New Business Is The Life Blood Of Any Enterprise The first instance is if you are selling to a limited target market. If you are targeting Brain Surgeons or Rocket Scientists, a key Sales Rep within you're your own organization could probably reach all of them faster, more cost effectively, and with much better product knowledge than any outside resource. | |
The second instance is if you are selling a low ticket item like a piece of Software, ($200 or $300.dollars in total value), There has to be enough margin in it to make it worth the cold callers time, and still be profitable for you. If your product/service represents a sale of $20,000 and up to over a million, with a good chance of continued on-going business being done, then it's definitely worth considering cold call lead generation as part of your marketing mix. If it's done right you won't find a more cost effective means of marketing for new business development. There are generally 3 basic categories of leads produced by professional cold call lead generators: HOT, WARM and COLD. Hot Warm Cold Keep It Simple! Caution - Lead generators should not divulge too much information. That works in mail order, when the Prospect wants much information as possible to avoid making the wrong buying decision. But in lead generation "discretion is the better part of valor". Avoid too much talk during the initial cold call. Many people will suggest you send literature just to get you off the phone. It's a judgment call on your part. If you feel the interest is genuine a brief e-mail with an overview attachment introducing your Company will suffice. Anything over 2-3 pages likely won't be read. Don't disclose too much too soon. The idea is to get them to talk about problems, frustrations, aches/pains, etc. The objective of the cold call is to capture their name, title, address, phone number, and any other pertinent data that can be used in a pre-arranged follow up call where you try to initiate further action, like a meeting or on-line demo. Saying too much upfront may satisfy your Prospect's hunger, but provide reasons for them to not respond positively. Some Techniques Stay focused on getting the lead. Don't get carried away with the creative aspects of copy, design, and production. Keep your message as simple and clean as possible. In this age of information overload the idea is to tweak your prospect's interest in the free offer. Don't talk about your company, and then tack on an offer. And don't talk too much! If you say too much, you'll prematurely quench the thirst for information. Gather the information you need to make the sale. The only reason for offering something free is to get a name, address, phone number, and other information to begin the sales process. Be careful if you ask for an e-mail response, since prospects may not give you everything you need. And if you want to direct prospects to your web site, create a special URL that will ask for contact information first. A company in the telecommunications business illustrates how well simplicity can work. A mailing was sent out with a free USB Computer data storage device offer. Easily fitting into a pocket or purse, these devices are about the size of a finger, store about 64 megabytes, and are useful for anyone wishing to transport data without having to tote a Computer around. A follow up call to those prospects who responded produced a significant percentage of demos and meetings. An accounting firm sent a letter offering a free demo CD may I send it to you?" It didn't talk about the company, but went on to describe what was on the CD. A two-sided insert did not discuss the Company's services, but presented success stories from Companies who use their services. In each piece there was a clear call to action pushing the CD. The free offer should help your prospect solve a problem. Forget positioning and pr and the rest of the fluff. Give your offer value. For an accounting firm, offering a "free tax reduction kit" is of more interest than "a free brochure about the ABC Accounting Firm." It's great if you can cure a particular ache or pain! A Computer Consultant specializing in troubleshooting and tune-ups offers the first hour free to new Customers. He tells them if they don't like what he's doing the first hour they can terminate the session without having to pay anything. The Bottom Line Lastly, don't expect your top Closers to cross train in cold calling. They usually hate it! It takes a certain type of individual with a unique set of skills and some innate inborn qualities to cold call and generate well-qualified leads for your Sales People to develop and close! |
Published: Wednesday, March 30, 2005
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