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A “Warm Calling” vs. “Cold Calling” Rant
by Wendy Weiss
Weiss Communications
Had another conversation with yet another entrepreneur who
told me he does not “cold call,” he only does “warm calls.”
I continue to be baffled by those who cut off possibilities
with a semantic twist. “Cold call, warm call,” it’s simply a
state of mind. Your mind. Your prospect does not make those
distinctions. Just because you have designated a call to be
“warm” doesn’t mean that the person you are calling thinks
it’s “warm.” This “warm call/cold call” concept is a smoke
screen that covers the real issue.
The real issue is controlling your message. The real issue is
being able to communicate with a prospect so that they
understand and resonate with what you have to say. The real
issue is about having the skill necessary to communicate with
a prospect under any circumstance.
Prospecting by phone, introductory calling as I prefer, is a
communication skill. Like any communication skill it can be
learned and it can be improved upon.
The idea when introductory calling is to contact a qualified prospect and entice them with your message. You have a brief amount of time
on the telephone to catch and engage your prospect. If you are
not able to do that, the call ends without achieving your
desired result. If you have the proper skills, however, it is
possible to have extremely productive conversations with
prospects no matter how you choose to categorize them, “warm”
or “cold.”
The idea of a “warm call” is that you’ve had some prior
contact with your prospect and that you have somehow “warmed
up” the call. The prior contact might be with a letter sent
before your call, it might be that you have encountered the
prospect elsewhere it could also be that you have a referral.
All too frequently callers who use the “I only warm call”
approach do not adequately prepare for their calls. Instead,
they rely on the appellation “warm.” If you are one of these
callers, stop right here and ask yourself these questions:
- How many “warm” prospects have said “no” to me over the
years?
- Would those calls have been more productive if I had been
better prepared and more in control of my message?
Although you may have sent a letter, you have no guarantee
that your prospect has read it. Although you may have met
previously, your prospect may not recall that. Although you
may have a referral that is no guarantee that your prospect
will meet with you or have any interest at all in your
products or services.
When you are on the phone with a prospect you must deal with
them, where they are, at that particular moment in time. If
your prospect hasn’t read your letter, doesn’t remember the
person who referred you, or is simply having a bad day, that’s
out of your control. What is within your control when
prospecting is to have honed your skills so that your message
is clear and so that you can respond in any situation.
When you have skills, you know how to catch a prospect’s
attention, you know how to keep their attention, you know how
to respond to questions and objections and you know how to ask
for what you want. When you have those skills it’s no longer
about a “warm” call or a “cold” call, it’s about
communication, conversation and results.
If you find that you need more help Getting Past the Palace
Guard, please visit http://www.wendyweiss.com and buy the product
with the same name, Getting Past the Palace Guard.
© 2006 Wendy Weiss
Wendy Weiss
"The Queen of Cold Calling"
Sales Training/Sales Coaching
**Gain confidence, reach more prospects, close more sales and make more money.**
P.O. Box 20664
London Terrace Station
New York, NY 10011
212-463-8212
Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling & Selling Success,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her free e-zine, her recently released program, at
http://www.wendyweiss.comCold Calling College, and/or her book, Cold Calling for Women, can be ordered by visiting www.wendyweiss.com
Visit www.wendyweiss.com today to learn more about our services and read testimonials from clients. Call 212-463-8212 or e-mail wendy @ wendyweiss.com for a complimentary consultation.
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