| How to Make Cold Calling Opportunities out of Voice | | | | receptionist might be feeling about not being able to |
| Mails Turn voice mails into a cold calling journey of | | | | answer your question. You can then continue with, |
| discovery Most people who still use the traditional cold | | | | "Would you happen to know anyone whose desk or |
| calling mindset look at voicemail as a dead end. They | | | | office is near him or who works in his area who might |
| say to themselves, "Oh well, I may as well leave a | | | | know where he is?" Again, you're offering another |
| message and hope he calls me back." This almost | | | | option for solving the problem. In many cases, the |
| never happens, and we know it. However, we're often | | | | receptionist will then transfer you to a colleague of |
| so relieved not to have to talk with someone, that we | | | | your contact who can help you determine his or her |
| leave a message anyway. We avoid dealing with | | | | whereabouts. The receptionist may also reply, "No, I |
| another person's potential negative response to us, just | | | | don't know anyone in his area." You would then say, |
| as we avoid being challenged by the receptionist. By | | | | "That's not a problem…" and offer, "Would you |
| the time the day is over, we might feel good because | | | | happen to have a paging system or his cell phone |
| we've played the "numbers game" and made many | | | | number by any chance?" If the receptionist replies, |
| calls. However, our productivity has been minimal. Over | | | | "Sorry, we don't have those," then at that point you |
| time that can make us feel frustrated by our | | | | can say, "Thank you very much. I really appreciate |
| experiences in cold calling. With the new approach to | | | | your help. Then hang up, and call back another time. |
| cold calling, voicemail is an opportunity for discovery. It | | | | Does your stomach clench up at the idea of paging |
| leads us beyond voicemail. Voicemail becomes a | | | | potential clients or calling them on their cell phone? Are |
| starting point for you to begin the process of locating | | | | you thinking that you can't cold call people that way |
| the person you're trying to contact. Our objective is not | | | | because they might reject you? That fear is only to |
| to pursue people to make a sale in this new way of | | | | be expected if your agenda is to sell something to the |
| cold calling. It is to uncover the truth of their situation | | | | person….in other words, if you are still using the |
| and to be okay with the outcome, whether it's a "yes" | | | | traditional sales mindset. However, once you master |
| or a "no." Therefore, we can begin to feel more | | | | the new cold calling perspective, you'll feel comfortable |
| comfortable hitting "0" when we get someone's | | | | calling anyone, any time, using any mode. As long as |
| voicemail because we then have an opportunity to go | | | | you're 100 percent focused on your potential client's |
| back to the receptionist and begin a dialogue based on | | | | world, you'll find that people will be receptive to you. |
| asking for help. Here's how the dialogue might go: "Hi, | | | | You can easily navigate throughout an organization |
| maybe you can help me out for a second? I'm trying | | | | with the type of dialogue described above, because |
| to get hold of Mike and I got his voicemail. Would you | | | | you're asking for help in a relaxed manner and you |
| happen to know if he's at lunch, or on vacation, or in a | | | | never put anyone on the spot. Suppose that your |
| meeting by any chance?" Here, you aren't just asking | | | | efforts to locate your contact in this way fail. At that |
| to find Mike. Moreover, you're providing possible | | | | point you can leave a voicemail, but it should always |
| solutions to finding Mike. This helps the receptionist feel | | | | be your very last option. Here's an example of an |
| as if he or she is part of the problem-solving process. | | | | appropriate cold calling voicemail: "Hi John, maybe you |
| The receptionist is likely to offer one of two | | | | can help me out for a second? I'm not sure if you're |
| responses. The first is, "Yes, he's in a meeting (or at | | | | the right person or not, but I'm trying to reach the |
| lunch or on vacation) and I'm not sure when he'll be | | | | person responsible for reporting problems about unpaid |
| back at his desk." This answer has just given you a lot | | | | invoices. My name is John Edwards, my number |
| more information than you would have if you had just | | | | is…" Try this way of approaching the situation |
| left a voicemail. Now you know your contact's | | | | of voice mails, and you'll be surprised and pleased at |
| whereabouts in real time and you can call back at a | | | | how often it becomes a highway instead of a dead |
| more appropriate time. The second response is, "No, I | | | | end. ------------------------------------------------------ Ari |
| don't know where he is." In this case, you would reply, | | | | Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, |
| "That's not a problem…" This low-key | | | | makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold |
| statement diffuses any possible pressure that the | | | | calling secrets even the sales gurus don't know. |