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7 Common Cold Calling Mistakes – Are You Or Your Team ...
andypreston.com
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Cold Calling Mistake No 1 – Not Having The Right ‘Details’ “The ABSOLUTE MINIMUM you should have is the person’s name, company name and telephone number.” Notice above I said ‘details’ not ‘data’. That’s because most people consider that ‘bad data’ is someone else’s fault. However, not having all the ‘details’ is the salesperson’s fault! In my opinion, if the salesperson doesn’t have the right details, it’s up to THEM to do something about it, not just complain about ‘bad data’.
Cold Calling Mistake No 1 – Not Having The Right ‘Details’ “Their website address is also useful (so you can do some research beforehand if necessary) and job title (so you can think about what they are likely to be interested in).” Notice above I said ‘details’ not ‘data’. That’s because most people consider that ‘bad data’ is someone else’s fault. However, not having all the ‘details’ is the salesperson’s fault! In my opinion, if the salesperson doesn’t have the right details, it’s up to THEM to do something about it, not just complain about ‘bad data’.
This is something that most people are guilty of – especially when it comes to the ‘colder’ type of calls. They don’t have the right details for the person they’re calling. The ABSOLUTE MINIMUM you should have is the person’s name, company name and telephone number. Their website address is also useful (so you can do some research beforehand if necessary) and job title (so you can think about what they are likely to be interested in). “However, not having all the ‘details’ is the salesperson’s fault! In my opinion, if the salesperson doesn’t have the right details, it’s up to THEM to do something about it, not just complain about ‘bad data’.” And if you don’t even have the NAME of the person you’re about to call, make sure you make a separate call to get the right information! Nothing shows a lack of credibility to a gatekeeper faster than asking something like ‘can you put me through to the person who deals with your ….’ Awful, truly awful!
The problem is, most of the commitment falls on the salesperson’s side. Ever committed to sending some information? In that case the commitment probably was more on YOUR side than theirs. How committed to sending the information? You did! Did they even commit to reading it? By a specific time? If not, the commitment was probably all yours! Can you see how this happens? “The more commitment you can gain from a client, the more likely the ‘next steps’ you have proposed will happen.” This article is copyright Andy Preston. To copy or syndicate this or any part of this article contact Andy Preston for guidelines.