Why
and
how to
cold call
by john chapin, sales trainer
T
here continues to be controversy as to whether
cold calling works and whether you should do
it. First, yes, it does still work. Second, yes, you
should still do it. Here’s why and here’s how.
why you should cold call
Cold calling is the most difficult sales task and that’s exactly
why you should never stop doing it. It’s simple, if you can
effectively contact people cold and get results, you’ve
conquered the most difficult sales task and you can learn
and do any other part of the sales process.
The reason why the vast majority of salespeople fail is
because they do not have enough qualified prospects. They
don’t have enough qualified prospects because they don’t
do enough prospecting. They don’t do enough prospecting
because they are scared and uncomfortable doing the
hard work of prospecting. This is also the reason why many
people say cold calling doesn’t work. They are simply afraid
of the hard work of cold calling and they use the “doesn’twork” excuse to avoid facing their fear. If you can ring
22
tons of phones and knock on tons of doors cold, you’ve
conquered the biggest fear in selling.
Staying sharp and staying on top of your game is another
reason you should never stop cold calling. Cold calling is
simply the best way to stay on your toes and stay sharp. Cold
calling is when you will face the most resistance and the
most challenges and it’s when you have to be at your best.
In addition to the above, we all know that changes happen
in every business and every industry. Markets change,
economies shift, competition changes, and when any of
those happen, you’d better be ready to change, adapt, and
most important, get back to work. If you’re floating along,
riding the wave of a favorable business environment, resting
on your laurels, you won’t be ready when the wave crashes
and you have to get back to work. You won’t go from 1 to
100 overnight, next week, or even by next month, and if
you’ve been resting too long, you may never get back. If
you’re prepared and sharp, you can go out, create business,
and build almost immediately. The most effective way to be
KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER |November-December 2015|