Cold Calls > Buying Leads - I'm Convinced

[Travis Price]

I still think cold calling leads > all other leads.

I did a video on it today to resurrect this spicy post (I had some fun looking through the old comments too).

The best leads are the ones the agent want to develop. I would never do cold call, because I don't like it. It's like begging for business to me. That's not how I frame my business.

That being said, if someone enjoys door knocking and cold calling, who am I to say it's dumb. It's just not for me.

 

[DayTimer]

I still think cold calling leads > all other leads.

I did a video on it today to resurrect this spicy post (I had some fun looking through the old comments too).

I had a dialer and was cold calling and had initial success. However, right around November 2019 the answer rate fell off a cliff. By the beginning of 2020 (pre-covid 2020) it got to the point where it was no longer worth paying the small $180/month or whatever it was I was paying for the dialer.

I'd like to hear from anyone who is currently cold calling a list (not someone who used to call a list "five, six, seven years ago."

I went from about 10 answers per 100 dials to one answer every 240 dials. Trust me, you'll do much better going out and just knocking 25 doors, anytime of day except 2PM to 4PM. I try to get 4 hours a day of knocking in when knocking, and if I go out early, I am usually done at 2PM. Yesterday I knocked until 2:30 PM because I wanted to finish the street I was on. But 9 AM to 2 PM or 4 PM until dark you will speak to multiples of people knocking on their door compared to spending the same time sitting on a 4 line dialer going through 100's of dials/hour.

 

[Markthebroker]

I'd like to hear from anyone who is currently cold calling a list (not someone who used to call a list "five, six, seven years ago."

Lolz, getting ahold of people these days is a whole different ball game.

A few days ago I had someone reach out to me by referral. I called him and left a message. Then he reached out again saying he really wanted to talk to me. I left him another message. I didn't hear back from him. Even though he was running a business where he should be answering the phone, AND was expecting my call, he ignored both my phone calls and voicemails because he thought I might be spam.

Way different world today.

 

[Travis Price]

I've been having the county VA and Commission on Aging referring people to me lately. I don't always take them on, they want something I don't do.. like State Farm... but that's okay... I just refer them out to the local agent after I talk to them about what I can do for them.

 

[DayTimer]

Lolz, getting ahold of people these days is a whole different ball game.

One thing that may have made a difference is that I was using the auto dialer. Had I been manually double to even triple tapping the answer rate would likely have improved.

 

[rmhaire]

One thing that may have made a difference is that I was using the auto dialer. Had I been manually double to even triple tapping the answer rate would likely have improved.

Probably the best tip I could give you would be to put down as much of this new technology as you possibly can and just go back to being you. Works for me.

Granted, pick up rates are down but people still answer the phone. Pick ups are down because every body and his brother are calling to sell you something.

I still use the Frank Stastny system. It still works today. I'll get a list and plug it into Radius. I use VM drops and all I'm really looking for is a phone number and email address. If I can get that I'm standing on second base.

When I make a call and someone answers my first goal is to be different from everyone else. An example would be my last name. I just say This is Robert Haire like the stuff on top of your head. All of a sudden they're thinking that something is a little different. And that's what I want.

My advise would be to use as little technology as possible in order to be an old fashion problem solving insurance agent.

 

[WinoBlues]

Lolz, getting ahold of people these days is a whole different ball game.

A few days ago I had someone reach out to me by referral. I called him and left a message. Then he reached out again saying he really wanted to talk to me. I left him another message. I didn't hear back from him. Even though he was running a business where he should be answering the phone, AND was expecting my call, he ignored both my phone calls and voicemails because he thought I might be spam.

Way different world today.

My calls now are almost exclusively referred or a company call request. I will call and leave a message followed by a text on when would be the best time to call. People, including seniors, reply by text more than by calling. Or some will reply from their cells by text when I have left a message on a landline.