The 3 Biggest Cold Calling Mistakes

I could talk for hours about advanced cold calling techniques; how to increase cold calling effectiveness and setting appointments and closing sales on the telephone. ‘What am I saying’, I have gone on and on about it hundreds of times in MTD Sales Training Material.

However, I reminded of what my mum always used to say: “Sean, as complex as things may look, they can become really simple if you look at them from a different angle.” So, I did, and realised that although there is a thousand new and extremely advanced techniques I could teach you, looking at the problem from a different angle, I saw there were only a few things that you should NOT do.

Just a few simple things that if you avoid, you’ll increase the results of your cold calling immediately. So, here they are. Avoid these simple cold-call killers and you’ll set a few more appointments and close a lot more sales.

Get rid of the smile and enthusiasm at the beginning of the call. I know all your life you’ve been told to wear a big smile and be enthusiastic, critical mistake. It is the old-school Smile and Dial mentality that has consumers sick and tired of Sales People and Marketers.

Don’t be perfect. You heard, off cause you should learn your “pitch” flawlessly. But remember, stutters, fumbles and broken chains of thought occur naturally in real conversations. No one talks perfectly. The more perfect you sound, the more the prospect knows he’s one of a hundred you’ve called today. Let’s face it who wants to be Mr. 89. That’s why they tell you to “take me of your list”.

Slow it all down! Have some confidence in yourself. Don’t be afraid to let people talk. Welcome a response instead of trying to avoid it. Don’t be afraid to allow the prospect time to think and respond.

Avoiding these three common mistakes won’t solve all your cold calling or telephone marketing problems but they will certainly help make it easier.

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training

Is It Positive Thinking or Ignorant Bliss?

There was an old man who lived by the side of the road. Fizzy drinks and hot dogs are what he sold. He was hard of hearing and he could barely see, so he had no radio nor did he own a TV. But he did sell hot dogs and he sold them by the case load.

He put up a big sign at the side of the road advertising how good his hot dogs tasted. He’d stand on the street and, “Buy a hot dog!” he would insist. People came by the truckload, his hot dogs they couldn’t resist. His orders for buns grew every week and he stocked up on fizzy drinks, mustard and hot dog sausages.

The old man was selling hot dogs by the ton. He was making money and having fun. But then one day his son came home from college to lend a helping hand, and the young Business Graduate immediately saw something about business his father didn’t understand.

“Dad, don’t you watch TV? Haven’t you heard the news? Fuel prices are up, jobs are down and people are feeling the pinch. You’d better be careful, the young graduate said, “The whole world economy is deep in the red.”

So the old man cut back on his orders for fizzy drinks, hot dog sausages and batches. He took down his big sign by the side of the road. He didn’t bother to yell, “Buy a hot dog!” to the people who passed by. Why, with the economy the way it is, he thought, what good would it do?

The old man’s sales fell overnight, and he had to tell his son that he was right. “You were right; the world is in a recession.” And the man who once sold hot dogs thanked his son for the valuable lesson.

It’s always a good idea to know all you can about your industry and it’s important to be aware of the the state of the economy. However, as this story shows, you certainly don’t always have to accept it.

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training

Natural Born Sellers - The ITV’s answer to The Apprentice?

Click here for my comments on Episode V

Click here for my comments on Episode IV 

Click here for my comments on Natural Born Sellers Episode III

Stop Press - for my comments on Episode II click here: Natural Born Sellers II 

It was more like the "Diet Coke Of The Apprentice" or "The Low Fat Spread Of The Apprentice" as Dr Evil would say! Now I know loads of people will whine "But it’s not supposed to be like The Apprentice" and I’ll reply back with "Bull - there are too similarities and which show came first?"

Don’t get me wrong, another time and another place and this show would be a huge hit and although I enjoyed watching it, I still had the feeling as if it was after the Lord Mayor’s Show somewhat. I also think it will do well to remain on ITV 1 for the full 6 weeks but time will tell and I have been wrong once before.

So what is the concept of the show?

Well 8 sales people battle it out to earn as much commission as possible over 6 weeks working at a variety of different companies with a 6 figure prize at stake. Each week there is a "TOP DOG" who has to vote off one of the bottom two earners in commission.

So here are my thoughts on show 1… IDEAL HOMES FURNITURE STORE The show started off introducing a super confident 25 year old called Scott who made me cringe a little with his intro.

There’s a fine line between feeling confident on the inside but coming across as arrogant and Scott has this problem. Two frightened pensioners looked like rabbits in the headlights as they were being bulldozered into the sale - what would he have been like if the cameras were not there I wondered?

Sure, he made the sale. But was it out of skill or intimidation? Would those same people come back again for anything else? Scott was then pulled up for being late and blagged the Sales Manager Andy.

He then ratted on one of his fellow sales team - overall he is the type of stereotypical gum chewing wide boy who thinks he’s Tom Cruise out of Cocktail or Maverick from Top Gun! He did make a huge blunder when out in the car park trying to coax buyers in. He approached a couple who said "We’ve already been in the store and couldn’t find what we wanted" and he just let them walk on by. He should have offered to help them look and take them back in the store - you can’t sell chairs standing next to a Wheely Bin in the car park me ole China!

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Carrying on with the "Let’s beat up Scott theme" - sorry mate but you had it coming and you’ve got broad shoulders - when the Sales Manager gave him some feedback he just did not want to listen "I just want to hear positives" he said.

Well guess what?

Sales is a profession where you will "fail" 70% of the time so you’d better get used to bad news and learning from your mistakes is the only way you will learn.

I loved Scott’s positive mental attitude by the way - this should not be tempered and there is no doubt he can sell, this is not in question - what is in question is the way he sells. I believe he has enough raw material to earn 500k per year as a sales person if he could channel his skills and sales approach in the right direction. My God, I’m sounding like a Jedi Master!

Moving onto to some of the other "Natural Born Sellers"… I liked Danny. I’d employ him. Down to earth and he listened to his customers, focussing on building rapport rather than being a smart $%£^! Thea - "I’m used to sophisticated sales"

Yeah right.

If flashing your nellies and low cut tops help you to close "sophisticated sales" then Jordan could make a mint selling top of the range linux servers. Now let me think of some of the other words of wisdom I can pass onto my sales trainers from Thea for the next time we are delivering a session: "Sex Sells" "It’s an advantage to be good looking" "It’s important to be sultry and easy on the eye" "Selling is like romancing someone - you don’t go to the tiolet half way through chatting someone up"

They are real killers aren’t they?!

Another NO NO in my book was the following line that a chap called Leighton made to some customers: "I don’t mind if you say no, there are plenty of other customers that will say yes" Yup, that must have made your prospects feel real special! Come on! What 1980’s book did he get that from?

Gavin made me laugh when he said "I’ve got the fire in me today" with all of the passion of a wet lettuce. He wasn’t convincing me!

And whatever happened to Anna-Marie? Who? Yes, she was a contestant too but we never heard her name once after the intros. That must mean that she wins it!

So Danny was crowned TOP DOG after the first week and good on ya Dan but probably the winner of the show was IDEAL HOMES FURNITURE STORE who dispelled the myths of hard selling in furniture stores with a philosophy of "Trust and Integrity" said by their Sales Manager Andy.

So there were winners and losers but was everyone being themselves? Are some out for fame at the expense of their sales careers? After all, this is a reality TV show where you never quite know whether people are being the real them or not…

So it’s onwards and upwards to Wakefield where West Yorkshire Windows will be the host for the next episode.

Sean

PS If you’re wondering why I have not mentioned Nick who got fired, in my book he would have been fired on day 1 for turning up late!

Enough said.

Sean McPheat

The UK’s #1 Authority On Sales Success

MTD Sales Training

Telephone: 0800 849 6732

Want to sell properly?

Sign up to receive my FREE weekly sales tips. Just click on the link below and I’ll also send you 20 FREE sales improvement audios as a bonus:

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO THE SALES TIPS

Natural Born Sellers

Click here for my comments on Natural Born Sellers Episode III

Stop Press - for my comments on Episode II click here: Natural Born Sellers II

Make sure that you sign up in the top right hand corner of my webpage for regular Natural Born Sellers blog updates.

I’m going to be pulling no punches when commenting on the sales tactics used by the participants - good and bad.

I’ll also be commenting on the companies involved too and what they are doing well and what they could be doing better to make more sales so watch this space!

Natural Born Sellers will be avid viewing I’m sure!

Make sure that you don’t miss the show every Thursday at 9:00pm and also my comments on a Friday morning.

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training

Telephone:
0800 849 6732