New to Cold Calling, Getting Discouraged Already

[commonmutual]

Hello! Are you from TC area by any chance?

 

[WillWerks]

Sure you could drop it there or tell them your name and forcefully declare they asked you to call them months and months ago. How often have you forgotten something you did 12-18 months ago? How likely are you to believe someone who is forceful and sounds sure about what he is saying?

The other day I was at a store buying something with a limit of 2. I had 4 my girlfriend was with me. The computer told him a limit of 2 and he was going to get the manager the conversation looked like this:

Me: Oh I didn't know it was a limit of 2.
Him: Ya sometimes we can't sell these in higher quantity.
Me: Well I'm buying 2 and my GF is buying 2.
Him: I should get a manager.
Me: I'm buying 2 and my GF is buying 2.
Him: The computer won't let me.
Me: I know that but I'm buying these 2 and this stuff and my GF is going to by 2 as a separate transaction.
Him: I should get the manager.
Me: Look its 2 per person, I'm buying 2 and shes buying 2 in a separate transaction.
Him: Blank stare.
Me: Ring me up for these 2 and her for those 2.
Him: Ok.

Its not about the truth of the matter. Its about what you can make people believe.

This works... ALOT....

Huh??
How does this help with cold calling or if someone questions how you got their name and number? The example given is just one of good salesmanship. You just sold the cashier on the idea that it would be ok to do what you wanted to do, which was the right course in the first place, you buy 2 she buy 2.

The question the callee asked the caller is legit albeit a little rough and rude. I think the best response would be one with honesty, just tell them "I got your number from an agency I purchase info from" or "From an information service". If you are truly trying to gain a customer and become their go to guy for their insurance needs then you should start with your integrity entact and be open and honest about everything, period. It's the difference in being a salesman and an advisor, and being an advisor always requires the truth of the matter. Just my opinon.

 

[beachbum2012]

Hello! Are you from TC area by any chance?

Nope, our office is in the Detroit area, although I do have a couple clients not too far from you.

 

[Nowiser]

Josh,

Just registered today so it will not let me PM or Email you. Had some questions on what you offer if you wouldn't mind shooting me an email/PM.

Thanks

 

[amy.skalicky]

A couple thoughts to evaluate yourself:
1. Vocal variety when speaking. Huge.
2. Talk conversationally. You do this by not giving a rat's ass about the outcome of any specific call.
3. Relax. Ask questions. Know your business and build a reason to get together based on their answers.

I like this response, and I would say the key phrase is "evaluate yourself." I am new to sales, and cold calling "freaked me out" at first. I even sent my regional sales leader an email one day that said "I suck at this." She worked with me, and I actually had fun two days later on the phone. What changed? Me and my approach. When we pursue information regarding sales psychology, we forget that a huge part of that picture is the sales person's psychology. Am I perfect? No way, and don't anticipate ever being so. But I am learner to evaluate myself, evaluate my script and my approach, and addressing my own mood and attitude at any given moment. And yes, I am having some fun. I do l love a challenge!
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You get paid to make the calls, not worry about the outcome of any one call.

Wow! First, most of us don't, and second, the outcome of the call is our income. Also, that's not an attitude that benefits the person you are calling or your. If someone feels like that, perhaps they are in the wrong career?

 

[Lakshmi]

I found this forum a couple months ago and have read (and re-read) a ton of the threads on here already, especially in the Cold Calling forum. Lots of good info. I've got just less than a year under my belt as a L&H agent. I'm a non-captive agent with one of the biggest agencies in MI that sell Medicare products. They set about 5 T65 appointments for us per week, so that leaves plenty of time left to prospect. So based on advice from some of the most successful agents at our agency, and from many of you in this forum, I purchased a list of 67-75 year-olds and have started cold calling.

Now granted I'm just getting started, but I'm already getting frustrated. I'm not using a dialer to start so I can take a few minutes after calls where I actually have a conversation to think about what was said and how it could've gone better. So far through about 250 dials (8-10 hours), I haven't set any appointments or even gotten any interest. I've had 56 contacts out of these 250. What adds to the frustration is that over 25% of the numbers I purchased are bad (e.g. disconnected, fax #'s, etc.).

This being the first list I've ever purchased and never cold calling before, it's a little demoralizing. I understand it's a numbers game, about variance, etc., but it's a little hard to believe in something I haven't had any success at yet. I'm using the Medsupp script at freetelemarketingscripts to start which seems pretty solid, so I'm not sure there's a problem with the script.

Anyway just looking for any advice y'all might have. Should I just keep at what I'm doing and don't worry about the results so far? Should I change up my script, and if not now, how long should I give it before I do? Right now I'm calling folks in the Flint & Detroit metro area, which have a lot of UAW retirees. Maybe I should focus on other parts of MI where more folks have Medsupps and less have BCBS thru the union? Any advice is appreciated.

One thing I'd do is stop calling Detroit and Flint.

I started my insurance career of 10 years in Burton, MI, which is basically Flint (not there now). Even back then those areas weren't good for any true selling. I mean, it's like a sub-culture there of everyone and anyone taking advantage of everything "free". Every squirrel will get a few nuts now and then there, but you'd be far better of to prospect in in other areas. I did get biz there, but only by default mostly (friends, company neighbors, referrals).

Of course, that wasn't medigap, I was selling Individual Health and supplements. But, always went Oakland Co. to South of that excluding Detroit Metro most of the time and anywhere East and West of Flint. Genesee Co by far has a large population of liars, not buyers.

I hope this doesn't offend anyone in that area, but I'm from near by there, Lake Fenton and Flushing, and been there a ton, just know from experience, prospecting there is almost a waste of time UNLESS what your selling are the zero premium Humana plans and whatever else may be zero out of pocket for them. Again, I do not do medicare, so maybe you are selling very low or no premium products...

Just saying...and just my opinion, but you would probably have to be highly skilled to do most your business there...

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I want to add, I am new in this forum. I just realized this was a relatively old post. Hope things are better for you now. Im also sure by now you realized what I was trying to say on your own. lol