July 1st, 2010
Most salespeople who are trained in the old way of making cold calls rarely think about the people they’re calling. They’re too busy thinking about their product or service. But really, this is backwards. If you’re only focusing on what you have to offer, you’re not relating to the other person. And this means that that most of your prospects won’t find your cold call particularly interesting.
When you try to understand your prospects, you can become immediately relevant to their world. And your cold calls instantly become much more engaging.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 30th, 2010
This new cold calling approach focuses on finding a specific, real problem that other people are experiencing. When you’re relevant to them and their world, they trust you more easily. And they feel more comfortable having a conversation with you. They sense that you’re there to help them solve a problem – not sell a product.
So remove yourself for a moment from what you have to sell, and think about what problem you can solve for someone. For example, you might say, “I’m just calling to see if your company’s open to the idea of using electronic filing systems to improve invoice turnaround.”
Focusing on how your product or service solves a problem for your prospects means you’re stepping into their world. You’re outside your own personal sales agenda, and this naturally means stronger interest on their part.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 29th, 2010
Stop for a moment and think about how to begin your cold call in a way that invites a real conversation instead of offering an uninvited sales pitch. You might start by just asking for help. For example, “Maybe you can help me out for a moment? I’m just calling to see if you’re still having difficulties with finding quality employees, and if you’d be open to exploring new ways to solve this problem.”
You see, when you’re talking about your prospect’s world right at the beginning, it feels less imposing and intrusive to them. Most people find it easy and natural to talk about themselves. So when you’re relating to the other people and their issues, it’s much more comfortable for them to join you in a conversation.
People also tend to respond well to genuine interest. You’re not just using phrases to convey an interest in their world, you are interested. And your cold call then becomes less of an intrusion and more of a welcome conversation.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 28th, 2010
Many salespeople think that enthusiasm is helpful in cold calling. But it feels so overbearing that prospects often just want to get you off the phone. It’s not the way conversations are done in regular life. It doesn’t sound natural, and it feels somewhat manipulative. It generally just puts people off.
So instead, be yourself. Remember that most people enjoy talking with other people. If they don’t feel bombarded by artificial enthusiasm, they’ll be much more likely to welcome you into their day.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 27th, 2010
Wouldn’t it be great if you could make cold calling pleasant for both you and the other person? Well, it’s very possible, if you’re willing to remove sales pressure from the interaction.. Why? Because sales pressure is the underlying cause of all tension in cold calling. You’re pressuring yourself to make the sale, and you’re also pressuring the other person to buy what you have to offer.
In the old traditional mindset, you’ve been trained to approach cold calling this way. You’ve been encouraged to be proactive, assertive, and maybe even aggressive in your sales efforts. But this creates sales pressure. It throws the entire conversation into a push-pull scenario instead of a relaxed, mutual exploration.So if you remove pressure from your conversations, then your cold calling can become relaxed and productive instead of stressful and tense.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 26th, 2010
In the old traditional sales training, you usually start cold calls by talking about yourself and what you have to offer. But that’s an approach that quickly introduces sales pressure into the conversation. Why? Because whenever someone hears your mini-pitch, it’s clear that you want to make a sale. And now they have to respond to that expectation, which means there’s a push-pull feel to the interaction.
So instead, try starting your conversation by focusing on a need or issue you know the other person is likely facing. Step into their world and invite them to share whether they’re open to exploring possible solutions with you.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 25th, 2010
If you’re like most people who make cold calls, you’re hoping to make a sale – or at least an appointment – before you even pick up the phone. The problem is that this mindset short-circuits the whole process of relaxed conversation. Whenever there’s a goal, there’s also an underlying “win or lose” tension that your prospects experience as sales pressure.
But when you’re focused on building a conversation, there’s no tension. You’re simply exploring whether you can provide a solution to someone’s problem. This provides a stress-free environment for a productive, mutual exploration.
So when your focus shifts from “making the sale” into “building a conversation,” you’re not introducing sales pressure. Tension evaporates. And now you’re free to enjoy the interaction. And as long as you’re sincere, others are more likely to enjoy it too.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 24th, 2010
A sales pitch at the beginning of your cold call blocks this natural flow of conversation. When you’re giving a sales pitch, you’re talking about what you have to offer before the other person feels any sense of connection with you. You’re embarking on the old dehumanizing “push-pull” scenario of cold calling.
When we introduce ourselves with a sales pitch, we really don’t know at that point whether the potential client has issues we might help them solve. We’ve gotten so into the flow of offering our solution that we’ve lost sight of the new cold calling mindset, which is to discover the truth about any potential client’s situation.
So avoid the traditional sales pitch altogether. Talk about the other person and what’s important to him or her. Answer questions about what you have to offer in a relaxed, natural way. When you do this, you’ll be amazed at how easily cold calling becomes a journey of discovery.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 23rd, 2010
Start your cold call by focusing on a specific problem you think your potential client is facing. Once you focus on a specific problem, they’ll probably reply, “Well, who is this?” or “Who am I talking to?” Notice that you’ve gotten rid of the usual initial pressure and tension that starts with a cold calling sales pitch.
Instead, the two of you are embarking on a dialogue. Don’t be surprised by their question. The other person simply wants to know who you are. And, implicitly, he or she is also expressing curiosity about your intentions.
Because you’re in no way trying to hide anything, you would simply respond with what they’re asking for. For example, you might say, “Oh, I’m sorry, my name is Julie and I’m with XYZ Company, and we specifically help companies that are having issues with unpaid invoices.”
After a relaxed pause, you can then add, “Are you open to looking at some ideas about how to deal with that?” In other words, at this point it’s perfectly fine and very appropriate to describe your product or service. However, you must keep it brief and also relate it back to the problems that you help people solve.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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
June 22nd, 2010
Whenever our aim is to “get the sale,” we can’t relax and let the other person move things forward. We’re high energy and full of pressure. This means our potential client is always responding or reacting, rather than initiating anything.
When all you’re thinking is about leading the conversation to a “next step,” you’re trying to do two things at once. You’re trying to have a sincere conversation while still controlling the outcome of the cold call. Your potential clients can feel this conflict. They feel suspicious and react by holding back the truth of their situation. They simply don’t trust your intentions.
When you release any hidden agenda with moving your conversation toward a close, people feel that you’re focused on their needs and issues. They begin to trust you. And they’ll share truthfully what their real needs are and whether your product is a fit for them.
When you’re not focused exclusively on making the sale, then you can close with the phrase, “Well, where do you think we should go from here?” This gives the green light for your potential clients to share clearly where they stand with you. You’ll be amazed at how often you prospect is the one who sets the appointment.
Until next time,
Keep calling and keep it conversational…
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The 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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