As sales people, we all know that the three best ways to make sales are via referrals, introductions, and warm leads. Most "rain makers," like us, employ all three of these methods.

Differentiating The Best
One of the practices that differentiates the best sales people from the rest of us, is cold calling! Top tier sales people rely on referrals, introductions and warm leads, but they never stop cold calling. They retain control of their own prospect flow through ongoing cold calling campaigns.

Why Cold Calling Makes a Difference

1. Cold calling, implemented on an ongoing basis, is a way to find business outside our normal spheres of influence - and outside the influence of our referral partners. We can operate in a far bigger pool because the telephone connects us to new prospects we will never meet in a networking meeting or through any chamber of commerce.



2. Cold calling, implemented on an ongoing basis, evens out the peaks and valleys that eventually occur when we as sales people cannot continue networking because we become too busy with proposals, negotiations and in some cases doing the actual work. Cold calling is a way to keep our pipeline steady.



3. Cold calling can be outsourced. In fact your outsourced callers don't need to fully know your business in order to be effective. At VSA, callers make appointments for industries we never knew existed until we started working together. Callers simply require the ability to converse, intelligence, the gift of being quick on their feet, and endurance. So, through outsourced cold calling, prospecting can continue while we're working on other critical aspects of our business.



4. Cold calling allows you to learn first hand about your market and their concerns. Even if you outsource, your outsourced vendor should provide this feedback. It's not scientific market research. Nonetheless, when we listen to people we've never met (and probably never will) we stop talking to ourselves and our peers about the value we bring, and we hear directly from our target market about the reasons our products or services are or are not right for them.



5. With cold calling, we control the spigot! When we're too busy, we can delay cold calling. When we need more business, we can open the valve further.



6. Most importantly, done correctly, cold calling is profitable. Implemented on an ongoing basis, it builds brand awareness that can pay back months and years later.

1. About 70% of the success of a cold calling program is determined by the list. If the prospects on the list do not want your product or service, you need to identify the target market that does need your service.



2. 10 - 20% of the success of the program is determined by the "offering." This is a combination of the benefits of the product or service PLUS any special offer our callers can provide. (See Linda Rink's article about positioning).



3. About 10% - 20% of the success of your calling campaign depends on how your calling team represents you.


Importantly, repeat calls enhance results, so VSA always recommends multiple calls to the same list.

VSA, Inc.
441 Station Avenue
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
856-429-5078
valerie.schlit@vsaprospecting.com
www.vsaprospecting.com