Is Cold Calling Dead?

When you google "Is Cold Calling Dead?" There are a million and one answers.  "Is Cold Calling Dead or Are You Doing it Wrong?", "Cold Calling is Dead Here are 10 New Ways to Improve Your Sales", "4 Reasons Why Cold Calling Won't Work", "5 Reasons Why Cold Calling Will Work"... and the list goes on and on.

What is the real answer? Is Cold Calling dead? Is it still effective?

First we need to start with the definition of “Cold Calling”, setting expectations with yourself and your team will be able to help you set real expectations for your fiscal metrics. To some cold calling can be a LinkedIn request, an email or even picking up the phone and calling someone. In this blog we are going to be talking about the “old school” form, and picking up the phone and calling a prospect you want to do business with.

Is cold calling dead? The answer is yes and no. Cold calling is an older way to get sales leads. It is direct and in your face, as a sales person you are saying I am here- tell me what I want to know. Whether that happens or not is a different story. It gets you an immediate answer. Maybe not to your question but to your communication. Even if someone hangs up on your sales rep they are getting some form of communication from the respondent. 

Here is where it is yes and no, if your sales rep has a stigma that cold calling isn’t going to work and there is no way to be successful with it, then it is not for them. You can push and push but if it is something they don’t think they will like then they will not be successful- end of story. Can you take a sales person and form them to be a better cold caller? Maybe, but I suggest finding another way of prospecting for them.  

On the other hand, if you have a sales person on staff who doesn’t mind picking up the phone and making some calls than it will work. They are smiling on the phone and they are able to read the prospect fairly well over the phone then it will be much easier for them to obtain the information they want. 

At Red Ball, we train our clients how to cold call, we believe it is something that every rep should know how to do effectively. It is our job to teach them all methods of prospecting and help them identify the best option for them to be the most successful. Some clients have no problem cold calling and some even enjoy it, others are not a fan- and that’s OK. As long as the right person is in the right position they will do what it takes to be successful.

Need help getting your rep up and running? Send me an email at victoria@redballconsultants.com…. I’m waiting for you!