Yesterday, I wrote about applying new ideas to the traditional smile and dial theory of cold calling prospective customers and clients. That system can yield results, but if used incorrectly, it's time consuming, often frustrating for the sales representatives, and less effective than more creative techniques.
I have nothing against cold calling as such.
My concern is more with businesses who place more emphasis on the activity itself than on results. Instead of qualifying and targeting leads, they count numbers of outgoing calls.
More important than the sales totals, to those of that mindset, are the number of calls made per person.
In the spirit of providing equal time to the supporters of cold calling as a sales technique, Kevin Stirtz of Better Local Marketing (via Peter Davidson of BeConnected) lists 13 ways that businesses can use cold calling more effectively.
Many of the cold calling techniques recommended by Kevin are similar to those that I initiated in my days as a Regional Sales and Marketing Manager. A decade ago, these concepts were seen as radical and dangerous to the higher ups where I was employed.
The ideas simply appear to be common sense ideas today.
Cold calling is a good business and sales strategy, if implemented and employed correctly.
New customers and clients can be added to the existing customer list, replacing those who inevitably drop off the list for whatever reason.
On the other hand, bad cold calling systems are not only ineffective, but can even be counterproductive to the business itself.
I also introduced many other non-cold calling sales methods into the company tool box. Those concepts were even more resented, by the entrenched company hierarchy, than the changes made to new leads acquisition through cold calls.
Cold calling is simply another sales tool, and not a goal in and of itself.
Use it wisely.
