| My career has been comprised of sales,
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| | down--and start talking at me like I'm a
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| sales management and recruiting. I've
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| | 9 year old. In both situations I had to
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| worked for some of the largest companies
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| | stop them in mid-pitch to say, "Guys, I'm
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| in the world: Wal-Mart, General Electric,
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| | NOT interested. Thanks AGAIN for stopping
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| Gannett, as well as a couple small ones
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| | by." You're probably wondering how these
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| and start-ups (including my current
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| | individuals got past our receptionist.
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| firm--no longer a start-up after 5 years
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| | Well, the short answer is we don't have
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| in business). With the exception of one
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| | one--we have a phone and a nearby
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| (the giant retailer) each company relied
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| | directory. Our partner whose office is
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| heavily on cold-calling to generate new
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| | closest to the front door is usually the
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| business. My definition of cold-calling
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| | first person hit on by these
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| is when a sales rep targets a company and
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| | door-knockers. He thinks it's cute to
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| or individual that he or she thinks meets
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| | tell them that he doesn't have purchasing
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| the demographics of a potential buyer and
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| | authority but to be sure to go see me
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| then without invitation (this is key,
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| | because I hold the purse strings (not
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| hence the italics) either picks up the
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| | necessarily true)--so he can pawn "bad
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| phone or walks into their office in an
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| | cop" responsibilities on me. But lately
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| attempt to initiate a sale. Cold-calling
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| | it's a role I'm embracing. I now
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| is marketing, pure and simple, albeit a
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| | recognize what an outdated, old-school,
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| caveman-like strategy in an electronic
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| | ineffective strategy cold-calling is and
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| age. I've been giving a lot of thought to
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| | it is one of the main reasons turnover in
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| this lately because until a year or so
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| | sales is so high. I would like to
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| ago, our company relied heavily on
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| | personally apologize to all those
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| cold-calling to generate new business.
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| | purchasing managers and perceived
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| Our cold-calling efforts have delivered a
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| | "decision-makers" that I dropped by over
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| decent chunk of revenue for us over the
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| | the years to have a little chit-chat
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| last few years, however last year I
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| | with, completely interrupting their day
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| decided to abandon the strategy
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| | and wasting both of our time.
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| completely and I haven't looked back.
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| | Companies continue to employ cold-calling
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| It is Thursday a.m. and so far on two
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| | for a couple reasons: first, they
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| occasions this week I've had a knock at
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| | perceive it to be cheap (it's not) and
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| my office door only to have four total
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| | second, marketing (legitimate, creative,
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| strangers (two on each visit) walk into
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| | permission-based marketing) is hard (not
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| my 10"x10" office and proceed to launch
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| | always). Over the next few days or so I'm
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| into a sales pitch. The first pair was
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| | going to be discussing how our firm has
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| peddling a local tire dealership offering
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| | been able to successfully secure new
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| 90% tires (my car is under warranty at my
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| | business without cold-calling a single
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| dealership) and the second was for
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| | person, while at the same time continuing
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| "guaranteed savings!" on my color
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| | to use proactive recruiting, what some
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| printing (I probably print all of two
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| | would perceive as cold-calling (it's not)
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| documents a month in color).
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| | to find the highest qualified candidates
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| All four used the same strategy: walk-in,
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| | for our client's open positions.
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| get comfortable--one guy immediately sat
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| |
|
