My Experience With Cold Calling

[Markthebroker]

If you have a handful or more of happy clients, I can't for the life of me understand why you would invest time cold calling and refining a cold calling system instead of refining a system of asking for referrals and calling on current clients and asking for referrals.

I'm up to about 4 referrals on average on the spot when I close a sale. The last time I used the system I got 4, the time before that I did really well and got something like 13.

If I get slow enough and run out of the pile of referrals I have, I will not be cold calling. I will visit some happy clients of mine with a very strategic and well planned out conversation to get more referrals.

Refining a cold calling system is like digging for copper while there is a gold mine nearby. Personally, I used to dig for copper all the time. Now that I have a pocket full of gold, I'll never go back.

Oh, and referrals retain waaaay better as clients too.

 

[DHK]

Absolutely. Cold-calling should just be for launching to get your initial clients... and then leveraging client relationships from that point forward.

Tony Gordon talks about getting when he initially got started. His first year goal was 100 clients. 16 of those initial 100 were from cold-calls. 84 came from referrals FROM those clients who were sourced from cold-calling.

Start at 42:15
A conversation: The journey to success

 

[WinoBlues]

It is a different salesman's mindset: I am not trying to persuade people to listen to my pitch. I am looking for people who are predisposed to be interested in what I am pitching. It is prospecting as sorting rather than prospecting as sumo wrestling a prospect into the seat across the desk. I want folks to raise their hand and volunteer to meet with me.

That.

 

[thomasm]

I think you have very little time to get to the point of why the hell do they want to meet with a stranger. What's in it for them? And it better be good. No pleasantries or asking for a "couple minutes".
Spit it out, mvtherfvcker!

That's the cooperative response I'm looking for!

 

[rousemark]

After a few minutes of discussion, I would then ask if they had a few minutes to talk about insurance. !

Don't know who you are calling but if you are calling businessmen sitting at their desk, you have just lost them. They are busy and do not want to waste time conducting a "few minutes of discussion" with a stranger. Respect their time and get to the point..

Now, if you are calling little old ladies sitting at home, the few minutes of discussion may work.. Many are lonely and want someone to talk to.

 

[ABC]

I have a long track record of cold calling B2B in my career. 1% closing rate. The new area of digital gatekeepers has made it almost impossible to speak to a decision-maker. Robo callers have destroyed the art of cold calling. Blue Collar industries still answer their phones. I'm getting ready to kick off another campaign that is going to be a combination of emails, mailings, & cold calls. 1,000 business prospects and I will end up spending $3,000 & 40 hours to write 10 groups.

 

[marindependent]

referrals retain waaaay better as clients too.

Very Very True.

 

[thomasm]

If cold calling didn't work, the telemarketed lead vendors would've gone belly up by now!

 

[FETalk]

I do not cold call, only 9.8% of Seniors have a number listed that is not on DNC. I Door Knock and have a large Referral base. If you have not tried it you should, its the reason I am an MGA and presidents club member. I built an app that plots every T-65, has disposition management, navigation, and CRM, calander and notification for appointments, follow-ups and sales. If interested in the details, shoot me an email at [email protected].

Are you saying that you "cold door knock" or are you referring to door knocking leads?

 

[insuranced2d]

I usuallu just call and ask them if the email on the information I have is good, and if they recieved the email I know they opened first lmao