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Is Cold
Calling Dead?
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by:
Frank J. Rumbauskas, Jr.
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And if laws are being passed to put it to
rest once and for all, how do we generate business from now on?
Opinions on the subject vary greatly depending on the background of the
individual. For example, most of the old-timers are vigilant in
preaching their belief that the only possible way to succeed in the
world of selling is to make no less than fifty calls each and every
day. On the other hand, younger salespeople tend to become frustrated
with this rather quickly and begin looking for more innovative ways to
generate business.
I was just reminded of how ingrained this cold calling belief is. I
spoke with a friend who left a sales position with a major merchant
processing bank only a few weeks after starting. The reason? He was
required to make a minimum of 400 cold calls each and every week and to
document his activity with business cards. He is highly experienced and
knows how to generate business without knocking on 400 doors per week
and decided to discuss the strategies that have worked for him in the
past with his managers. Their response? This is how we've done it for
forty years and we're not about to change.
That response, in my opinion, is the reason we're seeing record
business bankruptcies today. The world and our economy have changed and
are breaking into bold, unchartered territory. But the management of
most business organizations insists on doing things the old way, even
though the old way produces less and less results as time goes on.
The concept of "Permission Marketing" is slowly but surely gaining
popularity as the old idea of "Interruption Marketing" becomes less
efficient and more wasteful. There are several reasons why cold calling
in particular has become less effective as we move further into the
Information Age. It destroys your status as a business equal. It forces
you to spend time with unqualified prospects while the qualified ones
are buying from your competition. It annoys people and is increasingly
considered to be rude and disrespectful. Moreover, it may now be
illegal (and in several states it's been illegal for quite some time).
But, most importantly, it destroys sales peoples attitudes.
Where is the good news in all of this? Well, the great news is that if
you begin using new, innovative, "Information Age" methods for
prospecting, you'll be miles ahead of your competitors who are wasting
their time annoying people with cold calls. In this age of the Internet
and vast communication networks, why on earth would anyone knock on
doors or make cold phone calls to look for business?
Think of the power at your fingertips: there are literally dozens of
ways to use the Web and e-mail to let the idea of Permission Marketing
do its magic. Allow customers to raise their hands and let you know
they're interested. Begin finding, implementing and reaping the
benefits of this bold, new Information Age we are in. Your competitors
will be the ones standing in bankruptcy court and explaining their
"do-not-call" violations to the government while you are happily taking
orders.
About the author:
Frank Rumbauskas is the author of Cold Calling Is A Waste Of Time:
Sales Success In The Information Age. He is the founder of FJR
Advisors, LLC, which publishes training materials that educate
salespeople on how to generate business without cold calling. For more
information, please visit http://www.nevercoldcall.com
Circulated by Article Emporium
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