Poll: Do You Cold Call (Yes or No)

[Josh]

Any good telemarketer armed with only a touchtone phone and a phonebook will set more appointments and sell more then any 3 fools like you put together. Is that what you wanted to hear.

The notion that tracking numbers and reviewing them is a complete waste and only for amateurs is ludicrous. This last comment only makes you look like even more of an ***. Have you considered the idea of not saying anything we you don't know what you're talking about?

 

[Mr_Ed]

I guess I'm part of the exception as well. I'm pretty sure the 65+ market has as much of a problem with cold calls as the under 65 market, but with the right approach and products people can be receptive. What is it that you sell?

LTC insurance

 

[Josh]

LTC insurance

That might have very well been the problem. Usually cold calling lower income individuals is easier than the wealthier ones.

 

[Jim Jenkins]

That might have very well been the problem. Usually cold calling lower income individuals is easier than the wealthier ones.

Right on, also LTC seems like it would be a nightmare to cold call.

 

[carroll]

I didn't start exclusively cold calling until I had been in the business for five years. Up to that point I wasted a lot of money buying "leads".

When I finally "saw the light" it got a whole lot easier and a much more profitable.

Being in the business for 5 years has to be a HUGE help when cold calling! I'm still learning the business after working med supp leads for 2 months...I'm sure my cold calling skills will be much better even after one year! Right now im struggling a bit but I know it takes time.

 

[Yoda]

That might have very well been the problem. Usually cold calling lower income individuals is easier than the wealthier ones.

Theres just not an ounce of truth to that. The more money people have the easier its going to be to sell them. I suggest you believe what your saying because you are intimidated by people who have money and you feel more comfortable around lower income people. Having leads or even a list of people who have money is heaven in this business. I just cant thank people who have money enough for how nice most of them have been to me in this business.

 

[Frank Stastny]

you're the exception and not the rule, Frank.

my sales almost tripled when I stopped using the phone and started to only work with those who had made internet inquiries.

for most markets cold calling is not only a waste of time but a big turn off to all involved: callee and caller.

maybe the 65+ market doesn't mind cold calls.

everyone else does.

It's not a matter of whether or not they "mind" the cold calls, it's all about how the calls are made and the opening statements the agent makes. The very worst thing an agent can say when the prospect answers is "how you doing today". That throws up a huge red flag that it is a telemarketing call. Immediately the agent gives control of the call to the prospect.

Making a call is all about maintaining control. Cold calling doesn't work for a lot of agents and agents "hate" it because they don't know what to say or how to say it. Most I have talked to do not realize that the initial call is the single most important part of the sales process. Even appointments have to be sold.

My production and ROI went up dramatically when I started cold calling and stopped buying direct mail and internet leads. Internet leads worked fine several years ago when they were first available. Then I started getting "leads" from people on Medicaid, those who were chronically ill and had been turned down by other companies and people not on Medicare who were just curious.

In the last sixteen plus years I have tried every way imaginable to sell Med Supps and cold calling, the way I do it, is the easiest way to prospect, get appointments, and make sales of anything else I have tried. If I had found a "better" way of doing it I would be pursuing that with great vigor.

Within the first sixty seconds of the call I get the name of the company they currently have their insurance with, how much they are paying per month, I tell them exactly how much a policy will cost if they had one with me and I ask some general health questions to help me determine if they will qualify. If those four elements are not in place they I am going to be very reluctant to either set the appointment or continue the call.

Cold calling is a learned, well practiced art.

 

[Josh]

Theres just not an ounce of truth to that. The more money people have the easier its going to be to sell them. I suggest you believe what your saying because you are intimidated by people who have money and you feel more comfortable around lower income people. Having leads or even a list of people who have money is heaven in this business. I just cant thank people who have money enough for how nice most of them have been to me in this business.

Just exactly how much telemarketing have you done?
How many telemarketers have you trained?
How many leads have your telemarketers generated?
How much have people paid you for telemarketed leads and then how much have they made off of what you've done for them?
How much have you made off the leads your telemarketers have generated for your agents?

Having a list of people who have money is heaven in this business? I'll get you that list no problem, I'll give you 10k records for $400. How about this, I'll give you 100,000 records for $1,500 and you can retire when you're done working it. The fact of that matter is that poor people are home more and tend to respond to traditional marketing better. How many people do FE mailers to incomes 100k+? How many LTC agents cold call? How many true financial planners telemarket for business? The answer is not many. The fact of that matter is that bigger ticket items usually require more then a "would you like to buy some insurance" phone call and a one call close. People with money usually understand that they need to think through their decisions and not just waste there money on any insurance products that comes through the door. Once you do get an appointment and have a usually more educated person sitting across the table from you and you have a product that makes sense for them, they're usually more than willing to do it because they see the value in it and in that sense, they can be easier to sell too.

I suggest that the only reason you disagree is because you're a moron who has never actually been involved with cold calling enough to know what works and what doesn't. There's nothing wrong with not knowing, but shooting your mouth about things you don't have any level expertise in is just ridiculous.

Let me know about that list, $400 can take you to "heaven", small price to pay!

 

[Yoda]

.
I suggest that the only reason you disagree is because you're a moron who has never actually been involved with cold calling enough to know what works and what doesn't. There's nothing wrong with not knowing, but shooting your mouth about things you don't have any level expertise in is just ridiculous.

Let me know about that list, $400 can take you to "heaven", small price to pay!

Lets see now..........I got my first job telemarketing when I was 16 in 1976 setting appointments at a waterproofing company. 34 years later and over a million calls later resulting in thousands of sales I sit here now having you tell me I dont know what Im doing. You aint the first to tell me I dont know what Im doing and you wont be the last but just between you and me I piss on your grave!

 

[theinsuranceman]

It's not a matter of whether or not they "mind" the cold calls, it's all about how the calls are made and the opening statements the agent makes. The very worst thing an agent can say when the prospect answers is "how you doing today". That throws up a huge red flag that it is a telemarketing call. Immediately the agent gives control of the call to the prospect.

Making a call is all about maintaining control. Cold calling doesn't work for a lot of agents and agents "hate" it because they don't know what to say or how to say it. Most I have talked to do not realize that the initial call is the single most important part of the sales process. Even appointments have to be sold.

My production and ROI went up dramatically when I started cold calling and stopped buying direct mail and internet leads. Internet leads worked fine several years ago when they were first available. Then I started getting "leads" from people on Medicaid, those who were chronically ill and had been turned down by other companies and people not on Medicare who were just curious.

In the last sixteen plus years I have tried every way imaginable to sell Med Supps and cold calling, the way I do it, is the easiest way to prospect, get appointments, and make sales of anything else I have tried. If I had found a "better" way of doing it I would be pursuing that with great vigor.

Within the first sixty seconds of the call I get the name of the company they currently have their insurance with, how much they are paying per month, I tell them exactly how much a policy will cost if they had one with me and I ask some general health questions to help me determine if they will qualify. If those four elements are not in place they I am going to be very reluctant to either set the appointment or continue the call.

Cold calling is a learned, well practiced art.

Frank, I believe you've said somewhere that you say basically the same thing the 1st 45-60 sec. of the call. Could you share the words you use this 1st 45-60 sec.?