Sales Training Motivational Speaker | Gavin Ingham» Prospecting & cold calling

The Death Of Cold Calling? Not Today Thanks.

Gavin Ingham — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:32:48 +0000

I had an amazing day at the ISMM’s Successful Selling conference yesterday making several amazing video interviews (watch this space… you’re going to love them), meetings many interesting people and all culminating in a motivational sales keynote talk to 500 motivated and professional salespeople. What a great day!

Clearing my emails, catching up from a week away and planning for next week, I just received this into my inbox…

Just to confirm our shared opinion on the best days to call, I’ve just made an absolute gem of an appt. Friday afternoons are the best! Thanks for the course at RIBA last week its proving valuable. Four quality appts this week.

Now, what I actually said was that plenty of people don’t like making proactive calls on Friday afternoons because “nobody is in” but that I always find them productive…

But the main lesson from this is that if you plan for your calls, make them relevant, make them intelligent, make them about the individual that you are calling, make them professionally then you can get proven results. One of the videos I recorded yesterday is all about new business calls and it’s a chat between myself and one of the directors of a telemarketing agency. Watch this space as it is full of tips and strategies and you’re going to love it.

Has Selling Changed? Is It Time For Out With The Old & In With The New?

Gavin Ingham — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:43:23 +0000

A lot of people over the last few weeks have been talking about “the best ways” to locate new customers and clients. A lot of people think that the strategies required have changed and that many of the old strategies don’t work anymore.

Out with the old, in with the new?

Not really. I agree that there are many “new ways” of reaching prospects and customers…

I have a LinkedIn account and a LinkedIn group (Sales Psychology & Performance if you want to have a look). I have a Youtube channel, I Twitter, I have a sales training blog and was blogging well before most other’s in the market place. I have numerous other social media profiles which I don’t use as much and I am also looking at the newest trends all of the time. I love to use the new ways and embrace change…

However, I think there is a real danger of throwing out what was and is still good about the old in chasing the new with comments like this one that someone made on one of my groups the other day when talking about traditional sales methods in particular prospecting…

“…you’ll be missing the 90%+ of the market that don’t buy like that…”

I am always suspicious of statistics but that one just looks wrong to me. To start with, if I only look at my own stats, I can see that my business comes from multiple sources. It does not just come from cold calling, or from blogging, or from videos, or from article marketing, or from networking, or from referrals, or from sales meetings…

In fact, most of my clients and prospects travel through multiple touch points before buying i.e. “Well I saw you on a video programme where you were a guest expert, then I read one of your articles in a (traditional print) magazine, then someone said something about you at a networking event. I always thought I might book you for my team but then I changed roles and someone sent me a copy of your newsletter and so I came to one of your seminars and then I thought “Wow!” I need this guy for my next sales conference.”

Furthermore, it is indeed amazing how much of it still comes from traditional sources… speaking, referrals (proactive and reactive), word of mouth, recommendations, networking, traditional sales… with a kicker that most have read my blog after they found me, or watched my Youtube videos or checked me out on LinkedIn etc.

There are some markets where many sales are made using totally new ways of selling and there are some where no-one is buying this way. I am constantly amazed by how many of my paying clients do not have video enabled on their PCs, do not use Twitter and have failed to respond to invites to any of my online groups or communities.

The only “new way” they respond to is my email newsletter (permission based but the only one that interrupts them) and then they won’t post a blog answer on my website, they prefer to email me their thoughts and questions instead.

The new way of selling is here. The new way of making contacts and differentiating yourself from the market is here but it is not about new methodologies…

The new way of selling is about adding value for your clients. The new way is about better engaging your clients. The new way is about caring about your clients and their businesses. The new way is about focusing on your clients and not on you. And if you can use new media to do this, that’s great.

But the new way of selling is not about activity, it is about mindset. Selling is an attitude that leaves behind a trail of techniques.

It is misleading to assume then that the old methods do not work anymore. When you apply the new mindset to them they work incredibly well but too few people (know how to) do this and therefore fail miserably.

After my cold calling seminar of last week, someone Twittered the next day to say they had already set up 4 meetings. After my cold calling seminar of Tuesday this week, someone already emailed me to say they would never have thought that they would be the person emailing me at all let alone saying that they had set up 5 appointments the very next day.

The old ways still work when you use the new mindset and new technologies to pimp them up.

It is also worth noting that many people using the new technologies do not have the new mindset and are just spamming anyway. The vast majority of comments and discussions posted in my communities are by people who ought to know better saying “go look at my seminar” or “see this article I wrote and spammed across every group”. They are no better than old school, bad, cold callers and I believe will be looked upon as the same in time. They add no value to their groups, no value to their communities, no value to their readers and this approach will not work long term.
Someone said to me the other day that I am the only person who consistently gives away stuff of value. This is clearly not true and I could name others who do too but it says a lot about the state of how people perceive the way people are using these new mediums.

People are unsubscribing from social media. People are clicking off from newsletters. People do not have the time to take part in discussions a lot of the time. I only need to look at the number of people who ring me and speak to me about booking me for a conference and who then fail to respond to emails. When I pick the phone up to them they invariably say, “I meant to call you,” and then book me.

And if every person out there started blogging, Twittering, Facebooking and videoing, firstly, many would just be no good at it and, secondly, no-one would be able to find anything worthwhile through the white noise…

So...

The expectation of salespeople has to change. The approaches you take have to change. The mindset you have has to change.

We have to add value. We have to utilise multiple routes to market. We have to employ new strategies, old strategies and hybrid strategies.

We have to use what works.

It’s not out with the old in with the new. It’s embrace the new, pimp up the old and mash up the lot to come up with a viable approach that connects and adds value for your clients. And this should include whatever strategies, old or new, that work best for you.

Does Cold Calling Work, 2?

Gavin Ingham — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 01:32:02 +0000

I hope that you’re having a good week, speaking to lots of new clients and winning lots of new business. I want to start this blog post by asking you a question, “What do you think about cold calling?” Now by asking that, what I don’t mean is do you like being rung at home when you’re eating your dinner (tea for us Northerners) and someone trying to sell you timeshares? No, what I mean is, “Do you think cold calling works?”

Now I know that this is a very divisive question. It’s divisive for a whole variety of reasons. It’s divisive because everyone has so many opinions, ideas and beliefs about whether cold calling is coming, going, works, doesn’t work, is ethical, is unethical, is powerful, is a waste of time…

And not everyone can be right, can they?

Or can they? As a sales motivational speaker and sales author I get to work with salespeople of all flavours and I have clients from all industries from car sales to insurance sales, from park home sales to engineering sales, from pharmaceutical sales to financial sales and pretty much everything sales inbetween. And on my travels I see people who win lots and lots of new business by picking up the phone and making appointments with key new prospects and many, many people who fail miserably too.

And whilst I agree that cold calling is more relevant for some industries than others and more relevant for some products than others and it is most definitely not right in all situations, I have met salespeople from all walks of industry who use it effectively. I’ve also worked with them and seen the results.

You see, most of the time, it’s not the industry or the product, it’s the salesperson and the sales system that makes the difference.

Melody proved this on The Apprentice (UK) last night when she picked up a mobile in the back of a car in France (!) and set up 6 appointments. But could the others Apprentices repeat her success?

Nope.

What did she have that the others didn’t? How did she approach prospects that got results where others failed?

Why do some people in your office get great results on the phone and others get only mediocre results… or worse?

Sure, we could get into an argument about what a cold call is. We could debate whether your call should be called a cold call at all if you’ve done the right research and weaved it into your call effectively. We could discuss the percentage of your time you should spend on the phone versus utilising other methods of contacting or attracting new clients…

And that would be useful but it would not change the facts. Cold calling works when done right. And you may not want to do it. And you may not want to hear it but that’s the way it is.

Someone once asked me why I blogged and why I used Twitter and why I networked if cold calling was so effective? And that’s the problem here. People want to say something has replaced something else. It’s black and white. It’s either or. But it’s not…

My answer was simple. “I do what works. I do a combination of things designed to consistently bring me in business. I do the ones that work. As long as they work I use them. And when they don’t, I will change what I am doing or stop.”

I have a highly refined new business sales system based on sales mindset, structure and language. The call engages clients by focusing on them not you. If you’re interested, read some more of my blog posts on cold calling and selling in general or watch a video or two. Better still, why not come to one of my No Fear Cold Calling seminars? If you want to eliminate fear of cold calling, get the mindset for success, better engage with your clients, set up more appointments and win more new business then it is a must attend.

The Sales Apprentice 2011: Sales Training & Business Development Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 4

Gavin Ingham — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:43:41 +0000

It’s week 4 of The Apprentice and so far only boys have been fired. Will another chap go this week or is it time for a girl to be ousted? With just 15 minutes to get up, out of bed and ready for action the teams are asked to meet at The British Museum. Standing near the statue of Aphrodite Lord Alan set them the task of creating their own beauty treatment service and making profit. In one of the most profitable industries this shouldn’t be difficult but as we know, our Apprentices have a God-given gift of making even the glaringly simple complicated…

In tonight’s task the teams get to choose two beauty treatments from eight that they are shown, they are to choose a pitch in Birmingham, give the treatments and make money…

After a quick shuffle of the teams Lord Sugar appointed Zoe and Felicity (remind you of Lucinda Ledgerwood the harp playing, scarf wearer from season 4?) as team leaders; Felicity because he hasn’t seen much of her and Zoe because she’s been playing it safe so far. Lord Sugar’s idea of motivating his team leaders? To tell them what a strong guy he sacked last week and how no-one was safe. Brilliant. Don’t you just want to get your pen out and apply to work with him next year?

Sales motivation tip: As a sales motivational speaker I spend much of my time working with teams and individuals helping them to be more motivated, more focused and more proactive. Sustainable motivation does not come from threats. Motivation comes from helping people to understand what is important to them, ensuring they have the tools to take responsibility for their lives and helping them to employ them on a day to day basis.

The first duty of the night was to decide where to set up shop. In this the teams did not agree, Felicity and team opting to be in the centre of town and Zoe and team electing to site themselves out of town. More importantly was the layout, Felicity’s team only having one treatment room which was a long way from their sales area, Zoe having three more conveniently placed ones.

Second duty of the night was to pick two beauty treatments each from eight selected by Lord Sugar. What were they you ask? Hmmm… please don’t bother telling me if I get these wrong (!)… a chocolate facial, some kind of mummy-like-wrap, hair extensions, discreet male cosmetics, lava shells, a revitalising cold stone pedicure, a spray tan and… something else.

The snag? They have to do the treatments themselves. You know, it always amuses me that in all of Lord Sugar’s tasks people are left selling things that they either can’t do or can’t do very well. It encourages the teams to lie about their products and services and to over-promise and under-deliver. I have a real issue with this…

Sales training tip: A lot of people believe that selling is all about the gift-of-the-gab, the ability to influence, the art of persuasion. Week after week Lord Alan and the BBC pump this message out in this show and it’s very misleading. Selling is not about promising the earth, blagging it, hoping for the best and scraping through by the skin of your teeth. That’s why many companies are in the mess they’re in… they’re not adding enough value.

As a sales professional or busines leader you need to add value. You need to under-promise and over-deliver. You need to have clients who want to work with you again, clients who will refer you, clients who will write you case studies / testimonials, clients who will talk about you, clients who will add to your reputation…

You don’t get this by blagging it.

Rant over…

Both teams wanted the spray tan product recognizing that it would sell well, that it was relatively easy to do and that it was the most profitable. Zoe’s team however were the most enthusiastic when being shown this product and they were given the thumbs up.

Enthusiasm is important when selling. Not puppy-dog enthusiasm, that’s crass but professional enthusiasm. If you were looking for someone to represent your product wouldn’t you want them be enthusiastic about it?

So Zoe and team were out of the gates with the spray tan and the pedicure and Felicity & Co with the hair extensions and the lava shells. For the first time, we were then told that the teams would also be able to upsell products. Now it may be that this had already been discussed and is lying on the cutting room floor but it’s the first we’d heard about it. It’s something I’d have wanted to have thought about when picking the products as whilst the main profit is in the treatments, a guaranteed upsell means you can ice that winning cake and stick some candles on it. As it happened, the upsell became a downsell but more of that in a moment…

Suzy, who had been shouting her mouth off all night about how this is what she did (beauty) and she knew this market inside out, made some ridiculous predictions for what they would sell. This reminded me of Dragon’s Den when the Dragons ask someone who has never sold anything or run a company what their forecasts are and they stick their finger in the air and say, “Well, we’ll sell £750k in year 1, £2.2 million in year 2 and £5.4 million in year 3.” And when asked why, they reply, “Because I fricking said so Theo.”

Anyway, Suzy stuck her hand up, pulled a rabbit out of thin air and said they would sell 72 units. On being challenged she just gave it the big “I am.”

Sales forecasting is one of the most difficult areas for salespeople, sales managers and business owners alike. As a sales motivational speaker I see many sales directors and business owners who are frustrated by their sales teams missing their “promised” targets. Setting targets and predicting sales is not about what you might sell, what you could sell or how much you ought to sell in the time allotted… it’s about what you are going to sell. Doh!

In Birmingham…

Leon delivered the line of the week. We haven’t had one yet this series but this was a classic to a female member of the public, “We can do two things for you today… we can either get you naked…”

With both teams selling products Zoe’s team were also selling treatments but Felicity’s team just were not selling any. It was not entirely clear whether this was down to poor sales skills, the distraction of the product sales, the distance between the sales arena and the treatment area or goldfish-like amnesia as to why they were there but if they didn’t pull themselves together they were going to get a pasting as all of the profit was in the treatments not in the products. They’re the icing remember but what good is icing without cake? Effectively, what was supposed to be a small upsell was acting as a huge downsell for Felicity’s team.

Realising that her team were not selling any treatments Felicity asked Tom to come down from the morgue-like treatment room to specifically sell treatments. This wasn’t a bad idea but didn’t answer the question as to why the incumbent sales team weren’t already selling them. It also didn’t help that Tom, clearly suffering from some forgetful disease, arrived on the sales floor and promptly started to sell… products!!

Meanwhile on the other team, Suzy was making less progress on sales than a very small snail climbing a very large mountain dragging a heavy loud hailer. Karen Brady was not impressed and pointed out that, “If you set yourself up as something you’re not, you’re in for a great big fall.” Well, that’s pretty much every Apprentice then…

But we needn’t worry because Suzy has the best excuse ever, “No-one has any money around here… everyone seems so poor.” That will be everyone in Birmingham then Suzy?

Sales training tip: Anyone can blame their products, their clients and their market. Anyone can say that their product is too expensive, their clients don’t have enough money and the economy is down the pan. Only sales superstars take responsibility, 100% responsibility for their own sales results and their own success.

Back on team Felicity, she was setting herself up for getting sacked if she lost the task, “It’s a bit of a pickle,” she said by way of explanation as to why they had not made more treatment sales…

Sales Director: “Felicity. Why have we not made more sales today?”
Felicity: “I’m not sure, it’s a bit of a pickle.”
Sales Director: “Oh, ok. Glad you explained that. Carry on.”

Maybe not eh.

At 4pm Felicity and team started to offer free massages to get people upstairs. Too little too late and why none of them picked this up earlier I have no idea.

Sales training and business tip: Many businesses and salespeople that fail do so for one main reason… not enough sales. It doesn’t matter how good you are at everything else, if you cannot sell enough then you’re fired! Devising, implementing, monitoring and managing your sales plan (no matter how simple) is essential if you want to succeed.

In the Boardroom…

“You’ve done your beauty stuff and now you have to deal with the beast,” quipped Lord Sugar vying for best line of the night not knowing that Leon had already stolen this title.

The results…

Zoe and Venture spent £734 and made £937 giving a profit of £203.01.
Felicity and Logic spent £924 and made £677 giving a loss of £246.28.

I sat and waited for the treatment results but there weren’t any. I even rewound the live TV in case I’d missed it. I hadn’t! They’d already been added. What? What? What?

13 people… ALL day… beauty treatments AND products… high footfall sites… and between the two of them… the teams had lost money?

Beyond belief.

As Zoe and team shuffled off to go dancing, Felicity and team headed for The Bridge Café. “I need to be PM so I am not in this position again,” mused Vincent to the camera with the self-assured belief that only an Apprentice can have after such an embarrassing showing…

Back in the Boardroom…

Sir Alan asked Vincent to elaborate on why it was a shambles, Vincent said, “We spent more than we made”, Lord Sugar said he was expecting specifics, Vincent said it was the spray tan loss, Lord Sugar said they lost the plot and sold peripherals and not treatments, Jim said he did not know the treatments were neglected, Lord Sugar said they did not do a treatment until 330pm in the afternoon and Felicity and Ellie were doing bugger all upstairs, Tom thought they missed the point that the location was bad, Lord Sugar said they were all “unbelievable”, Natasha said there was no sales process in place, Jim tried to claim he saved the day, Nick Hewer shot him down, Lord Sugar lectured them on selling low margin products, Felicity said they over spent “as a team”, Lord Sugar quipped back that “as a team” one of them would be leaving today…

Felicity elected to bring back Ellie… I think for having a Yorkshire accent in a public place… and Natasha, probably for rolling her jacket sleeves up like some Wham reject from the 1980s.

The Final Showdown…

“Do you know why you’re here Ellie?” asked Lord Sugar. “Yer, arm here t’ be yur business pardner.” You got to love us Yorkshire folk. Literal answer to a literal question but not what he meant. She wouldn’t be getting sacked though!

Felicity tried to pin the blame on Ellie but you don’t put a good Yorkshire lass down that easy and Ellie stabbed back. Seeing her chance to keep the pressure on Natasha took the chance to join the assault…

What Lord Alan might have said…

“Felicity, I think you’re talking nonsense. Natasha, you’d say anything to stay here. Ellie, I have no idea what you’re talking about but I’m a bit scared of Northerners. Natasha you need to step up. Felicity you’re fired. Ellie, by ‘eck, if I see you again…”

And it was all over for another week…

Sales training tips of the week: Under-promise and over-deliver. Don’t just say it, don’t just think about it… Do it.

What Is It About Social Media That’s Confusing?

Gavin Ingham — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:28:42 +0000

I’m pretty busy. If you read my motivational articles, attend my sales seminars or have booked me as a motivational speaker you probably get that. My guess is that you’re busy too. You have a lot to do and probably not enough time to do it. You probably spend a significant amount of time juggling tasks and you may or may not have got your head around social media yet. Social media in business is like everything else… there are early adopters, there are followers and then there are laggers. Which are you?

Whatever you think about it, whether you’ve got your head around it or not social media is not going away. Sure, the players will change, the rules will change and the pitch will be redesigned but the game will still be played. If you’re not on the pitch kicking the ball around then you have no chance of getting selected for the premier league!

We are firmly in the second stage of social media for business now. The early adopters are on board and many others are diving in or at least dipping their toes in the water to have a swim. Some are doing this confidently, some are doing it unconfidently and some are doing it begrudgingly all the time moaning that it’s a “waste of their time.” None the less, the bulk of people are pulling on their boots to have a kick about leaving only a hardcore standing King Canute like on the shore line hoping that the tide won’t come in.

Too late, it already has.

One of the moans I hear about social media is that it can be confusing. That’s true but it needn’t be. At the moment there are a few big players that you need on your team. The relative strengths and weaknesses of these players will vary and some may be more suitable for you than others but they are…

LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and to a lesser extent perhaps Flickr. This should all be held together by your blog or even (for those wanting to ride a different wave) a lifestream.

You could argue for others but these are the current superstars at the moment and you should have these players in your team or at least on your subs bench. Have you signed them up yet?