seminars if you want to find out more about how to win new business in a balanced, modern and effective way.
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About Gavin Ingham
Hi, Gavin,
It’s all in the mix. The marketing mix.
1) Face-to-face
2) Cold call
3) Letter
4) E-mail
5) Online-Marketing
I tell you a ‘secret’: I don’t like cold calling.
Task: Cold calling is crucial for building up sustain business and getting appointments.
Solution: I developed techniques to overcome my antipathy.
Benefit: Prospects feel that I’m not a stupid script reader and cold call as a must. They realize that I’m short in time too (Rapport with decision makers). They open their gates.
Outcome: Business.
That simple.
Warm regards,
Andreas Wiedow