Is cold-calling effective?

[tobehonest]

I know that cold-calling is the bum marketing of the offline world, but before I dive into it head first, i wanted to know whether it was effective or not. I don't have the cash needed to send out mailings, and seeing that I have 300 minutes of talk time I don't use, I figured that I can make some money with that.

If cold calling is still effective, what's your current closing rates (# of calls before a sale)?
Do you recommend and cold calling guides/materials a noob can read up on to make his/her own script?

 

[SmileAtmyWins]

When I cold called, I had a 8-10% succession rate. I wrote down all my responses to the answer "no". Wrote down every fact there is about their business and the service I was offering them and what it could bring to them. So to be honest, yes. It is VERY effective.

 

[mudbutt]

When I cold called, I had a 8-10% succession rate. I wrote down all my responses to the answer "no". Wrote down every fact there is about their business and the service I was offering them and what it could bring to them. So to be honest, yes. It is VERY effective.

8-10% closing rate? Quit frontin. You don't have to lie to be cool.

 

[KeyzDT]

When I cold called, I had a 8-10% succession rate. I wrote down all my responses to the answer "no". Wrote down every fact there is about their business and the service I was offering them and what it could bring to them. So to be honest, yes. It is VERY effective.

good strategy to hone your calls. all people doing cold calling should be doing this.

 

[flexnds]

I'm currently testing cold calling right now. It's been tough getting the script just right and of course getting the right leads is everything. But practice makes perfect and lead scrubbing strategies are a must.

 

[SmileAtmyWins]

8-10% closing rate? Quit frontin. You don't have to lie to be cool.

I don't need to front, it brings me no joy and would personally effect my pride. What I said was true, if you don't believe me, that's fine. Those were my closing rates regardless.

 

[mudbutt]

I don't need to front, it brings me no joy and would personally effect my pride. What I said was true, if you don't believe me, that's fine. Those were my closing rates regardless.

You may be able to impress newbies and people with no experience with cold calling but those of us who have real world experience know your 8-10% closing ratio on cold leads is complete horseshit. Try harder bro.

 

[SmileAtmyWins]

You may be able to impress newbies and people with no experience with cold calling but those of us who have real world experience know your 8-10% closing ratio on cold leads is complete horseshit. Try harder bro.

Like I said, at the end of my months of cold calling, that was my percentage of sales. I don't care if you don't believe me. You can send all of the neg reps you want. What I said was the truth. If yours was lower, maybe you should try harder? That's the end of the conversation right there. Respond with 1000 replies. It won't change how many books I read on cold calling, it won't change how many connections I made while doing it, and it won't change the money I made. Take care man. Good luck.

 

[mudbutt]

Like I said, at the end of my months of cold calling, that was my percentage of sales. I don't care if you don't believe me. You can send all of the neg reps you want. What I said was the truth. If yours was lower, maybe you should try harder? That's the end of the conversation right there. Respond with 1000 replies. It won't change how many books I read on cold calling, it won't change how many connections I made while doing it, and it won't change the money I made. Take care man. Good luck.

lmao, ooooookaaay sales God.

 

[SmileAtmyWins]

I'm currently testing cold calling right now. It's been tough getting the script just right and of course getting the right leads is everything. But practice makes perfect and lead scrubbing strategies are a must.

Your script is very important. You should have two or three and run tests on them to see which one works the best with you and the businesses you're calling. Eventually, you should be able to recite any of your scripts off the top of your head while on the phone.

 

[Hexiuss]

b2b cold calling has a lower hang up rate imo but the gate keepers and graveyard voicemail boxes they send you to suck as well. SmileAtmyWins can you recommend any good books? I currently work for a lead gen. company and we do outbound b2c calls but the leads are sooo warm (we're calling them sometimes seconds after they submit they're info). I am and entrepreneur at heart though and I can't afford to pay $35 per lead like the company i work for does. Cold Calling might be one tactic I might go back to though as all it costs you is time, and landlines with unlimited minutes are cheap as dirt nowadays.

 

[SmileAtmyWins]

b2b cold calling has a lower hang up rate imo but the gate keepers and graveyard voicemail boxes they send you to suck as well. SmileAtmyWins can you recommend any good books? I currently work for a lead gen. company and we do outbound b2c calls but the leads are sooo warm (we're calling them sometimes seconds after they submit they're info). I am and entrepreneur at heart though and I can't afford to pay $35 per lead like the company i work for does. Cold Calling might be one tactic I might go back to though as all it costs you is time, and landlines with unlimited minutes are cheap as dirt nowadays.

Read The Psychology Of Selling by Brian Tracy.

 

[TehEpidemick]

Nope. Cold calling doesn't work. Thats why nobody does it.

Oh...wait...

 

[ZestMedia]

Some companies are still hiring telemarketers, so I guess there's still use?

 

[JoshN]

When I cold called, I had a 8-10% succession rate. I wrote down all my responses to the answer "no". Wrote down every fact there is about their business and the service I was offering them and what it could bring to them. So to be honest, yes. It is VERY effective.

I worked at a fortune 500 company in business development as a young professional. Our job was to set appointments for the more experienced reps. I had the second highest number of appointments set in one week in corporate history. The first place guy drank half a dozen energy drinks a day, didn't eat at all during work and completely burned out in 2 months.

1 or more is true of your statement. You're lying, you're not counting correctly, or you're giving away free shit.
None of which indicates that cold calling works. Usually if it'll work for cold calling it'll work better another way.

Since I started my own business, I haven't made a single cold call and I'm able to create 1-3 leads on average each day for myself through inbound marketing.
I maybe make 20 semi warm calls and sometimes I just call the 3 guys who explicitly said they were interested.

 

[alexandertyler]

Hello Community,
Firstly it depends upon how you are talking to other person. If you have plenty of knowledge of any product or services then you must convert cold call in to hot call. Other wise cold calls are not effective. I just want to share some tips regarding cold calls.
1. Effective communication
2. proper knowledge of products or services
3. speed of voice should be balance. It means no higher or low pitch.

Thanks

 

[SmileAtmyWins]

I worked at a fortune 500 company in business development as a young professional. Our job was to set appointments for the more experienced reps. I had the second highest number of appointments set in one week in corporate history. The first place guy drank half a dozen energy drinks a day, didn't eat at all during work and completely burned out in 2 months.

1 or more is true of your statement. You're lying, you're not counting correctly, or you're giving away free shit.
None of which indicates that cold calling works. Usually if it'll work for cold calling it'll work better another way.

Since I started my own business, I haven't made a single cold call and I'm able to create 1-3 leads on average each day for myself through inbound marketing.
I maybe make 20 semi warm calls and sometimes I just call the 3 guys who explicitly said they were interested.

None of which are true. What I said was true. My numbers were documented as I recorded them in notebooks. I have no reason to lie, I could give a shit what people think even if my numbers were of a 1% succession rate. So if you don't believe me, then read another thread. Cold calling works, I read books on it, and practiced to achieve that. END OF STORY.

 

[boo blizzi]

I worked at a fortune 500 company in business development as a young professional. Our job was to set appointments for the more experienced reps. I had the second highest number of appointments set in one week in corporate history. The first place guy drank half a dozen energy drinks a day, didn't eat at all during work and completely burned out in 2 months.

1 or more is true of your statement. You're lying, you're not counting correctly, or you're giving away free shit.
None of which indicates that cold calling works. Usually if it'll work for cold calling it'll work better another way.

Since I started my own business, I haven't made a single cold call and I'm able to create 1-3 leads on average each day for myself through inbound marketing.
I maybe make 20 semi warm calls and sometimes I just call the 3 guys who explicitly said they were interested.

Care to share how you are generating inbound leads? And are you generating them offline or online?

 

[SmileAtmyWins]

Care to share how you are generating inbound leads? And are you generating them offline or online?

You can use 7878's method and send out proposal packets. I've received a good amount of leads and sales from that.

 

[farlack]

Read The Psychology Of Selling by Brian Tracy.

I just bought this book, thanks for the tip!