Cold Calling Tips and 6 Ways to Make It Easier

No matter what anyone tells you, cold calling is tough business for the average network marketer. Notice that I said average since we are not talking about experienced salespeople or industry experts that have people running after them to join their businesses. These people have the unique ability to use the telephone as a tool on an entirely different level. We are talking about the average Joe that has little to no experience in business and is told that he can just buy some leads and jump on the phone and start calling.

I've been in sales for over a decade and picking up that phone can be tough for me too, so I know where you are. There are some that would argue that calling purchased leads is not cold calling and these tips don't apply. But, call it what you may, it's not easy. With that said, cold calling prospects is a major part of the home business industry and it will probably remain that way for quite some time. So, for those of you that want to pursue this kind of marketing (not all of us do), here are a few ideas that may help to lessen your burden.

Generate Your Own Leads:

By generating your own leads, you immediately change the dynamics of cold calling and put yourself into a position of power and strength. When you purchase cold leads, you have no real idea when the lead was created, how it was created, or how many times that particular lead was sold. Therefore, you are generally at a disadvantage and you open the door to many surprises such as the person telling you that they never completed any requests for information.

When you generate your own leads, you personally know that the individual visited your web site and filled out a request form. You also know the exact time that the request was made. Most importantly, you don't have to worry about the lead being sold to multiple people as you are the sole owner of that name. I would probably put generating your own leads near the top in terms of ways to make this task easier.

Target Your Market:

By targeting your market more effectively, you automatically reduce your stress in contacting your prospects. These people are going to be interested in your business, product, or service at a far higher rate, thereby making your task of contacting them less stressful. It's critical to know what kinds of people are buying your product now and that will help you to pinpoint those that will want to hear from you the most.

Two Person Calling:

Another way to immediately erase some of the stress of cold calling is to spend time calling leads with a partner. By calling with another person, it allows you to have that support in the background and it's also a great way to learn. Once the call is over, you and your partner can discuss what went well and what needs to be improved. In addition, you might even get a laugh or two from some of the crazy things that people say on the phone. Either way, it can definitely help to get you through the process.

Call with No Agenda:

If you call leads with the purpose of getting them into your business, you will raise your stress level 1000%. I sold advertising for years and never admitted to myself or my prospects that I was coming to sell them an ad. As a matter of fact, I had totally convinced myself that I simply wanted to "show them the sample" and that was it. I honestly believed and projected the attitude that I don't care if you buy or not so don't waste our time. On the other hand, if you are interested, I would be happy to stop by and show you what we are talking about. This basic attitude helped me to make many "no pressure" sales over the years and it also made things easier for my prospects.

Send Them Something in Advance:

Another way to help alleviate the stress of cold calling is to send your prospects something in advance. What you send will depend on your budget and a few other factors. You can send them an email with instructions on what the first step is to learn about your business. It doesn't mean that you send them off to your company web site and hope that they will join. All you want to do is tell them in the email what the initial step is going to be. You can also do the same thing via mail with a postcard or letter.

How you make contact with the person is really not that important. The important thing is to break the ice and give yourself a reason to call them. It actually helps with your "no agenda" stance mentioned above. When you call leads that have received something from you in advance, it definitely makes it more comfortable to call them because you just want to make sure they received your information. You will pick up the phone with greater confidence and that will come through to your prospect.

Know Your Immediate Purpose:

There is truly no point whatsoever in cold calling any person if you don't know why you are calling them. That may sound obvious but it's not. Many new business owners will grab their list of hot prospects and start calling without any true direction of where they want the call to go.

- Do you want to simply confirm that they received your advance email or postcard?

- Do you want to invite them to a web site presentation or a phone presentation?

- Are you local and planning on meeting them at the next upcoming event?

These are the things that you should know prior to sitting down to make your first call. Once you are ready to start calling, set a time, stick to it, and just do it. Procrastination is the killer of all dreams (and it causes unwanted stress too). If you will take the time to employ the tips shared, the telephone should become your greatest asset.

About The Author-- E. Kinton, Jr. is a former U.S. Marine and the owner of NationalNetworkers.com which provides free network marketing training, tips, and resources. Learn more cold calling tips by visiting http://www.NationalNetworkers.com. Article may be freely redistributed provided the signature box is included.

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