by Sheryl Tuttle

Frequently I’m asked whether it makes sense to start or continue a new business campaign through the holidays. The argument is that many people vacation during the holidays and so you are less likely to reach a decision-maker during this timeframe. Many people contend that it makes better sense to put these efforts on hold, until the New Year and the resumption of “business as usual.”

I disagree, and here’s why.

For the very reason that more people are on vacation, the likelihood of reaching a decision-maker increases. Not only are your target prospects taking time off, but so are their gatekeepers. While the number of executives in their offices may actually decrease over the holidays, the number of executives answering their own line increases. This often results in making connections that would otherwise have been more difficult.

Additionally, while everyone is quick to agree that the holidays can bring on more stress, it is also a time when holiday spirit prevails. People emphasize community, relationships, and goodwill. They tend to be in better moods, and are more likely to be receptive to a conversation.

The best time to initiate a new business campaign is when it is right for you and your business, regardless of the season. When you want to begin filling the sales pipeline with future business, that’s the time to start a new business campaign.

Happy Thanksgiving.

by Sheryl Tuttle

Recently I stumbled upon a great blog post on New Business Hawk containing a list of ideas for generating new business. While the article is primarily geared towards agencies, the list is comprehensive. Almost certainly you will find ideas you can use for your new business campaign. Here is the post.

Grab the Low Hanging Fruit: 49 New Business Ideas at New Business Hawk

I couldn’t help but notice the number of times “call” was referenced. It is in idea number 19, 32, 33, 45, and 46, affirming again, that a personal telephone call is a great way to connect and build your business.

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Go On – Say Something

It’s time to expose ourselves.  Let it all hang out.   Wrap your business focus into today’s hot topic or headline, give it a stir, and post it somewhere.  Use the right words, back links, tags, metawhatsit, video, and before you know it, you are viral.  Social media is something that comes instinctively to those who were born with computers and mobile phones.  To those of us who get that we are now in the future, we are learning,  or we’ve decided to leave the room.  We don’t have to love it, but we do have to learn it.  The future is now.  (Although I’m still waiting for my personal jet pack).  You can ignore it (though why would you?), but from a business position -  Embrace it or write your epitaph.

Lead generators can thank LinkedIn for providing a great tool for uncovering names of the folks who hold the titles we need.  Reaching them is still left to the art of the sales person.  I now enjoy finding many brand managers names who forever sat unreachable in their nice cushy offices.  I guess as the younger set move into key positions in the Fortune 500 they won’t mind getting their identity out there – all those responsible for Huggies, and Pantene.   Although I doubt we’ll ever penetrate deeply into the name vault at Pfizer or Merck.  (But that’s a whole other beef) Transparency is a word that comes to mind when I think about all the social outlets that I communicate on.  At any given time if someone wants to comment on something I did or said.  Comment at will, please.  I wonder if 9/11 has anything to do with our openness now.  Wanting to be exposed so that people don’t question our identity.

Social Media is huge – it is hard to wrap our arms around it, but try it, you’ll like it.   For business purposes, have lots of meetings, set your goals on what it is you want to try to accomplish with a social outreach, and jump.  You’ll never even have to mention what it is you are selling, in fact, don’t do that.  Don’t sell from social. We need to think.  We can now participate in conversations with some of the great thinkers and writers in the world today.

Kicking and screaming is how I am bringing my clients to the world of social media, but at least most are stepping up.  I’m very proud of them.  This stuff’s hard.

by Sheryl Tuttle

I recently read Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, and offer the following review of the book. But why provide a book review about social media on a blog about filling your new business pipeline through outbound prospecting efforts?

Because social media is not a fad that is here today, gone tomorrow. Social media is revolutionizing the business world, and not just in retail and consumer industries. It’s B2B too. And it will affect how all of us do business into the future, and it cannot be ignored.

I’m not sure how social media will alter the course of my day, making calls to target prospects in which my clients wish to do business. But I do know that it will. It already has in some positive ways.

But first, the book review, then let’s talk more about social media.

Groundswell

winning in a world transformed by social technologies

by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

Groundswell is a great book to help people understand the revolutionary social technology changes that are occurring, why they are happening, and how to tap into it and transform your business. It’s a very interesting read with good information, much of it familiar though, particularly for those already actively involved in social media.

The authors explain that people utilize social media to connect, collaborate, react, organize, and accelerate consumption. They give numerous examples of tools for each of these categories, and explain which of the five primary objectives these tools help companies meet. For example, blogs are effective tools for talking and getting feedback, while ratings, reviews, and online communities help energize the groundswell.  In addition, people engage more or less with social media, and their involvement will range from completely inactive to active creators, with several levels of involvement in between.

Thus, planning is a large part of success. The idea is to look at the objectives first, especially since technology constantly evolves, and select appropriate tools that will develop the relationships to get there. The authors introduce a four part planning process that consists of people, objectives, strategy and technology.

Concrete examples and case studies provide additional substance and make the information easily digestible, enabling you to create actionable steps to move your company into the groundswell. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about social media and the steps to take to get involved.

Now, let’s talk about . . .

What Effects Will Social Media Have on Outbound Calling Efforts?

While there are some that say social media will eliminate the need for outbound calling efforts, I disagree. Social media may create enough buzz and information about a company, service or product to make inbound calls a bigger reality, but prospects are not all created equal, and not all people will respond similarly. Cold calling will always remain an effective way of picking the higher hanging fruit, of introducing your company or service, and in creating relationships.

So if social media isn’t going to remove the need for outbound new business initiation efforts, what effects will it have?

Since social media is about listening, communicating, and connecting, I see it as another instrument in the salesperson’s tool bag. Already we do web research and look at prospect websites to learn about a potential customer, now we can add blogs and other social media tools to that list, better preparing us to match our deliverables with our customers’ needs.

Social media enables conversations to occur, and for others with interest to join in, but in the end, the telephone still ranks high for communicating one-on-one.

What are your thoughts on social media?

by Sheryl Tuttle

Enjoy this video that reflects how social media is changing the world of sales and marketing.

Question for you – How does social media effect prospect outreach? Has it changed your outbound efforts?

by Sheryl Tuttle

Does this sound familiar? A new marketer or business development professional is brought on-board to fill up the sales pipeline. A large part of their efforts will be reaching out to prospects, a.k.a. cold-calling. They quickly learn the business. They’ve nailed down the pitch and the value-proposition. They are enthused and they are good at closing sales.

But the pipeline doesn’t fill.

Often it’s the result of not enough effort made in cold-calling. And let’s face it… cold calling isn’t for everyone. There is a great deal of rejection with cold calling, and I previously posted about handling that rejection here. The fact is, the most successful campaigns run about an 85% rejection!

Image: www.freeimages.co.uk

So then, what are your options?

The way I see it there are two options. Option 1 is to keep looking until you find a person that “gets” your business and one that is also good at cold-calling. The upside is that they become fully immersed in your company and its culture. After all, they are an employee. The downside is that they may not have other business development skill sets you seek. Sometimes you get an either/or, but not a both – you find someone with good business acumen, strong business development skills, or someone successful with cold-calling, but oftentimes it is not someone skilled all around. Also, keep in mind that a person spending a large amount of their time on the phone daily calling the same targets with the same message may burn out quickly. Some variation in the day-to-day is welcomed for even the most seasoned of cold-callers. Finally, this option can be expensive as not only do you have the employee salary to consider, but the cost of other employee benefits as well.

Option 2 is to outsource your cold-calling efforts. This option enables you to keep your in-house talent, and frees them to spend more time focused on servicing customers and landing new business. Another upside is that your cold-calling efforts can be utilized when most needed, then turned off when resources become too stretched. In other words, if your pipeline becomes sufficiently full and you want to take a break from those efforts, you can, and without having to worry about laying someone off or assigning them new responsibilities. The downside is finding the right talent. Hiring the cheapest isn’t the right solution as you want to be sure to hire professionals that are comfortable talking to your target prospects on a peer-to-peer basis, and that are skilled specialists that can quickly immerse themselves in your company and integrate fully.

As you can see, both options have benefits and drawbacks. Your company resources, size, budget and culture will often determine what’s right for you.

by Sheryl Tuttle

I love my job and at times I feel like the luckiest person alive. I get to work from my home office, pitch the services of some top-notch companies, and talk to all kinds of interesting people. And what a charge I get when I set an appointment, especially when I obtain lots of detail that will help the Sales Executive win the business! It’s exciting, I’m enthused, the client is happy, everything is upbeat!

But sometimes, I just don’t feel like calling prospects.

Not to worry – it happens to even the most seasoned of rainmakers. Here are some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned to help get me out of this funk and to recharge myself. This list is not even close to all-inclusive, so I’d appreciate hearing your ideas in the comments section.

• Warm it up – Like a car that needs to run awhile to warm in the winter, calling prospects can also require a warm-up. And it’s simple. Review your pitch points, even practice out-loud, then tackle your easy calls first. By the time you get to the more challenging calls, the pitch and ensuing conversation flows naturally.
• Put on a smile – even if you don’t feel like making calls. Your tone and enthusiasm carry over into your message, whether to a human or voicemail. A smile makes your voice sound more warm and friendly. Plus, you just naturally feel better when you smile.
• Mix it up – In times that your pitch begins to feel stale, even rehearsed, change it up. Add new or updated information, use the latest industry jargon, say what you need to say in a different order.
• Enjoy a cup of java – or tea, or whatever your favorite caffeinated beverage.
• And finally…Maybe you’re talking too much. If you’re really tired of the “same ole same ole,” then perhaps you’re talking too much and not listening enough.

This is more of an update than a post. Summer business is actually booming. Certainly much better than Q2 when if I’d called my mother she would have declined. So at this moment in time, I’m happy to report that prospects are now meeting with my client companies. Next hopefully business will be signed. Now if only I could get someone to buy my son’s 2001 Ford Focus that has ceased to work. Gggrrr.

I was totally unprepared for the physical effects of cold calling.

If you’re even slightly like me, stress is a trigger, that makes me eat.   Don’t get me wrong. I don’t munch away whilst on my calls, but if I’m on a call for a long time, and I begin to lose focus, I get stressed, and think about food. Years ago, I’ll admit it, I was a smoker, and although that demon is long gone, that same Tasmanian devil now propels me to the kitchen. When I began in the B2B lead generating business, I was unaware of what can happen if someone says 1) “sign me up,” or 2) “not interested.” And, it’s always one or the other. What’d I do? I headed straight for the fridge. Bear in mind, I work from my home office – so my all access pass had me at my stainless steel top-of-the-line, French-door Goddess of the Goodies -  A LOT! Whatever was there, as long as it was bite-sized, I’d grab it. Believe me, it took me quite a while to realize that it mattered not what I reached for – See’s chocolates, pieces of cheese, or pieces of raw veggies. I was either feeling happy that I had succeeded at my mission or crummy because I (not really) was turned down. One day, there I was, staring into the light of the fridge, reaching for something I had no desire to eat, that I realized that I’d gone and developed a Jones. At first, I said to myself that at least I was not the person who kept a bottle in my desk drawer to take a nip every now and then. Nor was I like the gentlemen from Mad Men and their office cocktail de-stressers. But the munchies, for me — exactly the same – a crutch. You know what they say? Recognizing that there is a problem is half the battle. I embraced my new habit by acknowledging it. Oprah or my shrink – (maybe both) had given me permission to do this, and I started to smoke again. JUST KIDDING!

That’s it. Just watch for these triggers, and remember to go for the carrots.

by Sheryl Tuttle

Everyone faces rejection at various points in their life, but if you are in sales, and particularly if you make cold calls, then you face rejection more than many. It’s a tough job, and not everyone is cut out to do it. Even top producers in sales hear “no thanks” and “not interested” on a regular basis. It’s simply the nature of the job. When calling prospects, you have to weed through those that don’t have interest to get to and find the prospects that do have interest.

Learning to deal with rejection is paramount to a career in sales. It’s important that a rejection doesn’t render you useless, and that the fear of future rejection doesn’t stop you in your tracks.

Here are some important tips to help you properly handle and overcome rejection.

1. Be polite and thank the prospect for their time. Never get angry at the prospect. While it is unlikely they will be a customer now, nobody has a crystal ball into the future. You could change jobs, they could change jobs, and your paths could cross again. Never burn bridges.
2. Remember you are not alone. Everyone in sales has experienced rejection, and will experience it again as long as they continue in sales.
3. Don’t take it personal. The prospect isn’t rejecting you personally, it’s what you are offering or proposing they are rejecting. You’re still just fine!
4. For every “no” you hear, you are that much closer to the next “yes.”
5. Get over it – and quickly! Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and get on with your next call.
6. Focus on your overall goals and don’t dwell on the individual rejection.
7. Keep a positive attitude and a smile in your voice.
8. Look at the rejection as an opportunity to improve yourself. What caused the prospect to decline interest? Would more open-ended questions have better engaged the prospect?
9. Don’t give up.

They say salespeople must be thick-skinned and insensitive, but I disagree. You simply need to practice these skills, have confidence, and not let a rejection affect your self-worth.

How do you handle rejection? Do you have some tips you can share? Please let us know in the comments.