Here is your NoSpin
Debunker for March 29, 2004
Cold Call Marketing-Part
II: Whom Do I
Call?
I got some
great feedback from readers last time after the first
Cold Calling newsletter and will be including your
comments this series. Keep them
coming. Sorry that I'm a little late Debunking this
month--it's been a busy one. Also, I apologize if you've tried
to access my past Debunkers recently. All the links were
broken when "Myemma" updated their system, and I'm
still fixing the mess.
Last time we
talked about the wisdom of including cold calling in your B2B
marketing initiatives. But, let's step back a moment for and
try to define what the heck a cold call is (and
again, I'm mostly talking cold calling for B2B vs B2C
businesses although some parameters are the same). 1st take
the new NoSpin Poll
on Cold Calling: What's the best way to get past a
"gatekeeper?"
What is Cold Calling,
Anyway?
Here's what
Bill Hutchison, Regional Manager of SBR, Inc./ThinkingAhead
wrote in response to Cold
Calling Part I : "So what is a cold call? Recently,
around our shop, the answer to that has been debated, My
definition is: you count one cold call when you "connect" with
a live voice on the other end, not a voicemail, not an email,
not a note delivered by carrier-pigeon and not their admin.
Any subsequent call email, voice mail is no longer a cold call
so does not "count" towards the number you make during the
week, month, etc. If you make 25 cold calls to voicemail or
admins what have you really accomplished? Think about
how far you get before hitting the delete button in your own
voicemail when listening to "marketing "cold calls. So, a key,
not necessarily "the key" to successful cold calling, is
how many connects you actually make, something I need to focus
on each week. just some food for thought,"
I agree with Bill. Cold calling is actually
connecting on the phone with a real person--someone you've
never talked to or been pre-introduced to (e.g. vs just
lobbing in an email or leaving a message). Certainly you want
to use referrals, networking etc and make other calls, but
those aren't cold calls.
Know Your Target
Audience
That's Job #1.
You've got to know who you are after. What type(s) of
businesses needs your services or products? Analyze your past
successes and failures, sales-wise. Then learn from your own
cold calling as you engage strangers and explore their needs.
You can't get to every business: focus on the most likely
types that need your stuff. You may be able to sell nationally
or even globally, but is your best target audience your
specific city or state or region? If so, start there, and then
expand as necessary.
Call A Real Name-If Possible, Otherwise
Improvise
To make a cold
call, you don't actually need to have a real live
name, but it's advisable. If not, you need to be very clever
in talking with the gatekeeper Admin/Secretary type (this is a
topic unto itself). Ask one or two quick questions to get
you to the right name/department, but DO NOT try to make your
sales pitch to an Admin/Secretary.
If you are
fortunate enough to get a name/phone extension, you may end up
talking to someone else than you originally intended which is
OK. It's very unlikely, e.g. that you'll get a cold call into
the top few people at IBM, etc. If those people are indeed
critical to a potential sale, you're going to need a referral
entry instead or another introduction.
Where Do You Get "Real Contact"
Companies and Names?
There
are a number of lists that you can purchase that are pretty
reasonably priced, at least for specific geographies (e.g.
Harris Infosource and there are many others). You can slice and dice them by
various metrics (type of business, SIC code, specific
geography, revenues, number of employees, etc). While
these business databases typically do have some key
persons' names, the names themselves are usually NOT the
best part of of the database.
Also,
construct your cold call lists from businesses you've heard
about anecedotally from others, business and trade newspapers,
business sections of local newspapers, business magazines,
local business newspapers, online business journals, etc. You
have to read about your industry every week, and preferably
everyday. Go to online directories and definitely
to companies' web sites-and take a quick look at what
they do, recent press releases, etc. Many websites have
executives listed-more often now with phone and/or
email. Put that information.
Move On To The Next
Name
If you get
through to a real person and then get kicked way down the
line, you're usually in trouble. For example, in my work, if
the VP of Marketing or CEO deflects me to a tech person,
I'm virtually always toast, because so few of those
people are going to "get it" or think they know "it"
already-and are not going help me make a sale. I just move on.
There are lots of other folks to sell to.
Also, if you
provide B2B services, understand that sometimes you get what
you want--and it's not what you want. For example, in theory,
a VP of Marketing is a good target for my search engine
optimization services, but sometimes I'm perceived as a threat
versus a helper. People are very, very touchy about their jobs
these days, and the insecure types aren't
necessarily crazy about strangers showing them things
they don't know. Of course, the trick here is rather to
explain to them how you'll make them a hero. But I've learned
to cut my losses immediately on the phone if it's obvious the
VP of Marketing or other person is threatened or says they
have it under control (and obviously don't). No point fighting
City Hall. Move on down your list and try someone
else.
Let the Gatekeeper Be Your
Ally
Realize the
gatekeeper Secretary or Admin type can become a good ally and
helper, but she or he is NOT the person you want to spend your
time with when it comes to cold calling. That person is only a
conduit. The good news is that fewer and fewer top execs have
their own personal admins or secretaries as phone gatekeepers,
and often it's pretty easy to these days to call a person
directly or call a main number and get an extension to call.
But obviously, some executives still do have a gatekeeper.
Again, the topic of dealing with gatekeepers is a topic unto
itself (please send me
your success stories). But here are a few
hints:
1) Always be polite and professional-and
be brief in your one or two questions to get to a "real"
person..
2) Realize that many times if you can't get to
right person, the Admin can be very helpful in directing you
elsewhere. If you have a positive attitude, it will help
greatly.
3) Don't try your sales pitch on the
Admin/Secretary. They don't make the sales decision.
4)
Don't ever just leave your name and number and message with
the Admin (you're very unlikely to get a call back)-without
talking in person to someone. Call back another time. If you
do get an Admin, try asking if there's a better time to reach
the person and/or ask for the person's direct extension. If
you've already got an "in" via a referral or have already made
a contact yourself, then leaving a phone message is OK.
More on Cold Calling--including recommendations
from readers--next time, and please send me your "cold calling"
secrets
Tom Ranseen,
Principal
NoSpin
Marketing
615.383.7157
