The Terror of Cold Calling

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

What can strike terror into the heart of even the most successful sales professionalor entrepreneur? What can crush self confidence, destroy self esteem and leave even the most seasoned quivering with humiliation and defeat? But fear not! 

Top Ten Tips for Terminating Telephone Terror  

1. Make telephone calls.  Few things are more terrifying than the unknown. The fear you create for yourself is far worse than the reality of cold calling. Once you start making telephone calls and continue making telephone calls it gets easier. You overcome fear by doing. 

2. Make a lot of telephone calls: If you have only one prospect to pursue, that prospect becomes overwhelmingly important. If you have hundreds of leads, no one prospect can make or break you. The more calls you make, the more success you will have.

3. Prepare: Prepare for cold calling the way you would for any major presentation. Know what you want to say, how you want to say it and how you want to represent yourself, your company, your product or service. And know the goal of your telephone call.

4. Practice: If you are new to cold calling or uncomfortable with cold calling practice your pitch out loud. Role-play with friends or colleagues. Practice various sales scenarios. This way you will not have to worry about what you are going to say, you will be prepared and you can focus in on your prospect.

5. Start with less important leads: It will be good practice and less stressful. Once you feel more comfortable, start working on the more important leads. 

6. Stay calm: You will for the most part be talking to people who will appreciate your call. If a prospect is rude, remember: This is not personal. They may just be having a bad day. Move on.

7. Your priorities and your prospect’s priorities are different: You want an immediate “yes,” your prospect may want to finish a report, finish a conversation, start their vacation… Be very careful not to read negative or extra meaning into early conversations with your prospect or prospect’s secretary. If, for example, your prospect’s secretary says that your prospect is “on the phone,” “in a meeting,” or “out of the office,” that does not translate to “My prospect knows that I am calling and is avoiding me. 

8. Some things are out of your control: If a prospect does say “no” ultimately that is out of your control—but what is within your control is continuing to prospect and continuing to make calls. It is also within your control to improve your cold calling skills, take seminars, read books or hire a coach—then fewer prospects will say “no.”

9. The object of Arlene’s game is to focus on rejection. The goal is to reach 100 points. You get 1 point for every rejection. Give yourself 1 point for every “no” answer. If your prospect says “yes,” that’s a bonus! Focus on acquiring points. The more calls you make, the more points you acquire. When you reach 100—You Win! Give yourself a prize!

10. Have fun: This is not life or death—it’s only a cold call. The fate of the world does not rest on you and your telephone. You will not destroy your company or ruin your life if a prospect says “no.” Loosen up, be creative, have some fun!

Telephone Etiquette Sounds Right

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

A true story. In the course of sending out a mailing to prospective clients, I found it necessary to verify some addresses. I called the main telephone number for one of those prospective clients. The receptionist answered the call, and a conversation ensued…

RECEPTIONIST: ABC Company.

WENDY: I have some correspondence that I'm addressing, and I need to verify some information. Your mailing address is 123 Main Street?

RECEPTIONIST: Sounds right.

Sounds right? (Question: How did she get to work that morning?) Sounds right? Does this sound right to you?

The person answering the telephone at your company is your representative to the world. This is the person who makes the first impression for your company, and the world sees this
representative as YOU. In this conversation, the receptionist seemed unconcerned, careless and not too bright. A caller could easily assume that this is the way the entire company functions, that it's the way YOU function. 

Think about the impression you wish to make. Do you want to be seen as clueless (I don't know my own address) or as intelligent, businesslike and professional?

Here are some tips to help make an intelligent, businesslike and professional impression on the telephone:

1. Hire someone whose speech is clear, articulate and pleasing. (Tip: Have your job candidates leave a voice mail for you. If you do not understand what they are saying, or
you do not care for their tone or speech quality—no one else will either.)
2. Make sure that your telephone representatives know all key company information (your company name, address, etc.). Have that information posted prominently for easy reference.
3. Develop a plan to route and handle all calls. Have the plan in place before problems occur. 
4. Make sure that anyone answering your company telephone knows the responsibilities of various individuals at the company. Again, have that information posted prominently for easy reference.
5. There is an old saying, "The customer is always right." Bring that saying back. Treat all callers, even ones that call to complain, with respect and concern.
6. Try not to put callers on hold. (Do you like being put on hold?) If you must put a caller on hold, explain that you are doing so and that you will be back in just a moment. If that moment is longer than anticipated, go back to the caller and tell them it is taking longer than you anticipated. Offer them the option of calling back, going to voice mail or continuing to hold.
7. Do not chew gum, eat, drink or have conversations with other people in the room when you are answering telephone calls. Keep background noise to a minimum — no loud conversations or music.
8. Treat your callers the way you would want to be treated. If you're not sure, ask yourself, "How would I feel or react if someone said or did this to me?" Act accordingly.

Teaching Customer Service Reps: The Art of Listening

Guest blog by Adrian Miller

Effective listening is perhaps the most valuable skill you can teach your Customer Service team. It is the linchpin in a needs-based, consultative service strategy that determines and delivers what the customer needs and wants.

Simply put, listening enables reps to draw customers into an interactive conversation in which they can ask perceptive questions, probe for reactions, and respond to those reactions appropriately.

But most people aren't natural listeners, let alone trained in the art of listening. That's probable because real listening involves letting go of ego---temporarily subjugating one's own agenda in the interest of understanding another's message. The fact is, however, that most of us either don't hear the message at all, or hear it but misinterpret its meaning.

Listening can be especially, and understandably, difficult for Customer Service Reps because they are under pressure to handle a volume of calls, and therefore are concentrating on what they have to say next instead of paying close attention to what the customer is actually communicating. Nevertheless, there are techniques you can teach reps to use that will demonstrate real interest in the customer--an excellent way to establish rapport and a powerful form of communication.

Tips and Tactics

Listening involves several steps: hearing what is said; interpreting what it really means; and responding in a positive way that shows that the message has been understood and is considered important. There is virtually no better way to create a favorable impression than by showing others that you are interested in and value their opinions. Moreover, it is sometimes the only way you can elicit attitudes and discover needs--information that is crucial to satisfying the customer.

Here are some simple tactics for effective listening:

? Tune out distractions and focus on each call as if it were the most important of the day

? Concentrate on what the customer is saying rather than thinking about what YOU want to say

? Don't interrupt; a customer's willingness to talk, within a reasonable time period, represents a golden opportunity to find out the problem / situation

? Don't jump to conclusions

? Become attuned to tone of voice and inflection; these can be as telling as the words themselves

? Occasionally repeat what the customer has said--it shows attention and comprehension

? Ask for clarification if a statement or objection is vague

? Create rapport by smiling (even in telephone sales a smile can be HEARD through the phone!)

? Take notes to be sure you remember the customer's key points

? Be familiar with common questions and problems and practice responding in a natural, conversational manner

? Control your emotions and be courteous, no matter how rude the customer might be

? Continually evaluate whether you are asking the right questions to uncover and solve the problem

Other Management Tools

Managers who provide reps with good training and thorough preparation on how to provide excellent customer care will give reps the confidence to be extemporaneous--to listen and respond--without losing sight of the ultimate goal; to satisfy the customer you. Teaching by example is, of course, a great way to make a point. Managers who listen to employee needs and encourage listening in staff meetings and informal group situations will help reinforce the value of this important skill. 

Finally, keep in mind as you train your reps in the art of listening that the process requires not only strict attention to what is being said, but its nuances and innuendoes. The exceptional listener is one who has learned how to use intuition to sift through the verbiage, find the salient nuggets, and turn them to advantage.

What goes around comes around. Respect rights of others, especially your parents. Your children will learn from your good example and if you are lucky, they will not throw out your precious "junk" behind your back when you are old. 

Talking to a Prospect as if to a Friend

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

While working with a new coaching client, I asked to hear her sound bite. Everyone needs a good sound bite. A sound bite, sometimes also called an "elevator speech," is a 10- to 15-second commercial on what your company does, offers or stands for. Use it when you meet someone new in business, use it at networking meetings, and use it on the telephone as part of your introductory calling script.

Here is the sound bite from my client:
Client: We offer complete marketing solutions.
Wendy: (With eyes glazing over…) Huh?

The idea behind the sound bite or elevator speech is to communicate clearly, easily and effectively what you do and why someone else should be interested in what you do.

I asked my client, if a friend asked her to explain what she does, would the answer be "complete marketing solutions"? Probably not. And there's your litmus test. If a phrase would make a friend think you'd suddenly lost your mind, don't use it in a conversation with a prospect! Most likely, it sounds artificial and probably doesn't actually mean anything. That same phrase may be fine in writing, for your brochure or web site, but it is not as effective in spoken language, because written language and spoken language are different.

These differences come into play when you are writing an introductory calling script. Write your script down the way that you speak. If your script is in written language, you will sound phony. Real people do not speak with capital letters at the start of sentences and periods at the end. People actually speak more in
phrases or fragments, with pauses and the occasional "ah" or "um..." Write your introductory calling script with no punctuation and no capitalization. If there is a point that you particularly wish to emphasize, underline or highlight it. It is imperative that you sound real, so you may want to try talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and writing down what you've said.

Try to stay "jargon-free." Every industry has its own jargon, but you must know and use jargon appropriately. If your prospect does not understand your industry jargon, then she will not understand you when you use it! Instead, become conversant with your prospect's industry jargon—then, she will see you as an expert who understands her industry and her issues and concerns.

When you are writing your script, keep in mind a particular individual to whom you will be speaking. Picture this person as a friend, as someone who is open and receptive to what you have to say. Speak to that person as you would to a friend, and not in formal business language taken from your company brochure.

I have seen perfectly reasonable, articulate human beings become stiff, formal and uncomfortable while trying to speak in a manner they believe to be "businesslike." They use unwieldy phrases like "complete marketing solutions," because someone told them it sounds more professional. It doesn't. If no one understands what you are talking about, no one will buy your product or service. Be yourself, and speak as you would to a friend. Remember your litmus test: Do not include anything in your introductory calling script that would make a friend raise an eyebrow.

The very definition of an introductory call is that you are talking to a stranger. You are telling your story to someone who knows nothing about you, your company and your product or service. You must be clear. For the ultimate test, before you get on the telephone, try role-playing your script with an eight- or nine-year-old. If that kid does not understand what you are talking about—no one else will either.

Stuff We Make Up About Our Prospects

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

"Please tell (your prospect) that (your name) from (your company) is on the line."

Hardly a phrase to arouse conflict—but astonishingly, it does!

"Please tell (your prospect) that (your name) from (your company) is on the line" is the phrase that I advise introductory callers to use with secretaries in answer to the question, "What is this in reference to?" [Note: Do not use this answer with a receptionist—that is a different situation with a different response. Receptionists aren't screening—they're saying, "There is no one here by that title."]

Routinely, when I'm conducting workshops or working one-on-one with coaching clients, people tell me this phrase sounds "rude," "pushy" or "too aggressive." They fear that in saying this phrase to a secretary, that secretary may respond negatively and keep them from their prospect.

This is fascinating. The words themselves are neutral. "Please tell (your prospect) that (your name) from (your company) is on the line." There's even a "please" at the beginning of the sentence to make it polite!

What causes this uproar? Let's imagine that Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon Products, Inc., calls your prospect and says to the secretary, "Please tell (your prospect) that Andrea Jung from Avon is on the line." Is she being "rude," "pushy" or "too aggressive"?

How about President George W. Bush? If he calls your prospect and says to the secretary, "Please tell (your prospect) that George W. Bush is on the line," is he being "rude," "pushy" or "too aggressive"?

If you believe that Andrea Jung and George W. Bush can say this sentence and you cannot, what does this say about your belief system? Do you believe that you and what you have to say are not important enough? If so, it is time to change the way you think. "Pushy," "too aggressive," and "rude " are all judgments that you put on yourself. Put another way, it's "stuff you make up." 

Remember that on an introductory call, your prospect's secretary (just like your prospect) is a stranger. You have no way of knowing what that prospect's secretary is thinking. You can choose to believe that she will view you as "rude," "pushy" or "too aggressive" or you can choose to believe that she will view you as confident, in control and having something important to say. In the first scenario, your expectation is that she will "screen you out." In the second scenario, your expectation is that she would put your call through, that you and your call are important.

Your expectations can become self-fulfilling prophecies. The first expectation is self-defeating. You are "doomed before you dial." The second is empowering—whether or not you actually reach that prospect. There are always more prospects, and you have the power to make more calls. Your expectation that your call is important and that you will eventually reach your prospect puts you in control.

© 2003 Wendy Weiss

Survival Strategies for Entrepreneurs

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales  
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

1. Do the moneymaking things first.
For an entrepreneur, generating income is the most important job. Without income, your business will cease to exist.

2. Develop a sales and marketing plan.
What are you selling? Who is going to buy it? Where and how will you find them? Establish your sales goals, and then view your plan as your map to reach those goals.

3. Follow your sales and marketing plan.
While plans do sometimes change, one of the biggest challenges faced by entrepreneurs is how to be proactive rather than merely reactive. Having a plan in place and following it allows the entrepreneur to move the business forward.

4. Do at least three things every day to promote your business.
In the immediacy of day-to-day business life, it is easy to let sales and marketing activities fall by the wayside. Keeping on top of and servicing existing accounts seems to always take
precedence over developing new accounts. But without new accounts, there are no future accounts! Keep your momentum by doing at least three sales/marketing/promotional items every day.

5. Do the things you do well. Hire people or partner with others
to do the rest.
You cannot expect yourself to do everything perfectly. Even if you did, there are not that many hours in a day. Do what you do well. Do what makes money. Delegate the rest.

6. Delegate appropriately and effectively.
Find people whom you trust to do what needs to be done. Be clear about your expectations and their responsibilities.

7. Give employees some autonomy in their decision-making process.
Once you have the appropriate people in place, let them do their job. Micromanaging is not a good use of your time. You have hired your employees to do the things you cannot do or do not want to do. Let them do it.

8. Encourage employees to think creatively.
Encourage an atmosphere of ownership and responsibility by allowing employees to offer suggestions, make changes and discover new possibilities.

9. Minimize paperwork and bureaucracy.
While accurate records are important, records and paperwork are meant to help, not be an end in themselves. Always ask yourself if a particular procedure helps or hinders. Decide what to do accordingly.

10. Schedule time to have fun.

Enough said.

Summertime Blues

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

It's summertime!

1.   No one wants to be bothered.
2.   It's too hot.
3.   It's a beautiful day; everyone is out.
4.   No one is thinking about work.
5.   Prospects are getting ready to go on vacation.
6.   Everyone is o I'm preparing to go on vacation.
9.   I'm on vacation.
10. I've just returned from vacation.
11. My assistant is on vacation.
12. Their assistant is on vacation.
13. No one is in on Mondays.
14. No one is in on Fridays.
15. Prospects are catching up midweek.
16. Prospects leave the office early.
17. Prospects go to the office late.
18. Prospects take long lunches.
19. No one makes appointments till after July 4th.
20. No one makes appointments till after Labor Day.

Print this list out. Send it to your competition. Then, get on the telephone!

Life and work continue, even in the summer! If it's too hot, then your prospects will be in their nice, air-conditioned offices-where you should be, too, making calls. If it is a beautiful day, 
some people may be out. The rest will not.

Everyone is not on vacation every day. If you happen to call someone who is on vacation, call him or her back when they return. If they are planning a vacation, schedule the meeting for
when they return. If they have just returned from their vacation, schedule for a time when they say they will be caught up. If you are going on vacation, schedule for when you return.

Prospects are in the office on Mondays and Fridays, early and late. They are frequently at their desks during lunch-especially when you are calling the boss.

Prospects make appointments all summer long, just as they do in the fall, winter and spring. If a prospect asks you to call back after a holiday, suggest that you "pencil in a meeting for after the holiday." Promise that you will call to confirm it. Do so!

© 2005 Wendy Weiss

Sales Tips I Learned from My Cat

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales  
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

I love my cat. Her name is Ms. Kitty. She was named after Mr. Cat, who died 11 years ago, and after Amanda Blake of "Gun Smoke" fame. Ms. Kitty and I just celebrated our birthdays. She's 11. I'm... well, I celebrated a birthday, too. 

Those of you who are cat lovers are nodding your heads and smiling. The rest of you probably think I've totally lost it. But before you tune out completely, let me share some of the fabulous sales tips that I have learned from Ms. Kitty and from all the cats in my life.

<<Be clear in knowing your goal>>

Ms. Kitty always knows what she wants. Whether it'smore food or to be petted or not to be petted, she knows what she wants and when she wants it. She spends much time pondering her wants. All that time spent sleeping on the coach is not what it appears. She's really planning her next move.

<<Ask for what you want>>

Once Ms. Kitty has determined her goal, she asks for it. Clearly and concisely. "Meow." She lets me know in no uncertain terms what she wants. And if I'm not clever enough to understand the first time, she is patient with me until I do. 

<<Ask again>>

If at first you don't succeed. Ms. Kitty asks, and asks and asks. She won't go away. She won't stop saying, "Meow." She wants what she wants when she wants it, and she lets nothing stand in her way.

<<Ask a lot of people>>

Ms. Kitty has learned over time that I don't always immediately accede to her demands. That's okay. She just asks someone else. And then someone else. Eventually, some human being says "yes."

<<Be persistent>>

Ms. Kitty never judges herself. She doesn't worry about being "too pushy" or "too aggressive." She doesn't worry that her prospect might be "too busy" or "already have a cat." She believes in herself, she knows what she wants, and she keeps asking until she gets it.

<<Don't take "no" for an answer>>

Ms. Kitty is clever and creative. She keeps asking. She asks many people. She reworks her pitch and starts over. She does not hear "no." She realizes that sometimes humans are slow and she just has to keep after us till we "get it." It's a process.

Eighty Percent Of Success is Showing UP

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of: Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

The above quote, "Eighty percent of success is showing up." is from Woody Allen. It was particularly appropriate this past weekend.

I went to take a dance class. My favorite teacher was back in town for a short time. I was thrilled and ready to dance! This teacher is incredibly talented, an excellent dancer, good
choreographer and her class is high energy and fun! I had often wondered why she was not more successful as a teacher or why she never got into a decent dance company.

I rearranged my entire schedule to be there. So did a number of her students. One cut short her holiday weekend with her parents to get on a plane and fly back in time for the class. Another rearranged her work schedule, going in to work at 4:00 a.m. in order to be done in time for the afternoon class.

The class never happened. My favorite teacher called in "sick" at the last minute.

When she taught regularly in New York City this teacher had a habit of canceling classes at the last minute. She'd been gone for six months and was scheduled to teach only four classes over the holidays. So far she's only made it to the first class. She called in sick for the second. Was she sick? Perhaps and who cares? 

I'll never again rearrange my day to take her class. I know several other dancers who also will never again rearrange their days for her and even more dancers who will simply never take
her class again! Now I understand why this teacher never got very far in the dance world.

I was raised on the old show business adage, "The show must go on." It has served me well. As a young dancer it was drilled into my head that the audience didn't care how I felt. They were there to see me dance. They'd paid a lot of money to see me dance and it was my responsibility to be at my best, no matter how I felt.

While that "nobody cares how you feel" message may not be the best message for a child, in business and in sales it's the truth.

Your prospects and customers want what they want when they want it. It is your job to deliver. If you do not, they will find another source.

The first rule of prospecting and selling: Show up.

Most sales are made between the 7th and 12th contact with a prospect. Most sales people stop at about three to four contacts. All you have to do to sell more is show up a few more
times!

Want to build trust and rapport? Show up. Keep showing up. Do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it. No excuses. Prospects and customers like and trust people who do what they say they're going to do, when they say they're going to do it!

Want to close the sale? Show up and ask for the order. If you do not get the order that time, show up and ask again.

It doesn't matter how smart you are. It doesn't matter how talented you are. It doesn't matter how great your product is. If you don't show up, nothing else counts.

© 2004 Wendy Weiss

Sales Plan? What's a Sales Plan?

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

In the past, if you said the word "plan" to me, I would bolt and run. I'm the "creative type," a former ballet dancer and choreographer-I'm terrible with details. When I was dancing professionally, all the details were taken care of; all I had to do was show up and dance. Even when I was choreographing, as long as I met my deadline for when the dance needed to be complete, I could go with the moment, go with the impulse and see where the dance led.

A hearty dose of reality hit when I began to run a dance company. All of a sudden, I had people-employees, volunteers and dancers-waiting. I had to know where we were going and how we were going to get there. It was a different world. Every decision had impact
down the line. If we were going to have a spring season, I needed to know what we would be performing and where we'd be performing it. How many dancers would I need? What about costumes? Were we going to commission music? What would it cost? How would we pay for it all?

It took a long time for me to grasp the impact of having a plan. Because I was running a small, grass roots organization, there never seemed to be enough time, people, money or resources. I was always putting out fires. Every plan I developed changed the moment I keyed in the last sentence and printed it out. Plan-who has time to plan? Especially when the plan keeps changing!

Over time, I began to see the planning process as a road map. You know your ultimate goal. You figure out the best way to get there. Your plan needs to include contingencies and have enough space that you can deal with fires and still move forward. And
sometimes, the plan changes; it might need some adjustment or "tweaking." As long as the goal remains the same and as long as you keep taking steps forward to achieve that goal, your plan will help you get there.

In sales, your goal is revenue-driven. How much money do you want to make? Or a better question: How much profit do you want to make? Then, how are you going to achieve that?

Your basic plan should start with a dollar amount and work backwards. If, for example, you want to gross $500,000 in sales this year, on average, how many sales would that be? What is your average sale? On average, how many prospects do you have to see or speak with to close one sale? So, how many prospects would you need to see or speak with to close the number of sales you would need to reach your goal of $500,000? What steps do you need to take to see or speak with that many prospects?

Wow! What a mouthful! Here is a mathematical formula:

First:
Value of average sale =______________
How many prospects to close one sales: _______________

Then:
Gross sales ? average sale = total number of sales needed

Number of prospects to close one sale x total number of sales needed = total number of prospects

(This formula is from a dancer who counts up to 8 and starts over again! If I can do it-you can do it!)

Then:
How will you reach those prospects?

Sales Letters - Yes? or No?

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

The scene…
Date: Any day
Where: Anytown, USA
Time: All the time
Cast: 
The Sales Person (SP)
The Prospect (P)

A conversation ensues…

SP: I recently sent you a letter outlining all of the benefits of working with ABC Company. Did you receive it?
P: What did it look like?
SP: It was in a white envelope.
P: What was in it?
SP: A letter outlining all of the benefits of working with ABC Company.
P: It's probably here somewhere…
SP: Ah…
P: Could you send it again?

Do you find yourself having conversations much like the above? Do you find yourself hanging up the telephone muttering, "Why don't they just clean their desk! Why don't they just get organized!" Are you frustrated and angry when the above situation occurs?

There is a simple solution: DON'T SEND A SALES LETTERS FIRST!

There is one exception to the above rule: if your sales letter generates a return telephone call—not occasionally, but all the time or in very, very high numbers. Then you have an effective sales letter. It does what it is supposed do: It generates a response. Keep using it and doing exactly what you are doing.

If your sales letter does not generate phone calls, stop sending it. It is not helping you. Sending a letter first does not "warm up" your call—it can actually be counterproductive. Usually your letter ends up in a pile on your prospect's desk; they haven't read it or they have lost it. You end up having a conversation like the above—or in an alternate scenario, a conversation like this one:

P: I got your letter. I filed it. I'll call if I need you.

Or worse…

P: I don't remember it, but if you sent it, I probably got it and filed it. I'll call if I need you.

You will never get to the next step in your sales process this way.

Make your call first and ask for what you want. If you are calling to set an introductory new business meeting—use your script and then ask for the meeting. If at that point your
prospect asks to receive written material, by all means send it and send it right way! If your prospect has said "no"—then they do not really need any material. This approach will save time, effort and postage. 

If you call first and your prospect absolutely, positively insists on receiving written material first, this also gives you a second chance to call her back and try for that meeting. 
Sometimes, you can promise to send literature immediately and at the same time suggest that you both "pencil in a meeting" for a few weeks later, after they have had a chance to review the materials. This way, everyone gets what they want!

Spend your time effectively, making telephone calls—not sending out letters that no one reads. 

Qualifying Your Prospect

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

How do you respond when an absolute stranger calls, at work or at home, and begins to ask questions? “Are you the person who…?” “What is your marketing strategy?” “Do you own or rent?” Even, “How are you today?”

Are you annoyed and put off by these questions? Do you respond, “I already have a vendor,” “I’m not interested,” “Send a brochure” or “What are you selling?” (These days my response is to tell these callers to read Cold Calling for Women!)

This question-asking strategy does not work. It does not work to qualify your prospect, and it does not work to set your prospect at ease. If anything, this strategy puts you at a disadvantage and makes your prospect not want to speak with you!

Here is a better approach: Allow your prospect to “self-qualify”—allow them to tell you that they are the decision-maker. This is how: Position yourself as the expert. Give your prospect a reason to want to speak with you, and set yourself up as the person with the credentials who has the right to ask questions. 

Use your script. Introduce yourself, your company and your product or service. Tell your prospect something about the above in such as way as to “stand out from the crowd.” Talk about your experience in the industry or your company’s credentials. Explain what you do in a way that is different from everyone else in the entire world that is doing something similar. 

Talk about your business and the unique benefits you offer. You can use phrases like “we specialize in…” or “our reputation is…” or “we are known for…” You can also name-drop credentials to help this “expert positioning.” Mention clients or customers in similar businesses as your prospect. This does two things: it lets your prospect know that you are familiar with their industry, and it also makes prospects feel safer if they have not heard of you before. If someone has referred you, mention her name. 

Once you set yourself up as the expert, then you are in a position to ask some of your predetermined qualifying questions. Ask them. This way, you are likely to get answers! In the ensuing conversation, the prospect will more than likely tell you that he or she is the decision-maker. If they do not, you can ask, “How is this decision made?” “Who else is involved in this decision?” “How has this decision been made in the past?” “What is your decision-making process?”

If you approach qualifying your prospect in this manner, you are setting up a relationship of equals. You are someone with expert credentials, someone with whom your prospect would want to talk. Your prospect will respond in kind. It is a far easier and far more effective way of qualifying prospects. 

Prospecting Success

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

I spent my formative years in ballet class. While other kids went out to play, I went to ballet class. In high school while others attended after-school activities or hung out together, I went to ballet class. By my mid-teens I was taking class five or six times a week or maybe even more. This was a habit that continued till injuries sidelined my professional dancing career.

This habit of taking a ballet class every day was not mine alone. Every dancer, professional or those seeking to become professional, takes class every day. It's a habit, it's a reality, it goes with the job. It is impossible to dance professionally without taking class. Even the stars, 
Barishnykov, for example, take class every day.

In my late teens I had some personal crises that stopped me from going to class everyday. At one of my rare appearances in class, my teacher asked where I had been. I told her what was
going on in my life. She said to me, "That's no reason not to take class. You have to take class everyday, no matter what."

Sounds harsh doesn't it? But she was right. Not taking class only gave me something else to feel bad about.

When I started my sales training business, I used that same "no matter what" approach to prospecting. I prospected every day. I started out with absolutely no corporate connections. I
was a ballet dancer, I only knew other ballet dancers. I did, however, know how to prospect. On and off for years my "day job" had been telemarketing. I began to prospect the same way
I learned to take class, every day, no matter what. Five years later I have a thriving business. Even today I continue to prospect every day, while perhaps not for as many hours. Every
day brings some prospecting activity, no matter what.

So how does the busy entrepreneur, busy owner or sales professional find the time to prospect every day no matter what? The answer is simple, put it in your calendar. Schedule
time in your calendar every day for prospecting activity. At the scheduled time put aside what you are doing and prospect. Do not take other calls, do not work on other projects, do not
allow interruptions. Simply prospect. When the time you have scheduled is over, stop prospecting and go on with your other tasks.

Schedule appointments with yourself to prospect and keep those appointments. We get angry and upset when prospects miss appointments. Ask yourself: Why is it all right to miss an appointment with yourself? 

Prospecting success (just like learning to dance) comes over time. In order to keep your sales funnel full you must constantly be on the lookout for leads and prospects. By
keeping your funnel full you avoid the boom and bust cycles that so many entrepreneurs and sales professionals experience. To be successful you must engage in some prospecting activity everyday, no matter what. It's a habit, it's a reality, it goes with the job.

Purple Envelopes

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

In a recent individual sales coaching session, my client was lamenting her inability to grab the attention of a particular prospect. She described the many letters she had sent and the information contained in the letters. Essentially her letters were lists of all the services
(features) offered by the company and concluded with a tepid, "I will call to follow up." The letter could easily have been written by any of her competitors. She sent it out in a white envelope. It was not surprising that her prospect had not responded.

While I generally recommend against sending letters before a prospecting call, if you are sending a letter, you must make it interesting. If your letter could be written by any
of your competition, there is nothing to differentiate you from your competition. This rule applies for crafting your telephone prospecting script as well. If you say the same things that your competition says, you will be perceived to be the same as your competition. Another important facet of letter writing is getting your letter opened. Thousands of books have been written on this subject. If the prospect does not open your envelope, they will not read your
letter.

I mentioned to my client that all correspondence from my office goes out in purple envelopes. And prospects notice! I'd like to be able to tell you that I knew to use purple envelopes because I am a marketing genius. The reality is, I accessorize.

When my first book, "Cold Calling for Women" came out I sent out hundreds of review copies with media kits. The cover of "Cold Calling for Women" is deep purple and hot pink. Clearly, I needed deep purple folders for the media kits and then, just as clearly, I needed a purple envelope to complete the ensemble. (It annoys me if my nail polish and lipstick don't match.)

I called every reviewer to say that I was sending a review copy of the book in a purple envelope. Then I sent the review copy and media kit in the purple envelope. After that, I would call to confirm that the reviewer had received it. An amazing thing happened. Reviewers receive thousands of books every week, yet every reviewer with whom I spoke knew exactly what book I was referring to.

Since that time, I have continued to use purple envelopes, for correspondence, for contracts, for media kits. it doesn't matter. Prospects always know which package is mine, because it's in a purple envelope.

My client, however, was horrified. "No, no, no," she said. "Our clients are staid and conservative. It's an 'old boy's network.'" I found this to be an amazing statement, since
there is no way my client, "Sally," would ever fit into an "old boy's network" no matter what she did. There's a demoralizing goal: Trying to desperately to fit into and be a part of a group that will never accept you.

I said to Sally, "At this moment in time, you already do not have that prospect as a client. The prospect has ignored every attempt that you have made to contact them. There is no risk here. You have nothing to lose. It's time to do something different. In order to be noticed you must do something noticeable."

My first advice to Sally then was to stop sending letters and try to reach the prospect directly by telephone. (Making sure that she had first crafted a compelling script.) When asked by the secretary, "What is this in reference to?" Sally could truthfully say, "We've had correspondence."

If the direct telephone approach didn't work then Sally's next option might be to try another letter. But in this case she would need a compelling, interesting, benefit-centered letter. She would also need a mechanism (purple envelope or something else) to ensure the letter being
opened.

But there is a bigger issue here: So many people are afraid to take risks, to try something different or to be a little different. The difference can be minor; like purple envelopes or it can be conceptual as in the way you speak about what you do. But whatever that difference is, don't be afraid to embrace it and use it to your advantage.

The status quo is the sales professional's biggest enemy. If your prospects do not perceive a difference between what you have to offer and what their current vendor offers, you will not get the business. You must make that difference visible in ways great and small. That means doing, being, showing difference. 

Proposals: Following Up

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

Readers frequently write and ask: How does one follow up on a proposal when each time you call, you only get voice mail?

Excellent question! Try this:

Always have your calendar or Palm Pilot with you and easily available. When a prospect asks for a proposal, part of your conversation must be about how and when you will deliver that
proposal. Once you have established the time frame for delivery, take out your calendar and say, "Let's pencil in a time for me to come by with the proposal, and we'll be able to talk about it." 

Keeping in mind the parameters and time frame that you just discussed, offer some choices: "Is early next week good for you, or is later in the week better?" This way, you are having a
conversation about when you will meet to discuss the proposal, not if you will meet to discuss the proposal—an important distinction! I also like the word "pencil"—it implies that the
time can be erased or changed, so the prospect does not feel trapped.

This is a strategy that you can use to advantage at any point through out your sales cycle. If, during a meeting with a prospect, it becomes apparent that you will need to meet again, 
set it up there and then. If your prospect says, "Call me next week, and we'll set something up…," you say (taking out your calendar), "Let's pencil something in, and I'll make sure to call
you to confirm." Then, give your prospect some choices: "Is next Thursday or Friday good, or would the following week be better?" If you can set the meeting in this manner, all you need to do is confirm it. It is a much more efficient use of your time. This approach eliminates the endless phone calls, messages or telephone tag that you might otherwise need to follow up with a prospect.

Here's another use of this technique: If you meet someone at a networking meeting who asks you to call, saying that they'd like to have an extended business conversation—take out your calendar. Say, "Do you have your calendar handy? Let's pencil in a meeting, and I'll make sure to call to confirm. Is next week good, or would the week after be better?"

Using this approach, you could halve the number of follow-up phone calls you might need to make.

Going back to the initial scenario we discussed, following up on a proposal: It is always a better idea to present your proposal face-to-face. This way, you can answer questions, articulate benefits, evaluate your prospect's response and negotiate, if need be. You have far more control in this situation.

Powerful, Persuasive and Motivating Language

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

I did a teleconference a few weeks ago with people who were new in sales and new to prospecting. The focus of the call was to help participants get beyond fear and understand their prospecting process.

One of the participants on the call told me that she had been given the telephone prospecting script that her team leader uses to set appointments. The team leader was a highly successful sales professional who had been in the business for many years and made quite a lot of money. The participant, who had been in the business for approximately a week, told me that she was going to work with the script and "make it her own."

"No!" I cried out. "Don't do that! Don't make it your own!" 

My reasoning? This participant was a beginner. She knew nothing about sales or prospecting. She had a script that was crafted by someone who was highly successful on the telephone. This particular participant did not know enough to make it her own. More than likely, in making the script her own she would eliminate all of the powerful, persuasive and motivating language
used by the sales super star who had given her the script.

When you are on the telephone with a prospect you have about 10 seconds to grab and hold your prospect's attention. If you do not do that within that first 10 seconds, your call is more than likely over. If you get through that first 10 seconds, that buys you another 10 seconds. If you get through that 10 seconds it buys you yet another... and so on... 10 seconds is not a lot of time. To get through those 10-second increments, you want to use the most powerful and persuasive words that you have at your disposal.

If you are a beginner it is entirely possible, indeed even likely, that you may not be comfortable with certain powerful words or phrases. They may be very unlike your usual way of speaking. Even if you've been in sales for a while you might be set in your ways, accustomed to certain words and a certain delivery, and changing that might feel uncomfortable.

I've met many people who say they do not want to work with scripts because then they "cannot be themselves." Remembering that your prospecting call happens in 10-second increments you want to be the very best self that you can be, every time. That requires preparation.

One of the things that I've always loved about being in sales is that it is crystal clear. You always know exactly where you are. You are either scheduling appointments, or you're not. You are either closing, or you're not.

If you are new to sales and a successful professional gives you their script--don't change a word. That script will be your gold mine. If you've been in sales for a while and want to try out a new script, test it first. Your old script becomes your baseline. For example, make 30 prospecting calls using your usual script and keep track of the number of appointments that you schedule. Then make 30 more prospecting calls using your new script exactly as written. Keep track of the number of appointments that you schedule. At the end of those 60 calls you will know which script works better. That becomes your new baseline.

© 2006 Wendy Weiss

Power Language for Appointment-Setting

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

1. Use power language: "The solution is." rather than, "I believe the solution is."
2. Never use the word "appointment" when trying to set one. Instead, use the word "meeting." "Meeting" sounds more professional and more important. "I would like to meet with you."
3. Use directed words to reach your prospect. When you ask to speak with your prospect, say, "Jane Jones, please," and not, "May I speak with Jane Jones?" The first sentence conveys authority; the second asks permission.
4. Use directed words (and open-ended questions) to gather information. Ask, "Whom should I speak with?" and not, "Do you know who I should speak with?" The first conveys authority, 
and whomever you are questioning, if they know, must answer with a name. In the second sentence, the response could simply be "yes" or "no."
5. Whether trying to ascertain a good time to call your prospect back or trying to schedule a meeting, it is a good idea to give alternate choices. "Is this afternoon good, or would
tomorrow morning be better?" It is much easier for your prospect to decide "when" rather than "whether."
6. "I'm just calling." Eliminate the word "just" from your vocabulary. That little word "just" is an apology. It says that your call is not important and that what you have to say is not important. Simply tell your prospects and customers why you are calling. That is enough.
7. ".we will hopefully achieve." Hopefully? No one pays you to "hopefully" do something. They pay you to actually do it! Tell your prospects or customers what they will achieve or should
expect to achieve.
8. Be clear and to the point. You are telling your story to a stranger who has never heard it. 

Power Words

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

I conducted a teleconference a few weeks ago with people who were new in sales and new to prospecting. The focus of the call was to help participants get beyond fear and understand their prospecting process.

One of the participants on the call told me that she had been given the telephone prospecting script that her team leader uses to set appointments. The team leader was a highly successful sales professional who had been in the business for many years and made quite a lot of money. The participant, who had been in the business for approximately a week, told me that she was going to work with the script and "make it her own."

"No!" I cried out. "Don't do that! Don't make it your own!"

My reasoning? This participant was a beginner. She knew nothing about sales or prospecting. She had a script that was crafted by someone who was highly successful on the telephone. This particular participant did not know enough to make it her own. More than likely, in making the script her own she would eliminate all of the powerful, persuasive and motivating language used by the sales super star who had given her the script.

Some words are better than others. Some words are stronger and more evocative than others. When you are on the phone with a prospect, you have about 10 seconds to grab and hold
your prospect's attention. If you do not do that within that first 10 seconds, your call is more than likely over. If you get through that first 10 seconds, that buys you another 10 seconds. If you get through that 10 seconds it buys you yet another...and so on...10 seconds is not a lot
of time. To get through those 10-second increments, you want to use the most powerful words that you have at your disposal.

If you are a beginner it is entirely possible, indeed even likely, that you may not be comfortable with certain powerful words or phrases. They may be very unlike your usual way of speaking. Even if you've been in sales for a while you might be set in your ways, accustomed to a certain delivery, and changing that might feel uncomfortable.

I've met many people who say they do not want to work with scripts because then they "cannot be themselves." Remembering that your prospecting call happens in 10-second
increments, you want to be the very best self that you can be, every time. That requires preparation.

One of the things that I've always loved about being in sales is that it is crystal clear. You always know exactly where you are. You are either scheduling appointments, or you're not. You are either closing, or you're not.

If you are new to sales and a successful professional gives you their script-don't change a word. That script will be your gold mine. If you've been in sales for a while and want to try out a new script, test it first. Your old script becomes your baseline. For example, make 30
prospecting calls using your usual script and keep track of the number of appointments that you schedule. Then make 30 more prospecting calls using your new script exactly as written. Keep track of the number of appointments that you schedule. At the end of those 60 calls you will know which script works better. That becomes your new baseline.

Perception Is Reality

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

I was never supposed to be a speaker, author and sales trainer. I was supposed to be a ballerina.

I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. My mother has told me that when I was a small child I would constantly turn on the radio and dance. She said I had no sense of rhythm so she enrolled me in ballet class. That was the beginning of a first career and a great passion.

As a child I danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, always one of the child guests in Act I of Nutcracker. As I grew older, it was the corps de ballet, Snowflake and Waltz of the Flowers. I was even the Sugar Plum Fairy a few times!

At age 17 I moved to New York City to dance, and like every artist in the City, needed a day job. At first I waited on tables. Then I found something more lucrative and more fun-telemarketing.

An ad in "Backstage," the trade publication we would read to look for auditions, caught my attention. It was an ad for a telemarketing company. They would hire actors because actors
can read scripts. (Hiring tip: If you are looking for a part time telemarketer-hire an actor.) The job was calling high-level executives and setting new business appointments. I got the job and was really good at it. Who knew? Ballet dancers don't even talk.

Eventually the telemarketing company started to give me all the "hard leads," the Presidents, the CEO's, the people who "didn't take cold calls." I'd call them, get them on the line, have a great conversation and set up the meeting. It was fun and it was easy.

Years later when I started my training and coaching business I thought all that was necessary was to show clients a system and help them write a good script and we would be finished. 
Imagine my surprise upon discovering all of the human and psychological barriers people face when prospecting by telephone.

That sent me back to the basics to think about not only the system and scripts but also the thought process and mind set as well. I realized something fascinating.

At the time of that initial telemarketing job, I was 19, rather naive and inexperienced in the ways of the world. I lived in a small apartment with four other dancers. I made very little money. Yet, when I would pick up the telephone to call that CEO or President, believe it or not, I felt that I was superior. I may have been calling someone who made 100 times more money, someone who lived in a wonderful house or apartment, someone whom everyone would consider to be the epitome of success, yet I felt superior because I was an artist. 
My belief system at the time was simply that artists are superior in every respect. It never occurred to me that prospects would be anything but delighted to speak with me.

While my mind set and beliefs about the business and corporate world, my place in it and my "superiority" have changed drastically over the years, that belief system was what enabled
me to successfully pick up the telephone and speak easily with high-level executives. Perception is reality. Although my life circumstances at the time were far from ideal I didn't view it that way.

The thoughts and beliefs that you have about yourself directly impact your ability to perform and be successful. While it is not necessary to believe yourself to be superior, as once upon
a time I did, it is imperative that you see yourself and your prospects as peers and equals. If you do not, it is time to change your thought patterns. Instead of thinking about how
important your prospect is, think about all of the ways that your prospects and customers need you. Think about how you help. Think about the benefits that you bring. Start to see
yourself as an equal with something of value to offer. Determine that your prospects will be happy to speak and work with you. Perception becomes reality. 

I close with my all time favorite quote by Henry Ford who said:

"Either you think you can or you think you can't and either way you're right."

More Stuff We Make Up About Our Prospects

Guest blog by Wendy Weiss
Author of Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
Watch her interview on The Woman's Connection YouTube Vlog

-- Go through the "no's" to get to "yes."

-- It takes X number of "no's" to get 1 "yes."

-- Every "no" brings you closer to "yes."

I've heard these statements in so many sales training courses and read them in so many sales books. No wonder so many people hate cold calling! Who wants to hear "no"? Who wants to go through X number of "no's" to get to "yes"? That's exhausting and demoralizing. Ecch!

Wouldn't it be so much nicer if almost no one said "no"? Isn't it great to hear "yes"! Wouldn't it be wonderful to only hear possibilities? Well, you can. And this is how:

I have been writing a lot recently about changing the way that you think. Many times, what we think is a "no" is really something that we are making up! It is important to differentiate
between the actual words your prospect says and what you think your prospect is saying. There are the "facts," or "the words," and then there are the stories, the things we make up about what we think our prospect is really saying. Frequently, the two have nothing in common! 

Learning to hear what your prospect is actually saying versus what you make up they are saying will result in hearing fewer and fewer "no's" and feeling less and less rejection. This does take some work and practice, like learning any new skill, but it can be done. Here are some examples:

-- If a prospect says to you that they are not the decision-maker and that you need to speak with someone else, that is not a "no." She is not the decision-maker. But if she gives you the
name of the decision-maker, that is a "yes." She is helping!

-- When you are trying to set a new business appointment, if a prospect asks you to "send something" instead, that is not a "no." More than likely, it means you haven't convinced her
yet. Send her something—you now have a second chance.

-- If a prospect says she's busy and asks you to call back, that is not a "no." That's a request to call her back. Do so.

-- If a prospect's secretary says that your prospect is in a meeting, that is not a "no." Your prospect is in a meeting. Ask when she will be done with that meeting, and call back
then.

Many of our "no's" are actually quite neutral. But we don't hear them as neutral. We read extra or hidden meaning into the neutral words and turn them into something quite different. Examine the facts. Examine what is actually being said. Check to see if you are "making stuff up" about a conversation that, when you examine it, is actually neutral. Is your prospect really saying "no," or is it a story that you are telling yourself?

Hearing "no" continually is demoralizing and dispiriting. It is difficult to be energized and interested when facing that wall of rejection. Stop hearing "no" by always checking your facts in prospecting and sales situations. As you check your facts, stop yourself from "making stuff up" about those facts. As you do this, you will find that many of your "no's" disappear. You will hear more "yes's." While the "no's" may never disappear completely, eventually "no" itself will become the aberration. You will then be able to prospect in a whole new way. Go to it!