The Pedestal Group

Recently there have been a series of articles about just “diving” in to cold calling and even one that expanded the metaphor to either just getting in the pool and doing it and how that will make it easier.  For my clients, cold calling isn’t like jumping into a pool – we can all do that.  It is more like walking into a huge party, knowing no one and everyone is already in a conversation so no matter who you talk to, you are interrupting.

If I jump into a pool, I have to deal with the change in temperature but it only affects me – unless I splash everyone else in the pool. In reality, most of my clients don’t mind jumping headfirst into something they want to do but is unknown. They know they can figure it out or get used to it or whatever. But walking into that party and bravely walking up to a total stranger and introducing yourself is tough for anyone.  So here are some ideas to make it easier:

1. Know who will be there – research your list first. Don’t just call and ask for a position, call and ask for someone by name.  At that party, it is much more powerful to walk up to someone and say, “excuse me, aren’t you Jane Smith from ABC Company?” than just try to interrupt.  Same with calls – know who you are calling.

2. Create bullet points for what you want to cover. There is nothing worse than answering the phone and having the other person say, “Oh! I expected to get your voice mail!”.  Only once have I said, “okay – here ya go!” and transferred that person to my voice mail but that one was fun.  Scripts are nice, but they often sound like scripts so only read a script if you know you can make it sound natural.  Bullet points allow you to check them off as you hit them but also allows more flexibility.

3. Leave a voice mail – many people have told me over the years they don’t leave voice mail because it is never returned. Well, when I look at my missed phone calls or if I’m in my office and see a number, if the person doesn’t leave a voice mail I wonder why.  It seems odd that their  information wasn’t important enough to go in a voice mail.  Likewise, compelling voice mails CAN get results so have something to say in your voicemail!

4. Actually, have something compelling to say either way.  Tell me something I might not have known, could use in a meeting, could quote to a client, could send in an email, SOMETHING.   That gets people’s attention and gives you the instant credibility you need. In fact, if I have a good piece of information to give a prospect, I generally like to leave it in voice mail or send an email first because then they call me to get more info.  Very powerful stuff.

5. Remember that the difference between interrupting someone at a party and calling them on the phone is they can choose whether they take your call.  If someone is standing next to you trying to talk it is tough to ignore them but if the person is truly busy, they won’t pick up.  So in that regard, they gave you some permission to interrupt – even if it is for a very short time.

Everyone has to make cold calls at some point and they aren’t easy. But having a plan, knowing something of value to say, being honest and professional goes a long way to making it easier.  You have a product or service to offer that this person may need or you wouldn’t call. Just keep that in mind and uh… dive in?

This morning I read an article by Clate Mask about Hunting vs. Harvesting. In the article, Mask talks about businesses often going hunting for new business rather than harvesting what they have grown.  The idea is you choose what you want to grow, where you should grow it, and then you tend it until it bears fruit.  A long term strategy for sure but at some point it pays off more consistently than hunting.  That isn’t to say hunting isn’t a good idea as well, but you get the metaphor.

When I began my business, I embraced this philosophy whole-heartedly.  I am not a good hunter.  I don’t like the uncertainty, the failure/misses, or the need to put myself out there like that.  Coincidentally, my clients aren’t either.  They don’t like the hunt.  So we build programs that are more about the harvest.  Being a gatherer has its advantages – people remember you longer and with more warm feelings if you are a gatherer.  I know this is true because in the last two weeks I have run into people I have been cultivating for 6 months who are now ready to do business.  They’ve gotten my newsletters, phone calls, emails and blog articles and now are ready to go. Hooray!

So when I say to be a gatherer – here’s what I recommend:

Know what kind of fruit you want – what kind of business would be best or second best?
Know where the fruit is – know which prospects could give you the type of business you want.
Provide the water and sunlight to the fruit trees – Give them vital information for their business.
Check on the plants – Contact your prospects to see how things are going.  Have a good reason to be checking though!
Be ready to harvest when the fruit is ripe – There is nothing worse than being ready to buy and not being able to for some reason. So when the prospect is ready, be available.  Answer the email or phone call, schedule the meeting, whatever it takes.

The tasks involved in cultivating plants is the same as managing prospects.  Be sure you have the tools you need and backups to help if the market conditions don’t provide what is needed.  After all, slow and steady often wins the race!

I received a call this AM from a sales person. I always love getting calls like this because I like seeing their tactics, how they handle themselves and if they do a good job, I will listen to their pitch. Today, not so much. The individual who called had researched my company. Good job! But he never asked a question. He started with, “I see you are a small business consultant specializing in marketing and social media.” So now instead of being impressed he did his research, I applauded his ability to read. Next, he said, “I’m calling from XYZ Company” and paused. I would actually use the name of the company but 12 seconds after he said it I had forgotten what he said. What was the pause for? Is the company impressive and I’m suppose to pay attention? Whatever. Finally, he said, “I was thinking that our telemarketing services would be a great way to bring you new clients.” Congratulations! I’m happy for you! I certainly wouldn’t agree since it would send the wrong message to get a telemarketing call from someone who is recommending other methods for client development, but you are entitled to your opinion. He FINALLY said – “Don’t you agree?” and I said, “no”. He suddenly became a human being – not a script reader. He was shocked that I so quickly said no and when he asked why and I explained he realized he was targeting the wrong clients. I have no idea if he will learn from that, but at least I had his attention for a minute.

Another sales person is one I’ve used as an example in training classes for years. I received a voice mail from a sales training specialist who focuses on getting calls back on voice mails. Sweet! Since I was training people on sales techniques, I figured I’d give him a try and see what happened. His first voice mail was engaging, he came across well, left his phone number at a reasonable speed, and seemed like he might know what he was talking about. And then I got the second voice mail. Guess what? SAME VOICE MAIL. No kidding – not a word or inflection was different. I gave him four shots before I returned his call and all were the exact same email. The voice mail I left him said I appreciated his efforts, but persistence in the same message wasn’t the technique we felt was the most effective so we wouldn’t be hiring him. He did call back and we had a nice chat about using one’s own training techniques as demonstrations.

So what’s the point? These people were good at the mechanics. Both did exactly what their formula said to do. They weren’t thinking about it – to the point that I think the first guy would have been thrown off if I had said I was interested. So stay engaged, be human, and don’t just follow the script. When you research someone, know why your product will help THEM. Make sure it is a good fit so you will both be happier. And my biggest pet peeve, ASK QUESTIONS. Be interested in getting the other person talking! Confirming what they know puts up barriers. Getting them to talk puts them on your team. Learn about your prospects through research and their answers – it is those conversations that result in new business.