We Have Moved Our Blog!

Be sure to visit our new blog ... http://www.ColdCallingNetNews.com !

Visit: www.coldcallingnetnews.com

Liked this post?
Save to Del.icio.us
Digg!	Reddit	Stumble Upon

Cold Calling: Conquer F.E.A.R. and Capture Profits

Contrary to popular belief “FEAR” doesn’t mean “Forget Everything … And Run”!

But, what are you supposed to do when negative thoughts creep in, force you to live in stress, and cancel out peace of mind?

If you’re like most sales pros you’ll be tickled pink to know that fear can indeed be conquered. You can greet every single day with a sense of excitement at the thought of having “confidence on demand” and you can own every prospect that has the good fortune to meet with you!

Bottomline? Conquer fear and you’ll come out on top.

Of Course You Want To Leverage Your Limited Time For Unlimited Dollars

Selling at the top to million-dollar decision-makers is the strategy you want to master, because senior-level executives focus on business and write big checks. Experience shows you the primary focus of mid-level decision-makers is keeping his/her job.

You have incredibly valuable solutions and services that’ll benefit your prospect companies, and your “message-to-market-match” fits better at the executive level, than any other.

Your all-powerful business-changing message is this, “I have solutions to reduce your expenses and increase your revenues.” And that message is best matched to executive-level prospects that are doggedly sniffing around for solutions to their rising expenses and plummeting revenues.

Your experience forces you to conclude, “If I continue to call at low levels where the daily cry is, ‘Save my job, spend no money’—you’ll continue to hear that annoying phrase “‘We get hundreds of calls from people like you.” If you’re like your colleagues this kind of treatment is getting on your last nerve!

Now, I ask you—with this kind of rejection day in and day out—who wouldn’t expect feelings of fear to creep in?

You Can Concede Defeat or Recognize a Red Flag When You See One

Look past what appears to be a dead-end, low-level, sales call and find the action steps that’ll take you toward your goal. Understand that what appears to be rejection is actually a “red flag” waving, directing you to call high. That’s where your solutions/services can be understood, valued, and desired—in the big picture scheme of your prospect’s profit picture.

If you misread the red flag as bona fide rejection, you’ll freeze in fear, and conclude all is lost. This does not have to be your choice! You can take action from an entirely different perspective. Determine to search for ways to get past obstacles to top-level cold calls.

Success Is Reached In Zigzags

As a successful sales pros you understand that success rarely comes directly—as a crow flies—that success is reached in zigzags by trying a strategy, running into snags, taking corrective action to get back on course, and moving more directly toward the goal again. Look at a snag not as a dead-end, but as a helpful means to a positive outcome.

We all know that unshackled fear, left to its own devices, takes us down a path that fills us with doubt, insecurity, and feelings of failure. What if you’re frozen in fear? Is there hope for you? Can you thaw out and move forward again?

Absolutely, Positively, No Doubt About It—There Is Hope And Promise Of Success.

Your success is dependent on a relatively short list of attitudes and skills that can be learned, exercised, developed, and maintained.

1. Role-play objection overturns with a colleague or your spouse. Lack of confidence comes from lack of skills. This practice-without-pressure will build skills and keep “fear” from nagging you with the question, “What do I say when I call for an appointment?”

2. Fortify yourself with the written testimonials of your favorite clients, read them when “fear” brings up thoughts of, “Why on earth would any executive want to meet with me?” Let the words of your most successful clients be the words that address this little question.

3. Remember moving forward is hard when you believe the next step will suck the life out of you. Change your belief with a true perspective—F.E.A.R. is simply False Evidence Appearing Real. And that you can handle exceptionally well.

Use these simple tactics to conquer F.E.A.R. and capture profits.

Your thoughts?
Leslie Buterin (like butterin' bread)

Visit: www.coldcallingexecutives.com

Liked this post?
Save to Del.icio.us
Digg!	Reddit	Stumble Upon

Cold Calling: Maintain Staying Power with Gatekeepers

Ever feel as though the job of a gatekeeper is to personally kick you down to a lower level and to keep you away from high-level decision-makers? Then again, has it ever crossed you mind that that you have the power to stay at the top and that that power is hidden in the very words you say? It’s true.

Follow a few key pointers and you will have staying power and the ability to work in tandem with the executive assistant for an invitation to meet face-to-face with the executive.

1. Maintain your mental position as a Top Dog in your world. When an Alpha Dog decision maker, tells you what he wants done, make sure that you follow those orders on his playing field. By the same token, when he asks about your business arena that is your playing field, where you give the orders.

Follow the decision maker’s instructions in his area of expertise, but in your area of expertise, you are the one to say, “This is how it is done.” Hold your own and maintain staying power.

2. Know why high-level prospects refer you to low-level decision-makers. Cold callers are referred down for one of two reasons. The prospect is either interested in what you have to offer and wants input from a team member; or something in your language signaled the prospect that you are not ready to hold your own with high-level decision-makers and your prospect decides your call really is best handled at a lower level.

Here’s an insider’s perspective on words that signal whether or not the caller (you) is ready for prime time.

High-level decision-makers use terms found on a profit and loss statements. For example, the term “expenses” is a high-level word used by executives. Utter the word “costs,” however, and you will be viewed as being better paired with a low-level decision-maker. The word “sales” is a low-level decision-makers term and “revenues” is a high-level decision-makers word. Speak in terms of “dollars and cents,” a bean counter’s verbiage, and you will be kicked down the organizational ladder. Speak in terms of “percentages” and you will have staying power with the high-level decision-makers gatekeeper.

3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat the reason for your call. Yes, as odd as it may feel to you as you do it, know that repetition will give you staying power. You will be able to repeat the reason for your call three or more times during the 90-seconds of time you have with the gatekeeper.

Remember, getting brushed down isn’t always a brush-off. Just respect the rules of each playing field, follow through accordingly, and you will have staying power.

What kind of change of perspective is this for you? Let me know.

Leslie Buterin (like butterin' bread)

Visit: www.coldcallingexecutives.com

Liked this post?
Save to Del.icio.us
Digg!	Reddit	Stumble Upon

Cold Calling: Review of a short, short script

Thanks Bob for this short, short voice mail script!

"Hi (manager's first name) it's Bob, 555-555-5555. I have an SAP Basis Admin available who lives in the area. I also have other SAP and non SAP talent available, as an employee or contractor. Let me know what you need. Bob LastName, Recruiters, 555-555-5555. Have a great day, goodbye"

Quick observations and thoughts:

1. When you have a product/service that is greatly needed such as SAP talent, this kind of message should get you a call back just about every single time. I image this is the case for Bob right now. A close examination of the results of these calls would allow me to see where there is opportunity for even better results.

2. Every decade or so there are particular shortages in specific segments of the workforce that result in employers paying outrageous salaries and going to great lengths to find those people. In the 80's Geologists were hotly pursued and courted. Then, as in all markets something changes and the tide goes another direction. This is one reason I encourage those of you who have products/services that seemingly "sell themselves" to change your thinking toward building relationship with your prospects and discovering their needs for more than SAP talent.

3. Building relationship also serves to identify other opportunities with your prospect companies. Opportunities that you will never know about unless you take the time to get to know your prospects.

Leslie Buterin (like butterin' bread)

Visit: www.coldcallingexecutives.com

Liked this post?
Save to Del.icio.us
Digg!	Reddit	Stumble Upon

Cold Calling: Closing Lines That Reel-In Appointments

Here you will see 3 green-sets of closing statements that are representative of the way your colleagues end cold calls.

You will see my comments after each of the 3 paragraphs ..

"Mr. Prospect, do you have your calendar handy? What day would be good for you, towards the beginning or end of the week?Do mornings or afternoons work better for you?Thanks again for the opportunity to meet with you and for taking the time to discuss how we may be able to .... If anything changes on your side or if you need to reschedule, please take down my phone number and e-mail address. Otherwise, I'll reconfirm this meeting with you on ....I'm looking forward to meeting with you on ... at ... Have a great day!""Can I set up some time with you next week to learn about ....?"
- Too many words
- Too solicitous. I understand the desire is to server the prospect however, it comes off as weak, lacking confidence, and as though the caller is nowhere near equal in stature to the prospect
- In dog-terms, the Top Dog looks at this caller as though he/she is a yippy little poodle ... rather than as another Top Dog

"Can I set up some time with you next week to learn about
- This line is good in that it is brief, however ...
- The moment you ask permission you identify yourself as being a person of lower stature.
- Better to use words that show you are directing the call rather than bending over backwards to please, such as, "Which works best for you this month or next, OK Tuesday the 12th or Tuesday the 19th?"


"How does this Friday at 1:10 pm or next Monday at 10:40 am sound? Which would you prefer?"
- You are getting warmer with this line
- Again, avoid asking permission and using passive statements such as "how does this sound?". You are a Top Dog calling a Top Dog make statements that direct the call and the prospect with respond accordingly.
- For example "I'm open Friday at 1:10 and Monday at 10:40 which works best for you?"

Tighten up your closing lines; use a few words that direct the call and position you as one Top Dog calling upon another.

One cautionary note: when you are ready to meet with Top Dog decision-makers do not be tempted to underestimate the power of these simple yet powerful adjustments to language. They speak volumes to high-level decision-makers.

Your thoughts?
Leslie Buterin (like butterin' bread)
-

Visit: www.coldcallingexecutives.com

Liked this post?
Save to Del.icio.us
Digg!	Reddit	Stumble Upon

Cold Calling Scripts: Finishing Touches

These last several weeks we have just barely begun to scratch the surface of all there is to say about cold calling scripts.

Even though the subject is much broader and deeper than there is room to adequately cover in Blog Posts, many of you let me know how much you have benefited from coverage of this topic ... for which I am glad.

Yours has been an unusual opportunity ... to see the actual words used by your colleagues, perhaps your competitors, during cold calls. We've looked at real-life examples of how sellers open cold calls; we have delved into the body of their cold calls; now we examine closing lines.

To get the most out of this post be sure to read the words below and venture to give your opinions via post to this Blog or via email and ... then, come back to the same place, at the same time next week for my closing comments on cold calling scripts.

Here is how the majority of sales professionals close their sales calls:

"Mr. Prospect, do you have your calendar handy? What day would be good for you, towards the beginning or end of the week?

Do mornings or afternoons work better for you?

Thanks again for the opportunity to meet with you and for taking the time to discuss how we may be able to .... If anything changes on your side or if you need to reschedule, please take down my phone number and e-mail address. Otherwise, I'll reconfirm this meeting with you on ....I'm looking forward to meeting with you on ... at ... Have a great day!"

"Can I set up some time with you next week to learn about ....?"

"How does this Friday at 1:10 pm or next Monday at 10:40 am sound? Which would you prefer?"

At the risk of sounding like a trite-but-true cliche ... nothing ventured, nothing gained! So, what are your thoughts about using these words to close cold calls with Top Dog prospects?

Leslie Buterin (like butterin' bread)

Visit: www.coldcallingexecutives.com

Liked this post?
Save to Del.icio.us
Digg!	Reddit	Stumble Upon

Cold Calling: Better Words. Better Understanding

Thanks to Greg for the phrase "Better Words. Better Understanding," which is the subject of this post!

We've looked at several ways to open scripts, now we're talking about the body of cold calling scripts.

Scroll down to the April 9 posting to find the "body" of several of your colleagues scripts. You will see that they (as you most likely do as well) use words like those below to entice prospects into becoming agreeable to a face-to-face meeting:

1. We can maximize your up time and save you money ...
2. We can help you monitor and influence important issues so you aren't blindsided by the government ...
3. I estimate your spend is $28.2 million annually, let's get together to discuss 3 points ...

What's missing from these benefit statements is the specific impact the caller's business will have upon the prospect's business.

Think of yourself as the "Alpha" Top Dog in your industry talking with the Alpha Top Dog prospect. You know the kinds of challenges your prospect is running into because you see them up close and personal ... every day.

You know the top 3 major mistakes your prospect is most likely to make if they fail to use your product/service, because you hear horror stories from clients who wised they would have used you sooner!

You know where prospects will be short-sighted in their decision-making in your arena. You know where and how they will fail to see the positive impact your product/service has to offer.

So use your vast knowledge of your industry to create a killer impact statement that your prospects will not be able to resist!

How do you do this?

You killer impact statement must address one or more of the 3 areas of impact that top-dog decision-makers have interest in:
1. how to increase revenues
2. how to decrease expenses
3. how to mitigate risk

With the top 3 in mind let's revisit the words used by your colleagues during their cold calls.

We can maximize your up time and save you money ...

Now, figure out:
- How much in terms of revenues lost does downtime translate into?
- How much in terms of increased expenses does fixing downtime create?
- How much of a lead will competitors gain because of the risk-exposure of not dealing with down time immediately?

We can help you monitor and influence important issues so you aren't blindsided by the government ...

Now, figure out:
- How much in terms of revenues lost does being blindsided by the government create for your prospect's industry?
- How much in terms of increased expenses are created by prospects who try to tackle these issues on their own?
- What's the upside of your prospects using your services to mitigate risk of decisions being made by legislators?

I estimate your spend is $28.2 million annually. Let's get together to discuss 3 points

Now, figure out:
- How much in terms of revenues generated should your prospect expect per million of spend, spent with you?
- How much of a reduction in expenses will your clients receive on average by entrusting their spend to you?
- How much of increase in coverage and reduction of expenses should your prospect anticipate while reducing how much significant risk?

The better words you use to speak directly to your prospect's interests the better your prospect will understand what you are talking about.

Creating an impact statement is not for wimps. In fact we spend on average 3-5 hours of coaching time per client to craft a killer impact statement that promises to open previously closed doors as well as increase annual sales revenues by more than 50% ... not a bad return on a couple of hours of work!

Make sure your impact statement addresses one or more of the Top Dog's top three concerns. Better words. Better communication. Bigger commissions.

Post your thoughts here for better learning!

Visit: www.coldcallingexecutives.com

Liked this post?
Save to Del.icio.us
Digg!	Reddit	Stumble Upon