MATT’S RESPONSE

Cold calling is definetly necessary, but I would not call it an evil. This is a process that you have total control over. Look at it as taking a hunk of clay and sculpting it into the business and account that you want it to be in the future. Please do not think that you are going to make your quota over the phone; that in some magical way you will make a paycheck by downloading your information off of Reference USA and making those calls. That meerly starts the sales process. As Tom mentioned in the article, have fun with it. The fact is, you are choosing people or companies out of millions and taking action. You have the ability to influence how that person is eventually going to buy from you. Play around. Make it a game and challenge to yourself. Do this and you will look forward to adding those pawns to your sales funnel.

MICHAEL’S RESPONSE

Complete waste of time. We live in a world where people are bombarded with marketing. So much so, that we now have do-not-call lists, every time there a joke made about telemarketers from comedians, a huge round of applause erupts, and there’s always some sarcastic way coming out to deter cold callers from calling again.

My grandfather, who owned his own business, used a line that worked like a charm. He’d always say, “Sure, I’d love to do business with you. I could use the credit, though, as we are going through major refinancing right now and are getting behind in our bills.” Worked every time.

Sales people assume that people are idiots, that they don’t know the value of our product, and that by a simple cold call, we will instantly enlighten them, tell them the error of their ways, and they will FLOCK to our product.

Since the advent of the internet, many research their potential products on line, then call a sales rep to get more information, or pick their brain. Once in awhile, they will ask you for your opinion, but realizing that you’re there to sell them something and not an objective third party.

Besides, this is ME in a nutshell. I don’t want sales people calling me. If I need something, I will call them. Send me mail, or I’ll see it in the paper, or TV or radio. But, don’t bother calling me up, because you’re wasting my time.