Which would you rather do, make 10 cold calls a day for a month or take the “polar plunge” and jump into the ocean on New Year’s Day? If you’re like most people, you are reaching for your bathing suit right now. People who say they love cold calling are the ones who come out of the near-freezing water saying, “That was refreshing!” For the rest of us, we do such things when we lose a bet, or (in the case of prospecting) when our sales volume takes a dive.
The primary issue cold call haters have is fear. That is, What do I say if they actually answer? The true cold call (something I recommend under only one set of circumstances) means you are dialing for dollars and if someone answers, launching into an uninvited conversation. Not anyone’s idea of fun.
But what if you absolutely, positively must do some form of new business sales activity?
Here’s a quick thought:
The lowest form of acceptable prospecting comes when a phone call is made to follow up on something that was mailed out. It ain’t much, but it’s better than nothing! What do you send? Well, maybe you target one of those seasonal selling opportunities I mentioned in a previous blog. Weight loss clinics and gyms are starting to think about their post-holiday sales push. Why not send them a flier with a few specific price points (the Taco Bell approach, also covered in a previous blog)? Then, make a call to ask if they got the piece and if there was anything listed they want to talk about.
There is nothing warm about the polar plunge. It’s as cold as making sales calls to people you don’t know. But if you have to warm up to the idea of cold calling, this might take the frost off a bit. It can be done inside and the chances for shrinkage are minimal.
