thawing the frozen phone
TRANSCRIPT
Thawing the Frozen Phone: How to get your prospects to
answer, call back, and buy!
22/1 Average Ratio of Voicemails to Live Connects
Then and Now
2001 2014
22:1
6:1
73% less effective doing the Same thing
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Company Owner/President/ Senior Executive
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Their Boss’ Boss
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Their Boss
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Their Kids
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Their Spouse/Significant Other
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
A Client
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Personal Friend
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Co-Worker
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Business Friend/Advisor
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Vendor they like/critical to business
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Referral from any of previous
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Vendor they are indifferent about
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Sales Rep they have talked to before
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Vendor they don’t like
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Your cold call
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
Ex-husband/wife
§ Owner/President/Senior Executive of their company
§ Their boss’ boss
§ Their boss
§ Their kids
§ Their spouse/significant other (can vary widely)
§ A client
§ A personal friend
§ A co-worker
§ A business friend/advisor
§ A vendor they like or is critical to their business
§ Someone referred by any of the above
§ A vendor they don’t like or dislike
§ A sales rep that has called before
§ A vendor they don’t like
§ A cold call
Where does your cold call rank on your
prospect’s priority list?
IRS
What are our Options?
1. Make more calls
2. Get the prospect to call us back
3. Get the prospect to answer the phone
Sales is a game of Chess, not War
How do I get the prospect
to call me back?
Value Proposition: The unique value a business offers
to its customers
What is your “Value Proposition”?
§ Who am I competing with? What are their strengths and
weaknesses
§ What makes us different/better? Is it quantifiable?
§ Why should the prospect listen to us? Is there someone else they
should listen to?
§ What gives us credibility?
§ How can I clearly state this in 10-15 seconds?
What’s wrong with this voicemail message?
“Hi Mrs. Smith, my name is Tom Erb. I work for Acme Search, which is a professional search firm here in Columbus. I noticed your opening for a .net developer on Indeed. I have the perfect person for you and would like to discuss their background. Please give me a call at 614-372-5888. I look forward to hearing from you.”
What’s wrong with this voicemail message?
“Hi Mrs. Smith, my name is Tom Erb. I work for Acme Staffing, which is a temporary staffing company here in Columbus. I am calling to see if you use temporary staffing and if so, are you happy with your current provider. Please give me a call at 614-372-5888. I look forward to hearing from you.”
What’s wrong with this voicemail message?
§ It sounds like every other sales
message
§ No credibility building
§ Phone number at end and rushed
through
§ It’s generic
§ It’s boring
Service Team
Industry Specialization
Awards/ Certifications
Testimonials
High Profile Clients
Unique Service
Offerings
Our New Message
“Hi Mrs. Smith, my name is Tom Erb, 614-372-5888. My company
Acme Staffing specializes in the retail clothing industry, including clients
like The Limited, Macy’s, and Nordstrom just to name a few. We
recently completed a major recruiting project with Macy’s and they
stated it was the best experience they ever had with a staffing
company. I’d like to have a brief discussion to see if we can provide
you with that same level of service. I will call you tomorrow
between 3 and 5 pm to discuss further. I look forward to speaking
with you.”
How do I get the prospect to answer the phone?
Display your Company Name
• Anonymous vs. Company Name
• The rest of the tips dependent on company name
ABC Search
614-555-5555
Send them a letter (or two, or three)
• 24% decline in US Postal Volume past 10 years
• Competition has shifted away from direct mail
• Creates brand awareness and builds credibility
• Be creative – stay away from mass mail look
Prep them with an email
• Builds credibility, brand and name recognition
• The best times to email prospects are 8 am and 3 pm
• Email marketing has a 2x higher ROI than cold calling, networking, or
trade shows
Optimize your LinkedIn profile
• Your LinkedIn Profile is a credibility reinforcement
• Should be used as a marketing tool, not a resume
• Increase in likelihood your LinkedIn profile will get viewed if you
include a photo: 11x
Create a Touch Campaign
• Made up of multiple “touches”
• Consistent, creative theme
• Can be highly effective sales tool
Use Content Marketing • Email Marketing, Blogs, Whitepapers, Webinars/Seminars
THIS IS WHERE SALES IS GOING!
In Closing
§ Our traditional sales activity is becoming
increasingly ineffective
§ Sales is a Chess Game
§ Create a compelling voice mail
§ Warm up your calls