At the top of the “fear” list for most people is death or public speaking. For me, it’s cold calling.
I interviewed Daniel Jourdan, owner of Remedy of Atlanta Staffing and the self-proclaimed “Sales Energizer“, and learned that it’s not as hard as I make it out to be. It’s all about the approach.
Daniel shared an important truth – No one likes to be sold, but everyone loves to buy.
With that in mind, his advice is simple – “Don’t act like a salesperson”.
Salespeople make common mistakes when approaching a new customer, either in person or on the phone. They start with insincere questions like “Hi, how are you doing today?” or “Can I help you find something?” A prospect can easily deflect these questions.
Daniel says the better, more successful approach is to get right to the point.
Introduce yourself, where you’re from, use 7 magic words and share the reason you’re calling.
An example:
“Hi Mr. Smith, I’m Daniel Jourdan from Remedy of Atlanta Staffing and I wonder if you could help me. The reason I’m calling is to see if your company uses staffing companies to fill open positions.”
DJ explains if you open with the 7 magic words you turn the conversation around and give the prospect an opportunity to do something good – everyone likes to help another person. Close by asking a yes or no question–one that requires a succinct response.
With this technique, you will be much more successful with cold calling because cold calling is simply a numbers game. The more prospects you hit, the more chances of finding someone who says yes. Daniel’s approach gets you through the call fast and onto the next one.
Just like prospecting for gold – there are rocks and there is gold. Don’t spend time polishing rocks. If they aren’t buying, move on to the next one until you find the gold.