Derek Dickow reflects on his journey of learning to turn cold calls warm for the Small Business Association of Michigan’s FOCUS magazine. He outlines what he learned, describes cold call successes, and provides simple instructions to help others overcome their fear of cold calls. Read more >>
We’ve all heard the phrase:
“It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.”
It’s true for every new grad searching for a job, seasoned professionals ready to move into a different career, or salespeople hunting for the best way to land that lucrative deal with an unfamiliar company.
Truth is, people refer business from those they know, like, and trust. So, aligning yourself with the right people is essential if you want to succeed.
That includes finding and reaching out to the right people.
It may be overwhelming to find the right people. Fortunately, the internet is a fantastic resource. Use it to pinpoint the people who can help you reach your own personal goals. When you’re researching people to connect with, think about where you want to end up and how those people will help get you there. Do you have a certain job title in mind and want to reach individuals who hold those same titles? Maybe you need to reach a top executive or decisionmaker to clinch a deal.
It may seem like a good idea to walk blindly into an industry networking event and chat up whomever will give you the time of day, but I highly recommend against that. It’s better to know WHO you want to connect with before walking into a room.
Advance research and preparation will set you up for success and generate a more fruitful connection with your prospect.
Here’s how you research:
You never know who may have your next life-changing opportunity — you just have to put in a little work to find them!
The dreaded cold call.
Even the most seasoned sales professional can tremble with fear before nervously approaching a cold call.
They’re a necessary evil, and I’ve had to make plenty of them for networking purposes and other reasons. Years ago, I was hired by a nonprofit trade organization to sell memberships, ads, and sponsorships to a variety of leads through — you guessed it — cold calling.
I hated it, but was confident I was creating value for both my client and the prospect.
The trick is to create a really great reason for why the person on the other end should listen. And give them that reason quickly, or it’s a wasted opportunity.
Through trial and error, I perfected a method to effectively turn cold calls into warm leads.
It’s quite simple: Just research your prospect beforehand.
Identify your target, then spend an hour learning whatever you can about them. Talk to their assistants, secretaries, and mutual acquaintances to understand what their goals and passions are.
Do all of this before you call and ask to speak to your prospect.
Finally, once you have enough to sustain a decent (albeit brief) introductory call, reach out to that prospect and start a conversation with what you know about them.
Easy enough, right?
To make it even easier, here’s a roadmap with all the steps to adequately research a cold call prospect:
Let’s talk about how to capture their attention.
Develop a script to follow when cold calling. It’s important that you acknowledge that you may be interrupting something, and, most importantly, that this call will be brief. Then, follow through and be brief – you’ll be more likely to seal the deal.
“Hi Cynthia, I know we do not have a scheduled call, my name is Derek, and I read about your recent [two quick points of information], and I’d like to ask a few follow-up questions. Is this a bad time? I’ll be brief.”
Then pause.
“Great, the reason for my call is, through my research, I noticed we are both supporters of [insert college, political, philanthropic, or relevant commonality, etc].”
Finally, “I know I asked you for a few minutes and our time today is up. May I come back to you in a few days or a week to present an idea or introduction I’m confident will add value to you [your organization, family, charity, etc)]?”
And if you need to close them now:
“Since I only have another minute, are you ok with me making a brief ask?”
Then make the ask and pause.
Notice how most of the script is listening and showing how you can provide value?
You may be skeptical, but trust me: this really works.
Once I developed this process and script at the job I described earlier, revenue and membership enrollment skyrocketed within a few months. I was given an office, a proper retainer, success fees, and a new title.
I’ve used this formula since then to contact decision makers, CEOs, political juggernauts, and more.
Really, the secret to networking and closing deals is all about taking the time beforehand to do your research. Investing that time will go a long way toward turning cold calls into something much bigger.
Derek Dickow’s first live event in two years was not just a worthwhile endeavor for those who attended. The event also raised $55,700 in donations to benefit The Children’s Foundation. Read more >>
There’s a reason the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” rings so true. It fuels you up and sets the tone for the rest of the day. I find eggs and coffee are a huge tool in my networking arsenal.
Breakfast meetings are great and essential to my business. There’s a reason they make up one of my 5 Pillars of Purpose-Driven Networking. These early, no-fuss get-togethers have been a key component of my success. I’ll break down the reasons why they’re so effective and provide some strategies to help you snag that first breakfast meeting.
First, let’s dive into why morning meetings are ideal for building contacts:
If you have an elusive potential connection who claims they’re busy, try this breakfast meeting strategy. Remember, it doesn’t have to be long — a quick cup of coffee and croissant at a local café is a great way to get in front of them for 30 minutes. And be respectful of their time. Make their calendar invitation just 30 minutes and be mindful of the time when you’re meeting.
Another good tip: Select a restaurant close to their office so they can pop in on their way to work. The more convenient you make it for them, the more inclined they are to respect and appreciate you!
Give it a try and good luck!
