Cold-calling businesses to offer your services?
- Thread starter brizzad
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The best way I found, when I was selling web hosting way back when, was to give out 3 to 5 freebies to companies in different industries. I see you in much the same light. I did collections, real estate, non profits, and car dealerships. Stay away from churches, banks, government, schools, and ad agencies. I found cold calling worked MUCH easier if I had those 3 sites to brag about, and the owner of the business was ALWAYS willing to talk to folks interested. They had to agree that before I built the free site for them or hosted it for free, that they wouldn't discuss price and would call back anyone who asked about me.
I spent $500 to join the local chamber of commerce, went to all the mixers and conferences for a while, met some really good folks who needed my services, then took 2-3 months to build the site and keep them happy. After that, I started handing out business cards left and right at chamber functions, then cold calling the folks who were on the chamber list of members. I sold one hosting account or site./hosting package for every 30-40 calls I made.
The key for me was establishing existing customers who were very happy, then touting the product through the existing customers. Do never test word of mouth advertising. When you call someone cold, it's always a good thing if they've heard about you. They hear about you by word of mouth.
I spent $500 to join the local chamber of commerce, went to all the mixers and conferences for a while, met some really good folks who needed my services, then took 2-3 months to build the site and keep them happy. After that, I started handing out business cards left and right at chamber functions, then cold calling the folks who were on the chamber list of members. I sold one hosting account or site./hosting package for every 30-40 calls I made.
The key for me was establishing existing customers who were very happy, then touting the product through the existing customers. Do never test word of mouth advertising. When you call someone cold, it's always a good thing if they've heard about you. They hear about you by word of mouth.
Has anyone tried offshoring this? I know there might be some time and language difficulties. Also, perish the thought, but an auto-dialer??
Great fucking idea...
Step 1:
Phonerep: "Hallo, meesta john-enz, Am very pleasing you today with much offering to new directory to be called domain dot com....."
Mr. Jones: "Fuck you" <click>
Step 2...
Step 3. Profit?
won't work. if they even sense they are being telemarketed to they will hang up. No chance in selling them. If you can call them and develop a 1 on 1 relationship youve got a shot.
Cold calling works, but depending on what you're selling you'll spend a lot of time dealing with gatekeepers. The easiest thing to do is get referrals off existing customers.
You can ask them using an old insurance salesman's trick 'BBRW' - Benefit, Benefit, Recommend, Who?
1. Did you get a Benefit from the work that we did together?
2. Do you think anyone else would benefit from my services?
3. Would you be comfortable recommending me to other people?
4. If we swapped places, and you had to sell Webdesign (or whatever), which 3-5 people in your network would you speak to first?
You can ask them using an old insurance salesman's trick 'BBRW' - Benefit, Benefit, Recommend, Who?
1. Did you get a Benefit from the work that we did together?
2. Do you think anyone else would benefit from my services?
3. Would you be comfortable recommending me to other people?
4. If we swapped places, and you had to sell Webdesign (or whatever), which 3-5 people in your network would you speak to first?
1 sale on the books (excludes "send me information", people backing out, "almost a sale") per 100 leads (1%) in telemarketing cold calls is good.
However, every offer and margin is different. As well as the sales rep. But that's our rule-of-thumb.
Good luck.
However, every offer and margin is different. As well as the sales rep. But that's our rule-of-thumb.
Good luck.
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