Small Business Today Magazine NOV 2014 EXHIBIT NETWORK | Page 23

EDITORIALFEATURE

Your Next Step

How to Take the CHILL Out of Cold Calls (Part 3)
By Jack Warkenthien, CEO of NextStep Solutions

T

hree strikes and you’re out is not just true in baseball.  The
reality of selling reminds us, if it takes more than three “touches” to convert a contact into a candidate (to purchase your
product/service), you’re either wasting time with a nonqualified opportunity or you haven’t brought your “A” game to the
field.  It’s time for you to organize your “Century Club”.  What
is that?  Simply, it’s your Top 100 (hence the century moniker)
Candidates that you have qualified previously.  Not a hundred
and one, not ninety-eight, but exactly one hundred businesses or
consumers that you will continue to engage until they become
customers or they drop off your list. 

itech after a 33 year career with them and got a gold watch.  For
better or worse, that career trajectory is highly unusual today.  In fact,
for a fifty-something professional, the average number of jobs now
exceeds six positions, with three career changes along the way.  That’s
an average number.  To populate your elite Century Club, go back to
all your co-workers and remind them who you are and what you are
now doing.  You will be amazed at how many referrals you’ll receive, if
they only knew what you do, and how many of them need you and
your value!

Have you organized yours?  There’s something pure about the
number.  There’s enough opportunities to exceed your quota/
budget for the year and yet not too many to overwhelm.  And
the greatest thing - none of them will be cold calls to you!  How
do you “target” your Century Club? 

There’s no place like Home.  This is the final source of candidates for your Club.  If you sell locally, look first in the places
where you live, work, eat, shop, and pray.  I can’t begin to recount
all the stories of sales professionals who literally drive by the most
lucrative “honey holes” in search of the elusive customer.  “Thar’s
gold in them thar hills!”  They’re much closer to home so don’t
overlook the best candidates that are right under your “shovel”. 

Target R.I.C.H.

The Rule of Fifteens

Your Century Club will be sourced from one of the four “rings” Your Century Club is full and you’re not entertaining any more
on the target:  Relationships, Interests, Careers, Home - or R.I.C.H.  members.  It’s time to go to work.  This is where persistence is
rewarded BIG TIME.  Introducing the Rule of Fifteens, the part
Relationships are the bullseye.  Identify the candidates where you where you should be excited which states, “If you find a way to
already have a prior personal or business relationship.  They will touch a candidate fifteen times or more, over time, there’s an
include the subset that will most likely buy your solution or refer 80% chance that they’ll do business with you on some level.” 
someone who will.  This core group will be the smallest in number
but the lowest of the low-hanging fruit.  On average, your group
Why?  Your conviction, passion, and perseverance will be very conhere will be in the range of a dozen or so, give or take.  Love on vincing.  And I’m not talking about a series of will you buy, will you buy,
these businesses and give them your undivided attention.
will you buy perfunctory questions.  No.  Meaningful to X