Cold Calling Without a Gimmicky Script

[JacquesWerth]

Learning how to sell for free is extremely expensive.

 

[Frank Stastny]

i am tweaking the content of my scripts from time to time. Sometimes i think the best script is one of sincerity. Using the nonverbal communication skills like tone, speed of speech, sounding conversational. I have always found that just trying to have a conversation but getting to the point about why i am calling seems to help in reducing the shield that automatically goes up for a telemarketing call. Unlock the Game is a website that i found insightful about cold calling. But i am always trying to learn new things and perfect the craft.

Captive, that is exactly what I tell the agents I train. Be conversational, use the correct timing in what is said and never use a "script". Listen carefully to what they say and start the conversation by asking them questions you already know the answers to.

I do my own telemarketing. No one can represent me better than I can.

I have not purchased a "lead" in about the last eight years. However, I work only the senior market for Med Supps. They are the easiest kind of insurance to prospect for and sell.

 

[Delta76]

Cold calling will not work, don't try it. Instead, wait for them to come to you. The only exception, you don't have time to wait or would like to make more money. In that case, it might work. But I'm skeptical.

 

[padthaiforlunch]

Cold calling will not work, don't try it. Instead, wait for them to come to you. The only exception, you don't have time to wait or would like to make more money. In that case, it might work. But I'm skeptical.

 

[Frank Stastny]

Cold calling will not work, don't try it. Instead, wait for them to come to you. .

I totally agree. How ignorant of me to even suggest that an agent do such a thing. Especially if that agent is licensed in Missouri.

Thank you for setting the record straight.

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure I understand how cold calling is obsolete but turning cold calls into warm calls is a winning strategy, wouldn't that mean cold calling is not obsolete?

Can you elaborate, please? I must be missing something, I can't hear Jimi, LOL

I agree Cold-Calling is Obsolete. It alienates most of the people you call.

However, turning cold calls into a series of warm calls is a long-term winning strategy.

It enables you to develop "favorable front of the mind awareness" in a large target market. That is important because prospects buy in their own time for their own reasons. Each time you call your list, some of them will be ready to buy and they will want to buy from you.

Like everything else that gets posted here, this information probably won’t do you any good unless you learn how to do it.

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Paul, what does his track record or mine have to do with what we're discussing? Secondly, Tom Hopkins has a longer history many, does that mean all that he teaches is still dead on the money, current and credible today?

There are many people who successfully cold call, period.

You don't have to believe me, or Frank Rumbauskas, Jr. (the "Cold Calling Sucks" guy).

We've had Jacques Werth come on this forum and post. Jacques is the author of the long-time best-seller High Probability Selling. I first read his book seven or eight years ago.

He has trained thousands of salespeople, and has been a recognized expert on sales training for over twenty (maybe thirty) years.

Maybe you should look up his posts on this forum, and see what he's got to say about "cold-calling".

I appreciate that you love me, but can you put your track record up against his?

 

[SportsNut]

Tom Hopkins has a longer history (than) many, does that mean all that he teaches is still dead on the money, current and credible today?

There are many people who successfully cold call, period.

Tom Hopkins... now there is a name from the past. I cut my teeth selling by hanging on his every word my first year and implementing his verbage, when I didn't have my own. TH undoubtedly saved me light years at becoming a competent sales pro, or saved me from bombing out of the biz, way back when.

TH is the master, IMO, and communicating with people really hasn't changed all that much over time. Sure, there are lots of new technological advances, but belly to belly selling, or voice to voice on the telephone is about what it was 30 yrs ago... presentation of ideas, identifying certain needs and problems, and helping the client obtain their (wants and needs) aka goals... Nothing really new, and the old is still new in that sense.

 

[padthaiforlunch]

I think what he's getting at is to start with a targeted list and then you keep calling that list with different selling propositions. Eventually your name will become familiar to them and at some point they will be ready to buy what you are selling.

I'm not sure I understand how cold calling is obsolete but turning cold calls into warm calls is a winning strategy, wouldn't that mean cold calling is not obsolete?

Can you elaborate, please? I must be missing something, I can't hear Jimi, LOL

I agree Cold-Calling is Obsolete. It alienates most of the people you call.

However, turning cold calls into a series of warm calls is a long-term winning strategy.

It enables you to develop "favorable front of the mind awareness" in a large target market. That is important because prospects buy in their own time for their own reasons. Each time you call your list, some of them will be ready to buy and they will want to buy from you.

Like everything else that gets posted here, this information probably won’t do you any good unless you learn how to do it.
​

 

[OHInsAGNT]

A good number of the posts here that talk about prospecting via phone, sound to me like a very gimmicky approach. Almost like you're trying to trick someone into having a conversation with you. The scripting just doesn't sit right with me. If I were being read that script, I would hang up.

I'm not an agent, yet, but I am in sales.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried and succeeded with a more straight forward, yet still scripted approach. For example.

For Health Insurance, calling on a small business.

"Mr. Jones, this is Mr. Smith from Smith Insurance. We haven't met but I'm a local insurance agent in town and I would like to be able to help you in lowering your health insurance costs, while keeping the same if not better coverage. Is this something that you would be interested in having a conversation about ?"

If Yes, "Great, what time can we speak ?"
If No, "OK, thanks for being upfront with me. I appreciate your time, I do have one last question. Is this something that any of your employees may be interested in or potentially a colleague who may be paying too much? or without health coverage ?"

For Life Insurance & P&C, calling on a a homeowner.

"Hello, may I speak with Mrs. Jones, this is Ed Smith from in town."

If Yes, Mrs. Jones, my name is Ed Smith, I'm a local insurance agent and I live in town, about 10 minutes from you. I work with several folks in the community in helping them to lower their insurance costs while still receiving the same or better coverage. I've also helped people who couldn't find affordable coverage.

I know that you weren't expecting my call today, so I want to be respectful of your time. I also know how uncomfortable it is when people try and sell you stuff, and I promise, that is not my intent today. My approach is a little different. I like to provide 3 insurance options that outline what your coverages looks like today and what your coverages could look like as well as what your investments for those coverages would be.

There are three things that you can do with them. You can use them in talking with your existing agent to get a better deal, you could find them interesting and we could speak further, or you can throw them away or use them to start a fire next winter.

Would you be interested in having a 15 minute conversation with me later this week to see if I can help you get a better value for less money ?"

If No, OK, thank you for being so up front with me. If you do know someone without coverage, or someone who has difficulty obtaining coverage, my phone # is xxx-xxx-xxxx. I may be able to help them. Have a nice day.

This is what I plan to do when I become an agent. Has anyone tried more of a straight forward approach like this and do they work ? If not, do you think that they would work ?

I know that that's a lot to say on a cold call. So I'll assume that I would get hung up on at least 1/3 of the time. That aside, what are your thoughts on this approach ? Can you see the difference in how this feels vs. some of the other approaches ?

-S

Just talk to them. You might get 1 out of 100 contacts interested with this approach. I do a ton of cold calling. Don't build up all the non-sales, non-confrontational junk. It just bores them and shuts them down.

You get ONE SENTENCE to get them interested at first. Get it out and let them rebut. They will rebut 99% of the time.

Hi, is this XXXXX? Hey XXXXX, just a quick call. I'm an agent here in XXXXX, I can take about 5 minutes of your time and see if we can save you money on XXXXX insurance. Who are you with right now?


NEVER ASK THEM IF THEY ARE INTERESTED. THEY AREN'T 99% OF THE TIME. ASK THEM A QUESTION THAT THEY ARE COMFORTABLE ANSWERING. GET THEM TALKING. FIND THEIR OBJECTIONS. MEET THE OBJECTION AND CLOSE.

 

[Guest]

It's called "permission marketing" and it's still a form of cold calling, or at minimum a scripted intro is involved in the approach. If they want to be fancy, it's all good, it's still going out there and doing it.

I think what he's getting at is to start with a targeted list and then you keep calling that list with different selling propositions. Eventually your name will become familiar to them and at some point they will be ready to buy what you are selling.