Cold Calling???

[D&Tgraphics]

So, we're thinking about hiring a couple part timers to come in and do some cold calling for us. We would give them a script of what to say to try and make some sales or just inform the customer of what we offer. I would also have a bunch of common questions and answers written out for them that the customer might ask. That way they have a standard response.

My question is, have any of you done this before, how did it work out for you, and do you have any advice. Also, what would be some good Q&A's to have. What are some of the common questions your customers ask you?

Thanks for any and all thoughts and advice in advance.

 

[zmatalucci]

I'm not trying to sound like an as-, but I would never buy from anyone who cold calls me.
I find it irritating and unprofessional.

 

[Bigdawg]

I'm not trying to sound like an as-, but I would never buy from anyone who cold calls me.
I find it irritating and unprofessional.

Don't quite agree with that, but I do pretty much shut cold calls down as soon as I realize they are trying to sell me - whether in person or on the phone.

 

[JimJenson]

You may do better with mass mailings.

 

[Marlene]

the script part would most likely be the reason for a hang up as people hate telemarketing. if you call because you've seen that their sign is old, broken, faded or has their old logo on it and offer up your services, you might do better.

 

[Gino]

I don't have a problem with cold call selling.... if they're trying to sell me something I might be able to use or need, but I do have a problem with someone coming in that doesn't have a clue as to what they're selling or who they're representing. Your method of giving someone a quick fix bunch of answers and script would turn me off instantly..... probably to the point I would get nasty with the person standing in front of me...... and we all know, that's isn't like me

 

[Bigdawg]

I don't have a problem with cold call selling.... if they're trying to sell me something I might be able to use or need, but I do have a problem with someone coming in that doesn't have a clue as to what they're selling or who they're representing. Your method of giving someone a quick fix bunch of answers and script would turn me off instantly..... probably to the point I would get nasty with the person standing in front of me...... and we all know, that's isn't like me

I can't imagine that Gino :ROFLMAO:

 

[Border]

I'm not a big fan of cold calls either, and especially if it seems like the caller is reading off a script because they have no idea of what they're selling.

The approach I prefer to take when I do it is to call a company and just ask whomever answers the phone if it would be ok if I mailed out some info and whose name I should address it to.

That way, I'm not taking too much of their time and there's no pressure.

Sometimes they'll give you an idea of whether they might have some needs coming up so you can make note of that.
Then you can wait a week after mailing the info and call back, ask for the person's name you got before and ask them if they received the info you sent. At least then it's not really a COLD CALL. And sometimes, just mailing info to the proper person at the company will generate a call back or email from them which is even better.
Right now I've been going down my list of clients and calling them to "update their contact info". I've generated a few new jobs just by that.

I also found out that some of them are longer even in business!

I just got an order from one of them for 12 signacade signs with 24 screw-in sign faces so that helped my day!

 

[Gordy Saunders]

Oh Boy! I googled up Lockport, NY. Population just over 22,000.

Seems like you could walk down the street and introduce yourself to just about every business in the community in just a couple of weeks.

I do that here in Tampa and it works well for me.

I make a sale everytime I go out passing out cards. I get other calls later - Some of them up to a year down the line.

I don't think I could make it in such a small market.

 

[Jillbeans]

Sounds like a huge turn-off to me too.
It almost would seem creepy to me, a couple coming to my door trying to sell me signs. Especially if they didn't know a lot about what I needed. I want to deal directly with the person who would be working for me.
I never buy from door-to-door salesmen or phone solicitors.
And I wouldn't want someone who could come across as that type to represent my company.

Dennis, you do such nice work, I'd think you would pull in more business from printed mailers or flyers. Even posting up your bizcards wherever available. Maybe get involved with your CofC. I know our local community has a Township day, lots of businesses set up tables at it and they have food and games and stuff. I mean to do it every year. I just think there are better ways than having some couple cold calling for you. Even if you have to dress up the baby real cute and go out with him yourself. That would get you more business.
Love....Jill

 

[synergy_jim]

send postcards.... cold calling is a PITA

Follow up the postcard with a friendly call to see if they received it and if you can be of any assistance.

I would not let anyone who doesn't know the business call though....

 

[sarge]

Hi Dennis .. i also live in an area with small communities .. my wife does all our outside sales and goes out as often as we need her too .. we no longer advertise in the phone books or those kind of things .. my wife is our advertising .. we have never had the return for investment in phone books .. as for using outside sales .. find someone with closing skills, hard to really teach that imo .. have them work for commis only and be a private contractor .. you make a sales book with examples .. and test them before you hire them .. charge them for that sales book .. that way you know they are serious .. as for the businesses who wont talk to you .. keep going back .. annoy them or become their friend .. i do all the signs for a local resturant (11) .. janice got the contract after her 15th or so visit .. so, those who say dont, there is those who say do .. our flaxseed and sign business exploded after my wife started shaking hands and saying we live here .. right up on the hill .. and if you dont attend and support a local merchant networking you are missing out on a lot of work .. i am not saying join the bbb or chamber .. imo they dont work out for the money .. find a small group that is active and meets weekly .. take your sales guy there and cut his teeth .. after a couple months it is his group .. or you cut him out of the business .. something we believe is .. it is all about planting seeds and how you fertalize them .. some seed sprout and grow, some sprout look like weeds and your toss em out, and others never grow .. but once they are ready, it is what YOU do next .. also .. she calls 20 businesses every friday .. new, used, and the ugly, never from a phone book, always from her cold calls or numbers she has written down .. good luck

 

[sarge]

dennis .. i posted this awhile back and think you could use it

this is what my wife lives by

SALES STATISTICS

48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
ONLY 10% of sales people make more then three contacts
2% of sales are made on the first contact
3% of sales are made on the second contact
5% of sales are made on the third cointact
10% of sales are made on the forth contact
80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact

 

[Gino]

87% of all statistics are made up.

 

[D&Tgraphics]

WOW. Thanks for all the responses. That's why I love this place. You get it straight and no BS. I am going to drop the idea. But just for the record, it was going to be phone calls, not door to door.

 

[imagep]

Dennis,

Why not try what I just did. I looked up email addresses for some decision makers of 7 very very large local companies. I emailed them. I immediately got two responses, set up a meeting with both of them, and put on my "Sunday go to meeting" garb and went to see them. I had an order within two hours of meeting with the first one, and I am now supposedly on the quote list for the other company.

These two companies have a combined total of $130 million operating budget (not sales but actual expenditures), the average organization spends about 1.3% of its operation budget on graphic related products. So those to customers represent a combined total potential of $1.7 million dollars in orders.

Picking up just one customer like that, from a small but well targeted email campaign, could give you more business than a thousand small time customers.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

You may do better with mass mailings.

I disagree. Mass mailings get in the ballpark of 3% return (My wife manages a company that does mailings), and the cost can be up there, expecially if you hit every address in a zip code.

I do agree that if someone came in and didn't know the product, and was "scripted" what to say to questions (which is bound to happen), it would be a huge turn off.

On the other hand, if I needed something, and someone with some knowledge came in and sold it to me, and could answer my questions, I would probably buy from them.

So based on that, why hire someone that doesn't know your business to sell for you. Wouldn't you be better off teaching someone to do the weeding, masking, and application to do the small stuff, and you (the person that should know all about your business) go out and sell.

If your like me, I hate cold call selling, but it does work. I was at a location earlier this week doing some service work, and walked down 4 doors to see if the manager wanted me to check out why only part of his channel letters were lighting. The first thing he asked me was did I think it would take thousands of dollars to fix? I quickly told him that it wouldn't be that much, but I could figure it out, and give him a price to fix, and we could go from there. Long story short, I was able to replace the transformers that were bad with ones that were there (they were in extra boxes, but not wired in) in a couple of hours. He was shocked when I called him and told him that I was done, the signs were lighting, and he only owed me $250.

One cold call sell made me a customer for life, because I was able to answer his questions right then and there with out consulting anyone.

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

i've had outside sales people for at least the last 10yrs. where i have been the most successful has been having them cold call and find companies that need my services and then after the initial meeting when a need has been identified i go with the salesperson to a joint meeting. i can not remember the last time i personally made a cold call and in my opinion this method is a better use of my time than me personally out cold calling. using this method my rate of return of closing a sale at the joing meeting is very good. it is very hard to train effective salespeople in this industry, especially if they do not have previous industry experience...regardless it is a very difficult arrangement to manage in a way that is fair for the salesperson and profitable for a small business owner.

 

[Checkers]

Hiya Dennis,
Although I don't like cold calling from either side of the phone line, it can work for you.
Advertising is basically a numbers game. The more exposure you get, the better chance you have at getting a sale.
However, like sarge and others have pointed out, there may be better methods of promoting your business. As its been mentioned, people buy from people they like and, from my limited sales experience, there's no better way to get people to like you than a face to face meeting.
When I was working for one of the franchises, we paid canvassers to drop in on businesses and just leave a brochure for the manager or person in charge of making these purchasing decisions. While the canvasser was there, it was his job to get a contact name, phone number, business card or whatever for the person responsible for making purchasing decisions.
With this contact info, we would follow up at a later date with a phone call to make sure the person in charge received the info that was left. If there was an immediate interest or need, we would schedule an appointment and go from there. If not, they would be put on a list to follow up with at a later date.
With any advertising, the most important thing you need to do is track the results of your efforts. Once you have a better idea of what works, you can then refine it and make a system that is almost guaranteed to make you more money.

Good luck,

Checkers

 

[DeeHutch]

It is definitely a great idea. I'm not sure about the part timers doing it though. It would really be better to have a sign professional doing it, IMO.

Just a question to the nay-sayers on this topic. If you turn away from cold-calling, how may I ask did you build your business?

As for me, our sign business was built 100% and completely based on cold calling by myself and my mother. Our very first account was obtained by cold calling and is to this day (5 years later) our largest account.

Companies who purchase signage on a weekly basis (like most of our accounts) appreciate a sign company who is eager to work and not afraid to leave the cave!

Our business is repeat customers, referrals and COLD CALLS!!

Let me add that it may not work for everyone, but definitely will get your foot in the door.