Tele-Sales Corner

15 Ways to Stay Motivated and Focused When ColdCallingbyJim Domanskiwww.teleconceptsconsulting.com

Most sales reps would rather endure a root canal than make a cold call. Cold calling isoften be grueling so many reps procrastinate. And as they delay, the thought of dialingbecomes more and more onerous. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you follow these15 simple tips:

1. The 1 hour sprint – Treat the cold calling not as a marathon which is tedious andgrueling but rather as a sprint. Devote a good solid hour to calling then stop. Anhour is manageable and achievable and not nearly as discouraging as the thoughtof four hours of cold calls.

2. Set a goal. Having a 1-hour sprint is great but tie it with an objective. Forexample, you might have a goal of a minimum of 30 or 40 attempts. This willhelp ensure that you stay on the dialing track and not idle away the time withother activities (see #7 for more info).

3. Schedule your cold calling. Sit down right now with your calendar or plannerand schedule that 1-hour sprint EVERY day for the next three week. Consider itan unbreakable appointment. This will create discipline and reduceprocrastination.

4. Fish where the fish are. Are there better times than others to reach your targetmarket? You bet there is and that’s when you should be calling. Executives, forinstance, are easier to reach early in the morning, say, from 7:00 onwards. Wakeup early and start dialing. You’ll increase your success almost immediately.

5. Do it first. If your target market doesn’t have a particular time that’s moreeffective than another, then schedule your cold calling for first thing in themorning. Do it first. Get it finished so that it doesn’t linger over you like thesword of Damocles.

6. Create a Master List. Don’t fiddle with your data base flipping back and forthfrom screen to screen. Get a list of 30 prospects. Put their names on a pad ofpaper with their phone numbers. Begin at the top and start dialing. Go down thelist. If there is no answer, don’t leave a message, go on to the next name andnumber. If you get through the list with no answer, start at the top of the list andbegin again. This creates speed, rhythm and focus on productivity.

7. Be prepared. Duh! Be prepared and organized. Have your opening statementprepared ahead of time. Don’t shilly shally and shoot from the hip. Know what

you want to say. Practice it if you have to. Have any job aids you might need infront of you. Have a pen that works. Clean your desk of clutter and distraction. Doall this before you start your 1-hour sprint.

8. Call and only call. Don’t use your 1- hour sprint to make copious notes, stuffenvelops, send a fax or compose an e-mail after a call. You’ll use up preciousminutes. Stick to your hour of dialing and stick to the goal you set (see #2). Afteryou’ve done your dialing you can go back and update information.

9. Reward yourself. You’ve heard this one before: if you do your solid hour ofdialing, give yourself a reward. Maybe it is a triple grande latte at Starbucks.Whatever. Something.

10. Create a competition. Misery loves company. If you have associates, get them tocold call with you at the same time. Have contest for dials, connects,presentations, leads or sales. Buy a small trophy and award it to each other on adaily basis. Have fun with it.

11. Make a commitment to someone else. Publicly state to a co-worker, boss,friend, significant other or whoever that you WILL do 1 hour of cold calling at agiven time. Ask them to ask you how you did. Telling them you didn’t do it willmake you feel embarrassed and sheepish which means you’ll want to avoid it atall costs. (Thus, you’re more likely to pick up the phone and get it done).

12. Track results. Keep track of your dials, connects, presentations, leads, sales andrevenues. Make a chart on a sheet of paper. Use little ‘sticks’ to record yourresults. This is easy and take .67 seconds per stick so it save time. Over time youcan create a predictive model. If you have a boss, it’s also a great way to providefeedback on lists or offers.

13. Avoid the Dementors. In the Harry Potter books ‘Dementors’ are creatures thatliterally suck the life spirit from people. Whiners and complainers are likeDementors. Avoid them at all cost. They’ll drag you down and eventually yourdrive and spirit will be depleted.

14. Hang out with winners. If there’s someone who is good at cold calling, or at thevery least, is disciplined about cold calling. Sit near him or her. Feed off theirenergy. Compete with them (see #10). Their drive and spirit is infectious.

15. Don’t be a wimp. You know what’s real easy? Quitting. It’s real easy to quit.Don’t be wimp and stick to the plan and follow the tips here. Give these ideas achance. Your revenue and your job may depend on it. So don’t quit. Be persistent.

Cold calling doesn’t have to be as miserable as we sometime make it. Follow these tipsand you’ll create momentum and the process will not be so taxing. It’ll be easy, faster andmore effective. Just do it.