Small Cold Call Victory

[Indiana_Adam]

Made 50 cold calls yesterday, 8 contacts, and had 1 requested a call back later. The rest were answering machines.

So, had 2 appointments set for 10am and 12pm today, from warm calls. Both rescheduled for later next week...leaving my awesome morning empty. So, I called the 1 prospect from day before and set an appointment for 12pm, to fill in at least one gap.

This probably sounds like nothing for you pros, but setting my first cold call appointment feels great! I may get a sale out of it, but regardless, it's a step in the right direction.

Off to more cold calling I go as next appointment isn't until 6pm.

 

[Wtprice]

Made 50 cold calls yesterday, 8 contacts, and had 1 requested a call back later. The rest were answering machines.

So, had 2 appointments set for 10am and 12pm today, from warm calls. Both rescheduled for later next week...leaving my awesome morning empty. So, I called the 1 prospect from day before and set an appointment for 12pm, to fill in at least one gap.

This probably sounds like nothing for you pros, but setting my first cold call appointment feels great! I may get a sale out of it, but regardless, it's a step in the right direction.

Off to more cold calling I go as next appointment isn't until 6pm.

Baby Steps full of awesome! Great Job!

 

[tins]

More than I did this week.

 

[somarco]

Cold calling is one of the worst jobs you can do without breaking a sweat (unless it is out of fear). No one enjoys it. If they say they do they are lying.

When I did cold calling I hated every minute. Usually took me 15 minutes or so to get in to a rhythm and then I could knock them out in short order, but making that first call or two was the worst.

A few years ago I made a change in direction and to prepare myself for cold calling, I took a job in a call center, setting appointments for mortgage "closers". We worked 4 hour shifts (5 - 9) and had a quota. I came in late and usually hit my quota in 90 - 120 minutes. Not only did I make my numbers but my leads were better qualified than any of the women who were calling. The mortgage dogs closed more of my leads than any of the others.

Yes, I was the only male.

Point is, cold calling is a (mostly) thankless job but when done right will put some dollars in your pocket.

Keep at it.

 

[Indiana_Adam]

Somarco, you really believe someone couldn't learn to enjoy cold calling?

I want to enjoy cold calling! As a psych. major, I've learned the human brain is a pretty amazing machine and I'm certain a person could, with a lot of work and dedication, learn to enjoy cold calling. Did anyone enjoy their first beer or shot of liquor(excluding alcoholics)? No, I couldn't stand it the first time I had one. Now, after a long day in the yard or a hard day at the office, an ice cold beer or alcoholic beverage is AMAZING! Even before the buzz and eventual intoxication. It became a learned pleasure. Lots of people learn to enjoy a task, even if it was dreaded at first. With enough exposure and enough positive results, a person can learn to like many things. Maybe there aren't enough positive results in cold calling to offset the initial dislike? Maybe there has to be a certain ratio of positive to negatives before the action becomes enjoyable. I'd say an ever growing book/pay check that was a direct result of cold calling would be positive enough. Maybe agents don't attribute enough of their success to cold calling? If you associated every sale you made with cold calling, maybe you'd love cold calling! Who knows. Not I. Just my thoughts exploding onto the page.

 

[somarco]

you really believe someone couldn't learn to enjoy cold calling?

I suppose anything is possible. I understand some folks like to be tied up and beaten, but that lifestyle is not for me.

Well, being tied up isn't all that bad . . .

 

[Indiana_Adam]

My wife ties me up all the......ummm....I like baseball! If cold calling is more efficient and cheaper in regard to getting in front of people than other forms, why not learn to like it? It's free(minus phone bills, dialer, and lists).

I'm going to throw this in here before even starting a thread. I've read several posts where folks have said their managers have told the story of an agent that just asks, "Would you like to buy some life insurance?" None of us knows if that's fact or BS. I would love to see if it's true. So, I'm tinkering with the idea of doing a pseudo-experiment. 20 days, 50 contacts a day, with a script of only" I'm Mr. InsuranceMan with Fortune 100 company, would you like to buy some life insurance?" That would give me 1000 contacts, which ain't a bad number of subjects to have. I'd shoot for calling between 5pm and 8pm in order to get the most contacts per session. Would that be of any interest to anyone, other than myself?

And before any of you nay-sayers call me an *** for such a plan. It really wouldn't be a waste of time as it'd still be more productive than letting me wife tie me up and having her way with me :-p

 

[Wtprice]

Good luck, Adam.

"Learn to enjoy it." is definitely easier said than done. It comes naturally for some people and not so much for others. Should you do it? Sure, because it works.

Yes, calling people and asking them if they'd be interested in final expense, mortgage protection, whatever will get some results. You'll get better results if you target a market with a specific product.

Want to do Final Expense? Call 50 to 78 with at least 15K to maybe 25k in annual income.

Simple script:

Hello, Mr X. My name is Adam X with X company. I'm calling because I help people cover their funeral and final expenses with a small, affordable final expense policy. Would you be interested in knowing how much inexpensive it would be to solve those issues for you?

You will get prospects and you will get sales. No experiment needed.

(Thanks to Josh's Cold Calling script site for a quick script.)

Free Final Expense Script | Free Telemarketing Scripts

 

[somarco]

"Would you like to buy some life insurance?" None of us knows if that's fact or BS.

People who have been around the industry knows it is true. You might want to read anything you can about a guy known only as Mehdi . . . because most people could not pronounce his last name.



You might also want to get the movie Door to Door if you need inspiration. It is the true life story of Bill Porter

 

[RyanCO]

Made 50 cold calls yesterday, 8 contacts, and had 1 requested a call back later. The rest were answering machines.

So, had 2 appointments set for 10am and 12pm today, from warm calls. Both rescheduled for later next week...leaving my awesome morning empty. So, I called the 1 prospect from day before and set an appointment for 12pm, to fill in at least one gap.

This probably sounds like nothing for you pros, but setting my first cold call appointment feels great! I may get a sale out of it, but regardless, it's a step in the right direction.

Off to more cold calling I go as next appointment isn't until 6pm.

Hey, don't downplay your efforts and success. Seriously, if you commit to this and follow through it WILL pay off, because it will put you ahead of the vast majority of agents who avoid it.

Congrats! Keep going!


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