Depending on one’s level of experience and industry, the answer is not the same.
Of the hundreds of individuals and businesses with whom I have spoken, the worst offenders “to-date” in an industry where cold calling should take place is internet advertising. This is for numerous reasons, including the inability to pitch and ask questions.
I am making a general statement that ALL salespersons are entrepreneurs, whether it is known to them or not! With existing technology such as the internet, social media and various messaging apps, is there still a need to pick up the phone?
My answer, identical to the answer of numerous other business owners, including sales executives, business development managers and commercial directors, is that: “should your offering be in the thousands and be a solution”, then “yes”, pick up the phone.
Should you be selling T-shirts, cups and mugs then? Maybe not.
If, however you are wholesaling such products then my answer is ‘YES’.
Reasons to Cold Call
- Not everyone is going to reach out to your market / potential clients
- You get to talk directly to decision makers
- You get an understanding of specific pains within your market
- You become an industry expert
- You build up a database of qualified prospects
- Master your pitch
- Importantly. You beat the competition to the sale…
There are numerous other reasons to cold call.
With the above reasons to call. Some businesses don’t see the value and their reasoning can be seen as :-
- We have a website and get business through that
- No one buys our product over the phone
- We have a referral scheme
- We generate x amount of business through word of mouth
- We already have the relationships in place
- We have never tried it and don’t know where to begin
- We don’t understand it
- We receive numerous cold calls from telemarketers and communication firms
- We think it is outdated because we’re not from that industry (and don’t understand it)
- We have the internet to fall back on
When a business does not see the value AND believe it is a waste of time; this is usually down to a few factors. These include:
- Not understanding the process – from call to pitch to appointment setting, etc.
- Tried it personally and have been rejected numerous times or unable to get through to the decision maker therefore do not see the value.
- Bad experiences outsourcing business development; prospects not fully qualified.
- Competition isn’t doing it, why should we?
The take away – If you want to:-
- grow your business and expand into other areas ‘pick up the phone!’
- offer more solutions to your industry ‘pick up the phone!’
- outgrow your competition and take a bigger share of the market ‘pick up the phone!’
There is nothing stopping you from wanting more and growing your business and portfolio, it is whether you want to develop and grow those relationships from having picked up the phone that matters.
Large clients who become accounts and offer repeat business are not necessarily going to approach you because of the internet.
What separates you from your competition? Especially if they are not cold calling? NOTHING! I am not talking of price or proposition, it is he that reaches the client first.
Beat them to the chase and get those clients – start by picking up the phone.