Cold Call Selling in a Warm Market World

The way the "gurus" tell it, cold call selling is dead.

As a guy who makes a living calling "cold" every day of my sales life, I think I can safely say that's a whole lot of BS.

I've studied attraction marketing, magnetic marketing and suction marketing (OK, I exaggerate). I've been a member of the Renegades, the Outlaws and the Gold Miners.

And those systems have great things to teach the willing. They all contain marketing nuggets just waiting below the surface to be dug up and cashed in.

But when the mortgage and the car payment is due, it's time to go out and sell something.

In my case, I sell advertising for an independent lifestyle publication available free over the counter at select retail outlets.

The publication has room for exactly 12 local businesses wanting to get their message into the minds of hometown shoppers.

The key to success is knowing in advance that 5 days hence, all 12 ads will be sold and 12 retailers will be happy I came to town.

Let me walk you through a typical week so you can understand how you can earn a living calling on people who have never, ever heard of you before.

On Monday morning, I head into town and stop at the local Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of my visit is to let the local chapter president know that I will be contacting all of the business in town to offer an exciting advertising opportunity promoting local businesses. I ask for, and always get a directory of the local businesses associated with the Chamber. I also pick up the brochures of all the local attractions, maps of the area (usually festooned with advertising), business cards from their displays and a copy of the local Yellow Pages. The last item I look for is a copy of the local newspaper.

I now have a list of 100-250 local businesses that spend money for advertising in one form or another. I don't need to sell them on the benefits of advertising in general, just those available to them by advertising in my publication.

I now take all of those names and I write them down on a call sheet with the company name, contact person, telephone number and physical address.

Now I start calling the businesses by telephone.

The purpose of my call is NOT to sell advertising by telephone. The only purpose for my call is to get permission to visit with them in person. I start with a few simple questions to determine eligibility and then I describe the publication with just enough detail to create a picture of it in the potential advertisers' minds eye. I use evocative language and emotional hooks to stimulate intense interest.

And if they say they're not interested I immediately and politely terminate the call. I'm not calling to convince them to see me; I'm calling to find the ones who need to see me. I'm looking for businesses that want to grow and need to find effective ways to spread their message. Amateurs convince, professionals sort. I know their rejection isn't personal; it's just that the timing is wrong or the budget truly has been spent. So I keep calling and looking for my serious prospects.

My telephone calls are scripted word for word. I've delivered it thousands of times now so I know it works. And, interestingly the only way it works is if it doesn't sound like a script.

I know what a lot of you are thinking. Scripts are so dry, so boring. To read a script is to telegraph "phone salesperson, beware!"

Not so.

I went to the theatre and watched a new movie this week called "21". Maybe you've seen it too. (BTW, I highly recommend it.) Even though every line, every word, every sigh was carefully and meticulously scripted, I never got the feeling the actors were reading their lines. In character, they delivered those lines in a totally believable and convincing manner.

So too with my sales script. Once I'm in character, the material is delivered in an identical manner for every call. It's entertaining, it creates curiosity and it works!

That's fun for me. I get on the phone and I start calling cold, right out of the blue. I follow the script and I make appointments. Now the meetings I schedule are not just to see the magazine. It's to see the magazine to confirm that what I've told them about it is true. I want them to be sure the picture I painted in their minds eye matches the magazine now before them. I'm just there to pick up the cheque.

I'm very surprised when someone says "No" once I'm standing in front of them because the scene was set while we were speaking together on the phone prior to my visit. But it happens occasionally. So what?

If I've got a few minutes between calls, I'll drive around looking for businesses I believe could benefit from placing their ads in the magazine. I'll go in without anything in hand, no briefcase, no sample issues and politely ask the receptionist for a business card of the person responsible for growing the business.

More often than not, and even though a large sign on the front door says, "No Soliciting" I either end up with a business card containing the contact I need to phone later or an invitation by the marketing person to come on in and talk.

Yes, people are busy. Yes they hate to see "typical" salespeople who are simply interested in selling something. But this approach is totally non-threatening. It's engaging and I honestly believe people appreciate talking to another human being from time to time.

Stop hiding behind your keyboard. Get out there, press the flesh and meet some living, breathing human beings. Just see if you can't add several hundred prospects to your list this month.