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“Hello, am I catching you at a bad time?”

Just when you thought it was safe to answer the phone...

Do you want to know why some sales people are struggling? Because they are believing all the whiners, sales snipers, and so called gurus who like to “talk” sales instead of “make” sales. These “big talkers” are filling everybody’s head with junk!

I’ve had enough of hearing people talk about how “prospects like to buy, they don’t want to be sold”. I’m tired of hearing that sales is “all about building relationships”. I’m sick of hearing that “cold calling is dead,” intrusive, and whatever else!- Doyle Slayton in SalesBlogCast

Beginning with a quote from another blog- a sales blog.

First, read his entire post. Then, here are a few of my thoughts, for what it’s worth.

I agree about the relationship part. You don’t go to a dentist because of your great relationship with him; you go because he/she does a good job while imparting the least amount of pain. I think that the “friendship” part came in when the way the sales world works was dissected, and the effectiveness of types of leads was quantified. Word of mouth/referrals were the best qualified leads for a salesperson, and one way (easy/effective) to be remembered is to create a friendship relationship.

And while this is easiest- sending birthday cards, holiday notes- I for one HATED it when it happened to me when I was a consumer. Don’t send me a card telling me how to carve a pumpkin. For god’s sake, get my house sold. That will keep you top of mind.

But regarding cold calling:

If you are in sales, does this method work for you? I am particularly interested in RE sales, but I am curious generally. I don’t think cold-calling should be confused with follow-up, because they are two different animals.

If you are a consumer- and we all are- have you purchased anything as the result of a cold call in the last year? If you have, what was your motivation- price, unique product offering, getting off the phone with the sales person, or something else? Did you regret the purchase later?

Knowledge is power. If you are in sales, you need to know what works, and will work for the long term.

And as a consumer, yes, I have made purchases online because of pressure and not wanting to seem impolite, and I have regretted it. I won’t anymore.

Real estate or social media questions? Find me
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Comments

10 Responses to "“Hello, am I catching you at a bad time?”"

Jason Crouch says:

October 22, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Diane – I can’t stand cold callers, and I rarely bother to listen to them for more than a few seconds. Typically, I just hang up to save my time and theirs. I have a tough time imagining that true cold calling would work for real estate these days, especially with the “do not call” lists, etc. That being said, I think that good phone skills are very important for “warm” calls and follow-up stuff. Incidentally, the first thing that struck me about Doyle’s post was the fact that it’s missing a word!
Jason Crouch says:

October 22, 2009 at 2:44 pm

I should clarify my previous comment – the TITLE is missing a word on Doyle’s post. :)
Jack Boardman says:

October 22, 2009 at 2:56 pm

Even if I wanted to sell my home, I would not list with an agent who cold-called me, that is how much I detest being disturbed by a cold caller.
I suppose that the “Do Not Call” list are so popular shows there are many who feel the way I do.
(Just Sayin’)
HeyAmaretto says:

October 22, 2009 at 2:58 pm

Haha! I filled it in in my mind while I was reading it. I actually had to sit at the phone when I first started in RE and cold call. Either I didn’t get the technique, or was just terrible at it. I did get a lead from a number that had been listed incorrectly. It never converted.

Wondering if true cold calling worked for other types of sales. I know- even after I was on the DNC list, supper time was a happening time at the Guercio household as far as window replacement salesmen and such.
HeyAmaretto says:

October 22, 2009 at 3:02 pm

Jack, I am wondering if even one person will agree with Mr. Slayton, in which case he has carved himself out a fantastic niche.
Jason Crouch says:

October 22, 2009 at 3:16 pm

I have one agent who works for me (met him on Twitter, by the way) who made solid money cold-calling for prepaid legal services. He is probably going to be our top producing agent in 2010 and beyond. Good phone skills are a huge bonus in our profession, but I don’t think cold calling works very well these days. I guess if the caller seemed remotely passionate or interested in the product or service, or managed to present it in an interesting, catchy way, I might pay attention.

Speaking of attention, this brings up an interesting point – I think it was Seth Godin who made mention of the fact that when we have an overwhelming amount of information, our attention is in short supply (i.e. limited). I guess I have chosen to ignore stuff that simply doesn’t matter to me, including telemarketers.
HeyAmaretto says:

October 22, 2009 at 3:31 pm

Twitter… I have my own feelings about social media, which is in its infancy.

Godin is dead on with that theory. I also think tolerance for condescending attitudes (“I know what you want, and if you listen to me for a little while, you will know too”) is in short supply- and good!

What you describe in what would make you listen is really entertainment. We expect entertainment as opposed to presentation in most advertising- think Superbowl- but does that make Miller taste better than Budweiser? You might listen, but I bet you wouldn’t buy.
Jason Crouch says:

October 22, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Diane – That’s an interesting point. There’s a new Sprite commercial with Brad Garrett that I think is hilarious. In fact, my wife and I re-watched it on Tivo several times last night and laughed. That being said, I doubt that we will consume more Sprite because of it.

I guess I was just saying that the only way to get ANY chance for me to pay attention is to entertain me somehow. I recently went to a drive-through and was surprised by how entertaining the guy was there at the window – it will probably result in a return visit. He was actually doing impressions while I waited.
HeyAmaretto says:

October 23, 2009 at 3:44 am

This is what has kind of gelled for me from this conversation.

a) If the consumer doesn’t have a need for or want the product, it doesn’t matter how good your presentation. You won’t sell much.

b) If the consumer does need the product you are selling, his or her mind is made up about the purchase. At THIS point, the salesperson can successfully enter into the transaction, and the more engaging (to use a buzzword) that salesperson is, the better chance he has of closing the sale. So I would say that Mr. Slayton must be engaging if he can overcome the stigma of the cold call (less stigma, of course, if he is calling B2B).

In real estate, the consumer tends to choose from the first couple of agents that he or she actively encounters when that consumer has already decided to purchase or sell the home. 27% found their agent through an Internet search. (http://www.realtor.org/library/library/fg006) So, say that you are searching for additions to your client base. After discounting that 27%, if you are hoping to get in front of the rest during that one month window that comes on average every seven years by cold calling- well, the numbers just don’t support it. If that’s your plan, add a plan B in there too.
HeyAmaretto says:

October 23, 2009 at 3:45 am

And do impressions. :)

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