Prospecting Without Fear
November 2011
November 2011 | Cold Calling
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The Cold Call
Vanquishing anxiety, fear & feelings of rejection.
The latest Sales meeting was focused on “prospecting.”
Your Sales Manager has given you a quota of 5 new
customers this month. Your prospect list has dried up
and you need to COLD CALL. Before you panic, Mohawk
MakeReady to the rescue. We have some ideas that
should help calm your nerves and help you get back on
track.
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Aachuu!
We don’t mean this
type of “cold call”
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Change your perspective
Don’t take any part of the call personally.
• Remember, it is not seller against buyer
• It is not about winning a sale today
• It is not about losing a sale today
• Every client was a prospect at one point in time.
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The Golden Rule:
Definitely applies in the
sales process
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Lay a solid foundation
Your attitude and mental focus are key.
In preparation for the call, you must
refreshing and much more relaxed.
have a new type of approach, one of
Focus on conversation and build some
sincerity and trust. Your objective
trust. See if there’s a fit to do business
should not be to get a quote or an
together.
order. When your foundation is more
than just merely selling something, it is
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Dealing with Voicemail
Try to be creative, daring, and
memorable to increase the likelihood
of a call back. You want to make the
prospect think about what you said
(and how you said it).
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The Gatekeeper:
They are allies not
foes.
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Establish other contacts
If you can’t get past the ‘gate keeper,’
try approaching a company
salesperson. They love to talk, love
to network. They can help you make
the connections. Another approach
idea is to connect with the company
when they exhibit at tradeshows.
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Do your homework:
It’s easier today more
than ever before
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Make a plan
Planning is key to the kingdom. Rise
• Read the local business journal
early, always have a planner or a pad
• Sunday night, leave yourself a
of paper with you. We recommend
reminder voicemail
using a 2 page per day planner. This
• Schedule Cold Call BLITZ for
gives you the ability to write notes on
an entire day (repetition helps)
one side and to do’s on the other.
• Keep track of call data
• Practice out loud
• Set your watch and clocks 5
minutes early
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Your personal brand
If you love what you do, if you are
passionate about your company, it
shows.
You can use simple “hidden
messages” to help support yourself
and your companies brand.
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Your 30-Second “Commercial”
Whether you call it a commercial or
an elevator speech, you need one,
short and sweet and to the point.
Write a brief paragraph - what you do
and how you can help others.
Practice it and commit this to
memory. It should flow off your
tongue easily.
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Keep in mind..…
Not all prospects are worth
your time or energy. Are you
chasing customers who will
never buy?
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Keep track to measure the results
Days flow into weeks, weeks into months…
Keep some type of Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) system for your calls, whether you are doing it by
hand in your planner or in a computerized system. If you
don’t, after a few months, you can forget who you followed
up on last.
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Track & Measure your Calls
Set measurable goals and identify
daily prospecting activities. Track and
evaluate your selling statistics. This
will enable you to manage your
expectations and attain your
objectives without stress or
aggravation. The numbers don’t lie.
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Go back to basics
• Self determination
• Start the day before everyone else
• End your day after your competition is asleep
• (Remember - The workday starts the night before!)
• Self inspiration
• Strive to be the best at whatever you do
• Train yourself
• Always be prepared
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We can help…
Mohawk MakeReady provides
practical tools and actionable
information for digital printers
like you.
Visit: www.MohawkMakeReady.com to browse content,
request a meeting, or join the community.
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