January 26th, 2012
In the old cold calling approach, you introduce yourself, explain what you do, and suggest a benefit or feature of your product. And then you close your eyes and pray that the other person will be interested. Unfortunately, the moment you stop talking you usually hear, “Sorry, I’m busy,” or “Sorry, I’m not interested.”
You see, you’ve started your cold call by talking about your world and what you have to offer. But realistically, most people aren’t all that interested in you. When you talk about your company and your product, it’s just another advertisement to them. You haven’t engaged them, so they often just “turn the page.”
Prospects are much more interested in themselves and what’s important to them. So if you start the conversation by focusing on their world, they’re more likely to interact with you. So instead, talk about an issue or problem they may need solving. Focus on them rather than on what you have to offer. And see where it takes you.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 22nd, 2012
If you push things forward in your cold calling conversations, potential clients will feel pressured. And they’ll stop trusting you. Remember, loss of trust usually means loss of the sale. When they make themselves vulnerable by expressing hesitations, let them know that you’ll listen rather than attack. They’ll feel safer and they’ll start to relax.
So consider every objection, stepping back, or back-pedaling to be a gift of clarity. They’re either telling you the truth about their concerns, or sharing that they’re a little scared. They may have had some really bad experiences with salespeople in the past, and fear this may be another one.
This is an opportunity for you to stand out from the crowd. Let them talk about their issues without you trying to force things into a sale. When you do this, you win trust. It shows that you’re genuinely concerned about them and their issues.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational….
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 20th, 2012
When I’m coaching someone, many times I like to ask them to role-play with me. And often, just as soon as they move into their cold call presentation, everything changes. Their natural voice tone shifts, and they sound like a totally different person from the one who called and talked so naturally with me about their sales issues. You see, sometimes just the idea of making a cold call causes you to talk more loudly, and with a lot of “forward energy momentum.”
But most cold calls break down the moment the other person feels all that enthusiasm. Why? Because with high enthusiasm, prospects feel sort of boxed in. They feel the pressure of your expectations. They feel pushed by someone they don’t know, and who knows nothing about them.
So it’s much better to talk in a natural, conversational way, just as if you were talking with a friend. When you’re being a relaxed and natural, the difference is amazing.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 18th, 2012
You know, one of the reasons cold calling is so difficult is that sometimes you may not be very familiar with the other person and their business. When you make that first call, you don’t know very much about their issues, problems, budget, and time constraints. Chances are, not everyone is going to benefit by your product or service.
So realistically, your company or product isn’t going to be a match for everyone. And yet, when someone brings up an objection (“we don’t have the budget for that,” etc.), the old cold calling mindset trains you to “overcome,” “bypass,” or “override.”
But when you do that, you put the other person on the defensive. Something they’ve said is being dismissed. And here’s where rejection can happen very suddenly.
So it’s much better to listen to their concerns and continue to explore whether what you’re offering makes sense for them. There are some wonderful phrases you can use that validate their viewpoint without closing the conversation.
So now you’ve discovered the major cold calling mistakes people often make. See if you can shift away from those old self-sabotaging mindsets. When you do, you’ll notice that people will engage you much more, and the immediate rejection you’ve grown so accustomed to will happen much less.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 16th, 2012
The old cold calling approach encourages you to be confident that the person you’re calling should seriously consider buying what you have to offer. It’s a taken-for-granted assumption that if they fit your profile, your product or service should be a “fit” for them.
But really, how much sense does it make to have assumptions about someone you’ve never spoken with, much less had a conversation with? How much can you possibly know about their problems, issues, needs, time frame, budget, decision making process, or other key information?
Can you imagine how it feels to the person on the other end of the phone when you presume to know what’s “best” for them? They don’t know you, and they don’t trust you. So people naturally move into a defensive place.
So it’s best to move away from making any assumptions when you make your cold calls. Approach your prospects from a modest, humble position. Avoid coming to the conversation already convinced in your own mind that they should be a fit. This way, you’ll eliminate sales pressure, which triggers that defensive reaction.
Completely eliminating assumptions and high enthusiasm in your cold calling will help people relate to you as a real person instead of a negative-type “pushy” salesperson. And you’ll find that they’ll usually respond much more warmly and naturally.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 14th, 2012
As you begin to release your focus on making the sale, and allow conversations to unfold more naturally, you’ll probably find yourself spending more time with people. You’re operating within their timeframe, and that’s good. You accept that any conversation is going to wander a bit. In fact, you enjoy it because you like what you’re learning about the other person.
So how do you refocus when the conversation starts diverting both of you from the purpose of your call? By returning to your core goal, which is always to see whether there are any problems or issues you can help them solve. Keep in mind that you have only one focus for your cold calling, which is to identify the truth about the problems you can help people solve.
When you feel things are moving too far off the topic, or that you’ve been off it for too long, then you simply bring the focus back. It’s natural for conversations to wander, and it’s also natural for conversations to come back to their original purpose.
Remember, your whole focus is to identify whether there are problems you can help them solve. So if you find yourself talking with someone during a cold call, and the conversation moves well away from this focus, then all you have to do is bring the focus back to their problems and issues.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 12th, 2012
Rather than using the term “qualifying,” I’d like to talk about “determining a fit” or “seeing if we’re a match for each other.” This simple wording emphasizes the personal connection. Whereas the very term “qualifying” has a mechanical, impersonal feel to it.
So what we try to do is share a relaxed conversation, rather than asking a pressure-filled series of probing questions. Your only purpose in cold calling conversation is to make clear to them that you aren’t sure you have a match, and to assure them that you’re really okay if you don’t.
Rather than grilling people with questions, you just engage them in a conversation about the truth of their situation. You’re essentially saying, “Let’s just talk and see if it’s a fit.” When you do this, you’ll learn what you need to know, naturally and comfortably, without forcing anything. And potential clients will feel more comfortable sharing the truth of their situation with you.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 10th, 2012
Traditional cold calling instills a sort of “killer instinct” in us. It encourages us to strike at the weak moments. When potential clients seem uncertain, you’re supposed to push harder. But that only creates more resistance and fear. Whatever honest connection you’ve developed at this point completely disappears. Everyone dislikes the feeling of being pushed. And prospects respond by digging in their heels.
Sales pressure is a mighty saboteur. It comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. The last thing you want is to introduce this into your cold calling conversations. It doesn’t normally create good outcomes. It usually triggers pressure, resistance, and tension.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 8th, 2012
Before you do this, take a step back. Keep in mind that you don’t know why your cold calls aren’t being returned. Make sure that you’ve let go your sales agenda, and that your goal is only to identify the truth. You may find it useful to just sit silently for a few minutes with your eyes closed. Breathe deeply and consciously, accepting that this sale is probably gone.
Let it go, so that there’s no part of you hoping or pushing for it. You need to decide that it’s really not about the sale anymore – it’s about learning for next time. That’s a big leap, that you’ll need to make so cold calling is no longer a painful experience for you.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
January 6th, 2012
A real conversation “breathes.” It wanders around a little – that’s what people do when they talk with someone else. So why are tangents so stressful to us when we cold call? Because we’re attached to making the sale, and we see tangents as getting in the way of that.
But whenever cold calling conversations are contrived, potential clients feel caged in. They realize that they’re being put through a pre-ordained process that has nothing to do with them. So when you start suggesting ways to move the process forward, it only confirms these suspicions, and makes the other person even more uncomfortable.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
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