Was talking with a client yesterday and the subject of cold calling arose. The client was wondering how things were going in our business reboot 2009. I had mentioned that part of every week involves me doing some amount of cold calling. I mean frigid, icy cold leads. Calling people out of the phone book that are not on the Do Not Call list and/or face to face marketing.

And yes, this still works. Some salespeople have told me over the years that this is a waste of time and I can’t disagree more.

 
Cold calls are bridges to humility

I’ve been calling primarily from our business line at all different times of day and night (never cold calling before 9am or after 9pm and rarely on Sundays) and the caller ID recognizes our business name clearly so anybody picking up the phone will know exactly who is calling. Not using computers to spam mass calls or some other annoying mass contact strategy. Just picking up the phone and dialing one … at … a … time. And I do not call anybody cold who is:

1. on the Do Not Call List. Each number is checked each time before calling and our DNC database is kept current.
2. has a first name listed in the phonebook I cannot pronounce correctly. I like to be able to ask: “is this John?” “Mary?” rather than the more formal: “Is Mr. or Mrs. Jones available?” I’m sure this puts off some people who do not know who I am and hear me addressing them by their first name, but I feel more comfortable and have had more success starting this way than being more formal.

Tuesday night this week I called someone totally new and random, had a very friendly, productive conversation over their speakerphone, made an appointment and went out yesterday and added a brand new client to our 2009 rebooted insurance business. These folks are really nice too and took a bunch of my business cards and promised to help us out with additional referrals.

Then on the way back to the office I stopped off at a nearby mobile home park. There was a big sign as you enter the park that stated in bright red lettering: NO SOLICITING. I drove straight to the manager’s office and walked up to him and introduced myself as a local, independent insurance agent who had lived in town for nearly 20 years. I asked him if it would be ok if I brought a brochure stand with me for mobile/manufactured insurance to his office. He not only said yes, but promised to put it on his desk right by his computer so that anybody who asked about insurance he’d have it there handy for them. Right on.

Yesterday was one of those magical cold lead marketing days. There are plenty of days where the opposite happens, where you are shut down, hung up on and worse. It’s not easy being a cold call salesman but it is very humbling. That brings me full circle to the client I was speaking about who asked me why I kept cold calling people when I could focus on more warm leads.

There are several reasons but the one that is most important to me is humility. To remember how hard it can be to grow our business and attract new clients. If all one does is work the warm and hot leads, including the referral leads, it can spoil you. Or at least it spoils me. I want to appreciate the bond that people have with those they do business with and how easy it is to break, but how hard it can be to solidify.

Add to that, in the current economy especially we’re providing a valuable service for people with important coverage with excellent rates from good companies and serviced by a family owned and operated agency. It’s a driving force to get on the phones or stop by in person and tell our story. Some folks, perhaps many at times, won’t want to hear our story or take part in our journey but it shouldn’t slow us down.

So to other salespeople reading: keep some cold in your marketing. Humility is very important in business and with clients. Never forget how hard it can be to forge a new client relationship and how easy it can be to lose one. It’s not just about plans, products, companies to me, it’s always been about people and relationships. People can choose to change who they want to do business with at any time for any reason they want. Thank your clients often for the privilege of doing business with them. We sure do.

Did this post make you go hmm?

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