Simul Corporation Inc. - Articles of Interest

For many, me included, cold calling is the single most disliked activity on my agenda. Yet, I know it is an important part of most companies’ methods for establishing a list of prospective Customers. Every business needs leads, leads that have the potential of generating more business.

Rewards for Cold Calling

The rewards, of course, for all that cold calling are qualified leads, and the orders that result from those leads. Cold calling works if it’s done right, mostly because it is a person-to-person activity!

Why hate Cold Calling

My conversations with salespeople over the years reveal that there are five key reasons why they hate it. They are:

Fear of being viewed as a peddler.
This fear can be reduced by recognizing that you have a right to let people know what you do for a living. However, it is true that people don’t like to be "sold to", but they do "love" to buy. Adopt the notion that you’d be doing the potential prospect a dis-service if you didn’t let them know about your products/services.
Fear of the unknown.
This fear often generates the "call reluctance disease", that is, a fear of picking up the phone and making the call. Cold call, or warm call, fear of the unknown is a reality. However, we do know that when a salesperson learns as much as they can about the prospect before making contact, this fear can be greatly reduced.
Fear of failure.
This fear is a real crusher. Keep in mind that the objective of a first call often might be to simply get the name of the decision maker. If we get more information, it is a real bonus. Put things into perspective.
Fear of rejection.
Another "put things into perspective" fear. Let’s face it, until such time as there has been a proper presentation and a refusal based on that presentation, there has been no rejection. Even then, the prospect isn’t really rejecting you as a person but the products/services you provide.
Fear of wasting precious time.
We’ve all heard some very powerful arguments as to why cold calling doesn’t work, and we don’t have time to waste. A great way to minimize this fear is to remind yourself of the times that cold calling worked, and resulted in extra business.

Handy Attitudes to Have When Cold Calling

My first coach and mentor, who quite frankly had a great influence on my life, said to me: "Sid, there are three types of people, there are those that make things happen, those that watch things happen, and those that wondered ‘what happened’. Which kind of person do you want to be." When you adopt the attitude that you are going to be a "make things happen" kind of person, you do generate results.

When cold calling via the telephone ask yourself, are you dialing for dollars or, dialing for rejection? Track your cold calling performance and soon a pattern will emerge. For example, you may find that it takes 20 cold calls to generate a qualified prospect that turns into a Customer. Great salespeople, when they know their cold call-to-closed sale ratio adopt the attitude that with every completed cold call they are getting closer to making an actual sale.

Adopt an attitude of the ‘inquisitive child’. That is, I wonder what I’ll learn when I open that door, that box, or make that call.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of the people we meet are fascinating, and so are we. Meeting people is fun.

Develop a spirit of adventure. Cold calling is like a treasure hunt. You don’t know what you don’t know. The biggest sale of your life just might be waiting in that office building on the corner, or in the next telephone call that you make.

I still believe that cold calling is hard work, yet I know that it contributes to the building of my business. I think I’ll make just one more call before I go home tonight, how about you doing the same, it is time to make contact with another fascinating person.

Sid Ridgley, can be reached at 905-294-1260, fax: 905-294-3266