A cold call is a system of marketing your sales business by approaching customers, usually by phone when they do not expect it.
Whether the lead at one point was “warm” or you really never knew them at all, a cold call is the process of approaching prospective customers or clients who were not expecting interaction with you.
They have not specifically asked to be contacted by the sales person…. Online or via email we call it spam.
Arbitrary cold calls with no legitimate business purpose is spam as well.
Cold Calls Don’t Work!
Making cold calls really is not one of the best ways to grow your direct sales business because most times you are not successful.
Some Facts On Business Cold Calling
- Fewer than 1% of cold calls lead to a sale
- Only 5% of all business lead phone calls lead to a sale
- 55% of referrals end in a sale
- 80% of introductions generate a sale
Now those are some facts that you should ponder! Think about it….
When was the last time you bought something from or even talked to a cold caller?
Are you making good use of your time with cold calling?
In direct sales oftentimes our cold leads were at one point somewhat warm.
We at least met the lead or potential client at one point…
Don’t let your leads get cold!
Follow up on all business leads within 48 hours and be prepared with a purpose for the call.
Calling to meet your needs (get a booking, ask for a referral, etc.) is not productive.
Next time you are getting ready to make a COLD call ask yourself if you have a legitimate business reason to make the call and if not, then you may want to consider a better use of your time!