Scott Adams Dilbert™ Comic Strip from December 6th reminded me of several of the sales managers and executives I have had the privilege of working with over these many years. This gem should bring a smile and a pucker to most everyone that considers themselves a salesmaker:
Despite many pronouncements that the Cold-Call is dead, I am sad to report that it is alive and well. In spite of all the new and wonderful tools that I write and speak about, cold-calls are being made each day in every industry. You may be in Dilbert’s position yourself, having been handed a script with an offer not too unlike the one above. For that I am truly sorry. In the long term, get me invited to speak with your sales and company leadership and I will do my best to convince them that there is a better way. In the short term, share your pain with the rest of us by providing your painful “cold-calling script” in the comments area below. At least we can share in each other’s misery.
Miles,
When I began my sales career (Mesozoic Era) we were given scripts that emphasized how big we were, how long in business, and how many clients we had. Not one word about what we could do to help the customer.
I made some sales, probably by accident. I have never looked back and I have never used a script again.
Cheers,
Marc
Marc, sounds very similar to my experience. I still know people in sales that never modified their approach.
I enjoyed this article – I run Starting Customer Conversations Workshops – eliminate your sales constraint. Feel free to call me on 0425 250 677 or email odile.faludi@ensemblepartnes.com.au for more details. Many thanks, Odile
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Love it! Cold calling still works, there’s no doubt about it. It just takes an investment of time and a whole lot of persistence, mixed with a great attitude. For those interested in outsourcing their cold calling and B2B appointment setting, give Virtual Appoint a look…full disclosure, I work for the company, but this is exactly what we do – we make cold calls so salespeople can focus on closing the sale: http://www.virtualappoint.com.
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