When you’re making cold calls it is very easy to get distracted and your attention wanders onto other tasks that are easier than dialling your next suspect. Time is your most precious commodity and highly treasured. In order to maximise my dialling time I am always looking for new ideas. Recently, I was inspired by the film “The Pursuit of Happyness” which prompted me to reorganise how I spent my cold calling time.
• Since then on Mondays and Friday afternoons I have decided not to make outgoing calls. Why? From my experience most of the directors with whom I wish to talk to are in sales meetings on Mondays. They go from one review to the next meeting inspecting the sales numbers so they are never available. Friday afternoons are the same as Mondays as I seldom can get hold of any clients on a new business call. Friday mornings are a good time because you will often get through and clients are in an optimistic mood as the weekend is approaching. So what do I spend the time doing? In these time slots to organise myself, lists, research, updating my CRM and preparing for the calls I am going to make the following week.
• Another difficult period is clients availability during school holidays, there are 13 weeks holiday a year in the UK. I spend this time getting organised on large projects. For example, we organised the website during the last summer and launched over the Christmas period. Then we started the blog design at Christmas and built the blog during the Easter period, launching in the half term break. For those large jobs like organising your prospect database, designing planning your sales strategies and doing major research these time frames are ideal. For People Achieving the summer period of 6-7 weeks is the most difficult time. My tips would be to get as many meetings together as you possible can. Spend the rest of the time either working for clients or research, organising whilst your clients are on holidays with their families.
“The Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith is a true story about a struggling salesman called Christopher Gardner, who was dedicated to winning an internship at Dean Witter to become a stockbroker. This clip echoes the message “Not enough hours in the day” and provides a fabulous insight into the possibilities of time used for cold calling. Please take a look at the clip which clearly highlights his professional approach. On my wall next to my phone I have a photo of the film poster which inspires me to get my act together and win more business. Next to that photo is this list which drives me to action.
1. Suspects are the entry point to new clients
2. Time spent converting suspects is always the most rewarding
3. Keep your lists of suspects fresh because they fall away quickly don’t hang on to the ones you should let go
4. The only way to finding if a suspect wants to become a prospective client is to ask them
5. Organise your lists in the time frame I have suggested, be free of interruptions, and keep focused. Remember always smiling when you’re dialling.
6. Take great care to qualify and always be client focused not self focused
7. Always be client issues focused not solution focused ( i.e. Selling not Telling)
8. Always try to find ways on a call of serving the client by asking question, not telling/selling to the client with messages
9. When things start going well and they will, never stop prospecting, as it is a continual process that takes time plus effort
10. Finally, if you’re good at making calls you will be in control of your sales destiny. Let others make the excuses and waste their time. It pays big rewards and you will become very precious. Just don’t waste anymore time with getting started. Just do it!
If you want to get the movie just click the link below.
