KIA&B 2015 Volume 20, Issue 6 | Page 25

prepared to get back to work and get results quickly is to be great at cold-call prospecting. Another reason to cold call is that unless you have all the prospects you need via referrals and other preferred methods, and very few salespeople do, you need to cold call to fill the gap. All of the above said, is cold calling the best, most effective way to get prospects? No. Is it the preferred method? No. Yet, even when you are at the top of your game, have tons of business and prospects and perhaps even when close to retirement, you should still do some cold calling from time to time. Cold calling will keep you alive, engaged, and in the game. The primary point behind the exercise of pure cold calling is not to actually get appointments, even though you’ll still get a few. The primary point is to stay sharp and to continue to conquer fear, which is what stops most salespeople. Everyone should get good at stepping out of their comfort zone and facing fears. Pure, unvarnished cold calling will achieve that end faster than any other activity you can partake in. W how to cold call Step 1. Prepare Who are you calling on and what is important to them? Why should the prospect be interested Don’t Your Policyholders in listening to Deserve A Company with an what you have to say and why should they be interested Rating from the A.M. in eventually meeting with Best Company? you? You have to Check Out All KANSAS MUTUAL know what the Has to Offer: most important - Competitive rates benefits are to - Excellent service for over 115 years your audience - Simple online quoting system and design your - Optional coverage available for sewer back up & replacement cost cold call around on rental dwellings those benefits. - Easy access to our personnel Step 2. Get scripted www.kansasmutual.net 1.800.873.5642 Once you know what’s important to them and what you want to say, you need to get it down word for word. In addition to a scripted cold call, you also want to have scripted answers to questions, concerns, and anything that might come up during your call. You then need to practice these until you are at the point that someone could wake you up at 3 a.m. and these answers would roll off your tongue verbatim. Step 3. Make the call, get their attention, and ask for the appointment Make a big claim centered around the top benefit that will mean most to the prospect and ask for a meeting. Your call might sound like this, “Hi Joe, John Chapin. We’ve been saving companies like yours 56%