How To Mess Up A Cold Call
A cold caller has been trying to get hold of me for a few days with the message, “I would like to invite you to an event?” We finally spoke today and he launched into a series of questions (which weren’t all bad) and then a reasonably well crafted and well presented pitch. This guy should be making a lot of sales but, whether he does or not, I bet that he does a lot of head banging on a daily basis and he could do a lot better…
Why?
Lack of research, planning and preparation. You might ask how I know he wasn’t prepared properly? Well, these two little gems to start with…
- His opening gambit, “I don’t know much about your company”. For that, read, he knows nothing.
- Having the nerve to ask me, “What are the main products and services you sell?”
Seriously, can you believe that? And to a sales motivational speaker too. He needs to attend one of my sales seminars!
Intrigued, I asked him how he got my details. The answer was not clear but it was something like, “Well, I have a list that came from research and my manager recommended you and I had a look and…” Oh, come on. No, you didn’t and no he didn’t and we both know that someone bought a list of numbers from somewhere and you rang it without a second thought. You’ve done nothing.
A lot of people think that cold calling doesn’t work anymore. A lot of people think that cold calling never worked. A lot of people think that cold calling doesn’t and won’t work for them. A lot of speakers are making a lot of money perpetuating this myth (watch out for my forthcoming video series where I set the stall straight on that one!).
The truth is that cold calling does not work for many salespeople. And it doesn’t work for several reasons…
- They’re not in the right state of mind.
- They don’t make enough calls.
- They don’t know enough about their prospects.
- They don’t personalize their calls for every individual.
- They don’t ask enough questions.
- They don’t know how they are most likely to be able to help that prospect.
- They don’t listen.
- They don’t tailor their solutions.
- They don’t offer up enough (any) value.
- They give up too easily.
Cold calling can and does work. I am not going to bore you talking about the clients that I have helped to explode their sales results, nor am I going to drone on about how I have helped individuals to create and sustain the lives they desire by being able to attend more proactive sales meetings and sell more when they get there. Instead, I am going to share with you the success a friend of mine, Clifton, who led a professional services sales team by running powerful sales meetings stemming from professional cold calling techniques…
They grew a division taking 700 meetings a year and turning £7m pa to a team running 1000 meetings a year and turning £25m pa within 2 years. On one specific project they had 250 meetings (gained through cold calling) and won £22m worth of revenues.
Cold calling doesn’t work when coupled with powerful sales strategies? As Bart would say, “Eat my shorts!”
But cold calling has to be coupled with powerful, proven sales strategies and it also has to be professional, purposeful and legitimate and this requires effective planning and preparation to even get off the starting line. If you review my list of the 10 reasons cold calling doesn’t work you will see that at least 8 of them (if not arguably all of them) could be addressed or massively improved by doing the right preparation in the first place.
I hope my cold caller reads this article. It might help him. It probably won’t as I don’t think he will think to check my blog, certainly not now… I’m just the guy who spoiled his morning and said that I wasn’t interested.
Join Me At The First Recruitment Juice Live Event
I am pleased to be speaking at the first Recruitment Juice live event. If you’re in recruitment and you want to be more successful then grab this rare opportunity to see Roy Ripper and myself in January 2010 in London. Here’s the Press Release…
ISSUED 12 NOVEMBER 2009
RECRUITMENT JUICE LTD PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE FIRST EVER ‘JUICE LIVE’ EVENT “BOOST YOUR NEW BUINESS DRIVE” SEMINAR.
Recruitment Juice Ltd, leading supplier of innovative DVD training programs to the recruitment industry, is building on their success with the addition to their product portfolio of their first live seminar event.
The event, which will take place on Tuesday 12th January 2010 in central London, will be presented by Roy Ripper, host of their DVD programs and will focus purely on transforming the way recruiters approach new clients and generate more business – a topic close to many recruiters’ hearts working in today’s market.
“We hope the event will offer a great opportunity for recruiters to network, learn new strategies and techniques and get a massive motivational boost for their new business drive in the New Year. The seminar will be really high-impact and full of energy as we want the delegates rushing back to their desks desperate to use their newly learned skills and get started on new business!” said Roy.
Presenting alongside Roy, will be author and sales motivational speaker Gavin Ingham, who has been well known for over ten years for his inspirational and compelling approach to sales training.
Matt Trott, Director of Recruitment Juice commented, “We are extremely excited to have secured Gavin’s involvement in this event as we know he will bring something truly unique to the program. We are also very proud to have Dan McGuire, Managing Director of Broadbean Technology, hosting the welcome address and delivering some of his entrepreneurial flair to the delegates as he did when he appeared as an ‘expert’ in our second DVD series.”
For full agenda details and further information on the event visit Recruitment Juice Live or call 08700 677 567. The event is proudly sponsored by JobShop HQ, Broadbean Technology and media partner, UK Recruiter.
8 More Tips For Confident Cold Calling…
I promised last post that I would continue with more of my 23 tips for confident cold calling so here are 8 more sales superstar tips that will help you to become a more confident and successful cold caller.
Tip 8
Don’t put the phone down between calls.
Putting the phone down between calls can slow you down and impede your motivation. Keep the energy going by keeping the phone in your hand once you start your cold calling sessions.
Tip 9
Wear a headset if at all possible.
Wireless ones are the best. Holding the phone to your ear can impede your movements and impact your ability to communicate naturally. By using a headset you allow yourself more freedom of movement. The more freedom of movement you have, the more you can express yourself.
Tip 10
Sit up, or better still, stand up, when on the phone.
This is a particularly useful tactic at the start of cold calling sessions or when you are feeling your enthusiasm beginning to cool off. Sitting up or standing up will inject much needed energy and vitality into your calls.
Tip 11
Keep your head up and breathe naturally.
Maintain the correct physiology by keeping your head up and breathing naturally. This helps to improve your focus, your attention and your motivation.
Tip 12
Be well prepared.
Being well prepared not only enables you to make more targeted and more professional calls but it also increases confidence because it helps you to know that you are going to make a great call.
Tip 13
Learn from your mistakes.
Everyone makes mistakes. The real question is not whether you make any missteaks mistakes but whether you learn from them or not.
Tip 14
Remind yourself of past successes.
Think of a time when you achieved success through cold calling; maybe when you won a piece of new business or secured a sales appointment with an important decision maker. This will help to get you thinking positively and feeling more confident.
Tip 15
Accept that you can’t win them all.
So stop beating yourself up when you don’t! Even the best cold callers don’t get that appointment or close that deal every time so get over it already!
For more on cold calling check out my No Fear Cold Calling seminars, my Power Canvassing audio or my Power Canvassing DVD programme. Make sure that you join my Sales Success newsletter – it’s always jam-packed full of sales strategies, sales tips and sales techniques that you can use right away to boost your sales and best of all, it’s totally free.
p.s. Want to get even more tips for successful cold calling for free? Check out this video, 10 tips for confident cold calling, now.
On Being A Motivational Speaker…
I was interviewed this week about being a motivational speaker by Simply Sales Jobs who are running a series of interviews to help sales professionals and people thinking of commencing a career in sales to better understand the benefits, challenges and rewards of a career in selling…
You own and run ‘Gavin Ingham Ltd’ – tell me more about your role, company and what motivated you to establish the business.
My time is split between running open sales training seminars, speaking at sales conferences and working on new books, audios & DVDs. I also spend a very limited amount of time doing training and consultancy. As a company, Gavin Ingham is focused on helping salespeople, business owners, entrepreneurs & sales leaders to create the sales, businesses and lives that they desire.
Throughout my career I was really into personal development and sales training and found them to be an incredibly powerful resource for me. As I progressed I found that my biggest buzz came not just from selling but also from helping others to sell more and achieve their goals.
What is your background and where did the idea come from to start Gavin Ingham Ltd?
Salesperson, sales manager, sales director, head of sales and marketing… the further I progressed the more of a kick I got from helping others to achieve their ambitions too. Having employed several training companies to train my teams and having studied many sales and personal development gurus I believed that it was an area in which I could add massive value. It’s sounds like I swallowed the manual but I really do see it as calling!
What are the top 5 skills and characteristics you believe makes a consistent over-achiever in Sales?
Gosh, that’s a hard one – there are so many. So in no particular order…
Top salespeople are motivated. Motivation is critical for sales success. No-one wants to buy off an unmotivated salesperson. Ultimately, everyone is motivated… some are motivated not to cold call, motivated to sell to easy clients, motivated to discount… so when I say motivation I mean motivation to do the right things and at the right time.
Top salespeople have proven sales skills such as questioning, listening, sales process, presenting, rapport building and so on. Top salespeople know that sales skills are simple to understand and more difficult to execute. Top salespeople do the simple things really, really well. Most salespeople know how to sell but they don’t do it consistently enough. This is because they haven’t practised their skills until they are second nature.
Top salespeople have belief. They believe in themselves, they believe in their products, services and solutions, they believe in the value that they add for their clients and they believe in the profession of selling itself. If you believe, you really can achieve!
Top salespeople have the right mindset. They are persistent, consistent and tenacious. They are genuinely interested in their clients and they aim to work in partnership with them.
Finally, and by no means last, top salespeople understand the psychology of selling. They know why people buy and how their behaviour affects both the sale and the other parties in the sale. They know how what they say and how they act affects others. What’s more, they are tuned in to this when they speak with clients and prospects on the phone and face to face and can flex their approach to get results in any situation.
What do you love about your industry?
Being able to help people to create the lives and businesses that they deserve, the diversity of my role and the fact that one day I may be speaking to thousands of people and the next I may be working one on one with an MD of a small business or sitting quietly in my place in Spain writing the next chapter of one of my books.
Any recommendations for job-seekers looking at a career in Sales, especially in the current climate?
Know that a good salesperson will do well in any market. Top salespeople will always excel whatever the market. Take responsibility for your own development and your own career and create your own sales success study programme. Stay motivated and learn from the best.
What would you do, as a career, if you weren’t working in Sales industry?
Professional fly fisherman (I wish!) in the summer, stage hypnotist in the winter!
Within my LinkedIn network of contacts you are the person with the most recommendations! Here is just one of them “Gavin is one of the most focused, energetic and lateral thinking Managers that I have worked with. He is credible, good fun and inspirational!” How does that make you feel?
I didn’t know I had that many testimonials on LinkedIn… I’ve never asked for any! I love what I do and I am passionate about it and I think that shows. I guess it’s always nice to know that people appreciate what you do!
What keeps you awake at night?
When I’m in London, usually traffic as you can only hear owls from my bedroom window at home! At home, not much, although I do find it difficult to stop working when I am on a roll even if it’s 3am in the morning! Once I go to bed though it is rare that I struggle to sleep.
As a busy business owner, what are you never without?
A sense of humour!
5 of the most exciting things currently on your desk...
The proofs for my next two books, Real World Sales Skills and Real World Sales Attitude; the framework for my new distance learning sales programmes on cold calling, lead generation and selling; my Eee PC – I still cannot get over how small and portable it is; a bid on a rare first edition book on Ebay; my diary – I don’t think that I will ever lose the excitement of a diary full of sales potential!
Outside of work, do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?
As a child, I wanted to be in The Professionals, the real ones not the show, but I’d hate the hours and being shot at all of the time. I also wanted to be a vet like James Herriott but there’s no way I would stick my hand up a cow’s arse so that wasn’t really a starter either.
One of the first things I did when I got involved with personal development was to get on and take action towards my true ambitions. I do have things that I am going to do however and next is to buy myself a Blokart – check them out, they’re wicked!
Achieve Your Goals From ‘Motivate People’ By Motivational Speaker Gavin Ingham
One subject seems to have dominated my week this week and that’s goal setting and motivating using goals. As a sales expert and motivational speaker this is something that comes up quite often so I thought I would share with you one of the techniques from my book Motivate People which was published by Dorling Kindersley last year…
Using imagery is an important and often forgotten part of successful goal setting. By clearly visualizing, your brain will be able to “experience” the achievement of your goals prior to your having achieved them. Repeat this exercise often.
- Pick a goal from one area of your life. Picture it in detail.
- Imagine stepping into the “you” in the picture and actually experiencing your achievement of that goal. Notice how it feels, what you see, hear, and think. Notice how others are treating you.
- Look into the future beyond your achievement of the goal. How does achieving this goal benefit all areas of your life?
- Look back at the past and your route to achieving your goal. Note your successes and the obstacles you overcame. Notice how different they are now that you have overcome them. Appreciate how you feel about your achievements.
- Imagine yourself walking backwards from your future achievement to the present. Notice what resources you needed and what you learnt from specific steps you took to help you along the way.
- From the present look forwards to your goal and appreciate the journey. Map out key stages of the journey and the resources you require right now.
Copyright Gavin Ingham / Dorling Kindersley 2007.
Motivate People will help you to develop skills, realise your full potential and make your life work.
- Discover the core attitudes and skills to motivate yourself and others, and ensure your team delivers results.
- Practical techniques, effective tips, five-minute fixes and case studies equip you to success in the real world.
- Set your goals and check your progress with self-assessment exercises.
If you want to get hold of copy of this useful little book you do so in the UK here Motivate Peoople UK book or in the US here Motivate People US book.
See Motivational Speaker Gavin Ingham Live At The Selling Show, 28th & 29th October 2008
As a professional motivational speaker I speak at events every week. Many of them are not open to the general public. Many of them are through my open sales seminars (seminar schedule here).
A few however are open and also include other sales motivational speakers and sales trainers too. I turn most of these invitations to speak down as they are either not the right event, the right organiser or the right audience…
The Selling Show however looks different and I have agreed to speak at their event along with several other sales speakers such as Richard Denny and Frank Furness. When you get to the show don’t forget to visit my stand to join my free competition. 5 lucky winners will win some great prizes of my cutting-edge sales books, audios and DVDs.
Check this out and give The Selling Show a call if you’re interested…
The Selling Show – The Exhibition and Conference for the Sales Professional.
If you are responsible for developing sales in your organisation, the Selling Show will help you to increase profitability and keep abreast of the latest selling concepts. Exhibitors will be present who specialise in coaching, publishing, recruitment, sales software, lead generation, sales leadership & management and many other areas critical to the success of sales teams today.
14 Motivational Sales Changing Topics Seminar
To make a REAL difference to your sales pipeline the Selling Show has a powerful two day Seminar programme, led by the leading UK speakers including Richard Denny, Gavin Ingham, Mike Southon, Frank Furness, Ashley Latter, Steve Brewer, and many others.
Simply put, the Selling Show is the event of the UK Sales Calendar, so why not put the dates in your diary now. Be part of the largest show designed exclusively for the sales professional. Held on the 28-29 October 2008, Barbican Exhibition Centre, London.
Amazing Prizes to be Won
- Win Sales Training Days worth £3,500 per day – 5 to be won !
- Win a High Spec Slim HP Laptop worth £2,000 each – 5 to be won !
- Win the latest CRM Software Sales Package – 10 to be won !
- Win Sales Training CDS from our Exhibitors worth £3,000 total – 50 to be won !
10 Reasons to visit the Selling Show 08
- The biggest choice of inspirational sales orientated products and services
- Leading exhibitors covering the whole industry
- Comprehensive seminar and workshop programme
- FREE advice from industry experts
- Sales Clinic matching your requirements to the right exhibitors
- Keeping you abreast of the very latest sales concepts
- Receive substantial show exclusive discounts
- Everything you need in one location
- Try the latest technology on display
- Invaluable networking opportunities
Get your tickets now online at www.sellingshow.co.uk or call our ticket hotline on 0208 144 7995.
ATSCo (Association Of Technology Staffing Companies) Members Conference, June 5th 2008
Are you in recruitment or do you run a recruitment company? Do you want to see myself, James Caan and Humphrey Walters speak in London on the 5th June this year?
You can at the largest sales conference in the recruitment industry. The ATSCo members’ conference (non-members can attend) is market specific, content rich and enlightening for both sales and sales management professionals in the technology staffing industry. The focus is on providing information, techniques and tactics that will help to improve sales success for even the most experienced recruiters.
At the event will be several well known motivational speakers including James Caan (CEO Hamilton & Bradshaw and "dragon" on BBC’s Dragon’s Den), Gavin Ingham (sales motivational speaker & author), Humphrey Walters (motivational speaker, coach & best selling author), Ann Swain (CEO ATSCo), Jo Keeler, Fiona Lander, Andrew Stothert, Denise Walker & Alistair Cartwright. Taking part in the afternoon Panel Discussion will be Bill Bookless, Don Byrne, Jason Simms, Ian Godsiff & Ann Swain.
Topics covered will include Selling in a Tough Market, A Winning Attitude, Creating & Managing a Team of Different People, Actions Speak Louder Than Words, Don’t Just Survive – Thrive!, Advanced Candidate Attraction & the Panel Discussion "How do you think client needs for staffing services will develop over the next few years?"
If you are in recruitment and you want to steal a march on the market you can view the brochure here now or to book call Hayley Morbin at ATSCo on 0208 676 9888.
Beware The Dark Side Of The Sales Training Force
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 worked with 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 programme. 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!
The you must "only cold call crew". 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!
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