It’s somewhat like the joke: Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you. You could be BOTH paranoid and pursued.

But let’s get back to your brainpower for a moment. If you have made telemarketing, teleselling, prospecting, lead generation, outbound sales, inbound sales, order entry, or customer service your career, you may be a little bit off the grid, intellectually.

Peter F. Drucker, famed management guru and also my professor, was fond of saying you can judge the quality of an industry based on its “brain formation.” Are the best minds attracted to it, the high-flyers, or is it a backwater, an estuary of slower and denser ducks?

Look at the cubicle to your left, and now to your right. Gaze back one cube and forward one cube. See any superstars? Are you the exception?

Probably not, so accept that and stop fighting nuances, complications, apparent contradictions. As a practical matter, cold calling is what you make it, no more and no less.

I’ve seen my clients earn million dollar commissions from deals they started with a single cold call. The potential is limitless, providing you can simply dedicate yourself to the task.

It takes a certain kind of intelligence to appreciate how dumb we are, or at least how dumb we act. Don’t try to outsmart cold calling, claiming it doesn’t work.

As long as that’s your opinion, it won’t work for you. europa2004.

Have you ever noticed the ongoing dialectic that asserts these apparent opposites: “Cold calling doesn’t work!” and “Cold calling is very effective”?

“Which is it?” you might be wondering, head spinning.

As I’ve pointed out elsewhere, it’s both. But how can that be? Cold calling works for some people, who know how to work the process and steady their minds for it.

It fails for those that don’t master its mechanics and that riddle themselves with doubt they’ll succeed.

Still, you might be scratching your head. There is a reason for that. You may not be bright enough to consider both possibilities, simultaneously.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald said: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”

Most folks shut down when they see a crossroads, a contradiction of any kind. Either-Or is the only apparent choice. Seldom do they consider two simple additions: Neither and Both. muug.

Or

Example 2:  “Hi (gatekeeper’s name).  Is John Smith in?”

Surprising or not, I get through the initial gatekeeper 90% of the time just by using example 2.  You can easily do this by maintaining the same attitude as if you were calling a friend or relative at work.  If the gatekeeper senses you have some sort of relevance to the decision maker, they will put you through.

Once you are put through, you might reach a second line of defense such as an Executive Assistant.  Repeat example 2 again.  Believe it or not, you will be put through a good portion of the time.

If, and only if, asked, you should respond something like this “This is Steve Brown with Acme Marketing.  The purpose of my call is to (give very brief description of your service).  Would John be available?”  The secondary gatekeeper will do one of three things at this time; put you through, answer your call themselves or put you in voicemail.

If they try to answer the call themselves, use this as an opportunity to build rapport.  More often than not, an Executive Assistant has the ear of the decision maker.  This is especially true of C-Level Executives.

If you are sent to voicemail, then leave a short message such as; “Hi John, this is Steve Brown with Acme Marketing my number is 888-888-8888.  The purpose of my call is to (give very brief description and call to action statement for them to contact you).  Again, you can contact me at 888-888-8888 or email me at sbrown@acmemarketing.com.”

No matter what you might be thinking, I have made a good portion of my sales by leaving good voicemails and having the decision maker call me back.

They key is following a few simple rules listed below:

* Don’t leave a sales presentation on voicemail.  Even if you are selling solid gold bars for a dollar, you will probably get very few call backs.
* Give them a reason to call you back, state what you can do for them.  Remember; do not leave a sales presentation as a message.
* Get the message short, sweet and to the point.

Once you are finished leaving the message, then send them an email.  Use the same rules as above.  This will greatly increase your chances of getting your foot in the door.

Be sure and use a headline like this:

* I just called you
* We just spoke (If you spoke briefly with the decision maker)
* Jason asked me to get in touch with you (Assuming Jason is a referral)

Use these headlines if you want your message deleted:

* Increase Your Sales With Acme Marketing
* Acme Marketing Has The Lowest Prices

Anything that screams you need our service, so you better buy now will get deleted.  Remember, this is your initial contact and they don’t know you or your company.

Unfortunately, I have seen many good people with great potential end their sales careers because they could not get over this first hurdle.  If you are new to sales and are struggling, then I hope this will help.

Glen Wearden. pangee.

If you are new to sales or cold-calling, then you know how frustrating it is to get through the gatekeeper or be sent to voicemail all day long.  Maybe you’ve been told it’s a numbers game and to keep doing what you are doing.  Keep this in mind, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

When I first started prospecting on the phone in the late 90’s, I assumed every decision maker I called would talk to me. In the unlikely event I got an assistant, I assumed they would jump over backwards to get the decision maker to drop what they are doing and answer my call.  What I found out was that I had two main problems; getting shutdown by the gatekeeper and if I made it through, being sent straight to voicemail.

Let’s tackle the first problem.  If you are getting shot down by the gatekeeper it’s because you are coming off as too pushy, needy, annoying or unsure of yourself.  Gatekeepers sometimes answer hundreds of calls a day from people like you trying to get through.  It is their job to send only the relevant calls through and shut down the rest.

The most effective way to get through is to ask for the person by name with confidence.  Let’s say you are the gatekeeper and the decision maker is John Smith.  He is the CFO of a small company in Anytown, USA.  Of the two examples below, which one would you let through if you valued your job?

Example 1:  “Hi this is Steve Brown.  I’m with Acme Marketing and we have a wonderful solution for your company.  It’s very important and I need to speak with your CFO right away!” sante.

Ever thought of “I want to sell my house fast”? Selling your house may not be an easy job and you will have to put in effort in order to successfully achieve what you want. The most important thing to remember is that you have to plan every step carefully and professionally before you offer it up on sale. To do this you must make your house presentable to the prospective buyers as the first impression makes the biggest impact. Here are a few guidelines which will help you prepare your house before you put it up in the markets.

* Presentation of the house

Make your house presentable to the buyers. Make sure that you detach yourself from the house and keep it your priority to sell. A good exterior will create a good impression on buyers and this can be done by re- painting it or giving a good finish to the doors and windows. For the interiors, make sure everything is in place and nothing needs repairs. Clean the house by removing cob webs, dust the furniture, wash the windows, vacuum the floor and keep it as good as new.

* Repairs

Make sure that there is nothing broken when a buyer looks at the house. For example a leaking pipe can be fixed by a plumber or a wall which needs to be re- painted can be done by a painter. This way the buyer is more attracted to the house with a view in mind that he can move into a well maintained house.

These useful tips will help sell my house fast. sfp2007.