"When I first began making cold calls (nearly 80,000 and still counting), I instantly became bored with the mundane task of making the same type of machine-like cold calls. I was "dialing for dollars" and pounding out one call after the next. Cold calling quickly became very frustrating and very boring. I was beginning to question my sales ability and did not know what to do next. I kept saying to myself that there must be a better way to approach these cold calls.
I then decided to read and listen to everything that I could on cold calling and sales prospecting. In theory, these sales techniques that I came across made a lot of sense, but there was a problem. This problem became even more apparent the more I began contacting sales prospects. What was it? I began to realize that these cold calling techniques that I was incorporating into my calls all sounded the same. I had realized that these sales prospects are receiving the same types of cold calls. At this point, I was getting so frustrated with the constant rejection and never-ending resistance that I wanted out of this mouse and cat game. I was literally on the verge of calling it quits. Then, something revolutionary happened to me, it was a turning point in my cold calling career, what was it?
Here's what I was thinking, I thought that if sales prospects are getting the same types of cold calls then by theory they are becoming conditioned to resist my call. This means that when a sales prospect hears my sales opener or voicemail they draw from past experience and are conditioned to say the following:
- "I don't have time for this!"
- "I'm busy!"
- "I'm not interested!"
- "Call me back later!"
Then, I thought, what if I were to catch my sales prospects off-guard? What if I were to say something that they have not heard from other cold callers? What if I were to say something that would make them more curious? What if I began using humor and creativity on my sales openers and on the voicemail messages that I had left for my prospect?
As a result of taking more risks on the telephone, I began to notice that prospects were more likely to take my telephone call, gatekeepers were more likely to transfer my call and prospects were more likely to call me back. Prospects became more curious and less resistant to my cold calls. I also noticed that my frustrations with cold calling occurred less frequently and I began to actually enjoy making cold calls! Cold calling now became a FUN activity because I never knew what I would say or do next!
My mind kept racing with new ideas and I made the discovery that if I'm contacting successful prospects, one attribute that they will admire is my persistence. Based on this theory, I began to incorporate my strong passion and persistence into my sales openers and voicemails. Guess what happened next? I had experienced the same results that I received when I began incorporating humor and creativity into my cold calls. Prospects became more curious, less resistant and I continued to perceive cold calling as a fun activity.
The more I used these newfound cold calling techniques, the more positive feedback that I began to receive from my prospects. For example, I would hear responses from prospects such as:
- "I have never received a phone call like this before."
- "I played your voice mail message for my entire sales staff!
- "This guy is an incredible marketer over the telephone."
- "I was telling my sales staff about you!"
- "The most important cold call I have ever taken!"
- "You should be working for me!"
- "That technique you used with the clapping card was brilliant!"
- "I make it a point never to take cold calls. Your approach was unique, I was curious and had no choice but to take your call!"
- "You should write a book!"
- "Your voicemail was impressive! Its just so nice to hear some personality over the telephone, rather than hearing someone read from a script."
- "Daniel, that is so cool, how did you come up with that line?"
