The Cold Non-Sales Call

Watch this week's Short Attention Span Sales Tip here.

Good morning!

Do you know your parents used to tell you they would walk five miles to school, uphill both ways?

When I think about my early prospecting days, it seems very much the same. Back in the day, doors were unlocked, gatekeepers were real people, and we walked up one side of the street and down the other day after day.

Always uphill, by the way.

On a coaching call recently, a sales rep asked me about cold calling and I thought I’d share with you what I told him…

First of all, there was only one circumstance under which I recommend true stop-by–unannounced cold calling, and that's when you have exhausted the more productive options. For example, if you have an appointment, see if you can find someone else nearby to go see. Visit clients. Call people you’ve been prospecting and leave one more voice mail message, promising to stop by, give them a business card, and put a face to the name.

And after all of those better options are done, if you still have time and energy, cold call. But don’t think of this as a sales call.

It’s not.

Make it your goal simply to gather information. Tell anyone you might come across; you prefer to make well-informed sales calls and that you’re only looking to learn about the company. Find out what they do. Grab any literature you might find. Get a feel for the place.

Taking this approach does two things. First, it takes the pressure off. You aren’t selling so you don’t need to get all sales-ey. Second, you avoid meeting with a buyer and talking prices and saving them money and other approaches that won’t end well for you.

So, no, I am not a big fan of cold calling. I am, however, in favor of using a drop by as part of your preparation efforts to make a far more well-informed sales call.

BONUS Sales Tip

Funny week coming up.

If you look at the 2023 calendar, there are certain dates where you can predict it will be slow and customer contact will be especially difficult.

The Fourth of July was on a Tuesday this year. You knew the 3rd would be quiet and the rest of that week was questionable.

Looking ahead, there are the quiet days before Thanksgiving, of course, and with Christmas on a Monday, you can expect the rest of that week to be quiet as well.

This coming Monday is August 28. This Friday is September 1.

So what?

So, it’s been my experience that this is a week of unexpected quiet. People are trying to wring the last few drops of summer before Labor Day weekend while gaming the extra day that Monday gives them.

My message for you, then, is to anticipate that quiet and take advantage of it…

• Take some time off yourself, or
• Remove everything from your desk. Clean it. Reposition it if you like. Then, add things back and make a task list as you go — Basic Time Management Strategies→;
• Create a Sept - November Sales Plan 90-day Sales Plan Insider Replay→;
• Research existing accounts Pre-call Research Course→;
• Come up with a list of qualified prospects;
• Read something 'sales-y' — Recommended Reads→
• Learn more about the equipment on your floor;
• Contact vendors to learn specific applications;
• Study a vertical Vertical Market Course→

Maybe I’m wrong and you’ll be busy writing up orders. I’ll be happy if that’s the case. But your next chance to do tasks which are in Steven Covey’s words — 'neither urgent nor important' — is Thanksgiving.

The key to time management and productivity is preparation. Go get prepared.

It’s ideas like this that make up The Sales Vault. Visit SalesVault.pro or call Bill Farquharson at 781-934-7036.