A recent article of mine, Why Decision Makers Hate Cold Calls, is creating a number of responses to it on EyesOnSales, as well as a number of emails to me. The majority of the responses are defending cold calling and challenging my thinking on the subject.
What I find interesting is the article simply related the reasons decision makers hate cold calls and that if one wants to use cold calling as one of their primary prospecting tools, they had better get the best cold call training they can-or, better yet, learn more effective methods of prospecting.
I'm always amazed at the emotional reaction many salespeople and managers, and a great many sales trainers have to anything that might question the orthodoxy of cold calling. Simply mention that you question the effectiveness of cold calling and the reaction is immediate and vehement. I've been accused of hypocrisy since "those who oppose cold calling are only trying to sell their overpriced, worthless 'training.'" Nice to know that the only trainers who believe what they say are the ones who agree with the sender of the email.
And, of course, I've been accused of being 'dangerous' and should be 'stopped' for leading salespeople to believe there are other, more effective ways of finding and connecting with prospects.
We conducted a survey last year that asked business decision makers and individuals a number of questions regarding how they found the salespeople and companies from which they bought goods and services. Regarding cold calling, of the several hundred people we spoke to at random, less than 5% indicated they had bought anything in the past year initiated through a cold call (slightly higher for businesses than individuals).
My argument isn't that cold calling doesn't work-you can certainly find clients via cold calling, and every once in a while, even find a great client. My argument is that cold calling is inefficient. Certainly for some companies and even some salespeople selling a commodity, cold calling can be the only reasonable way of operating. But for salespeople in relationship driven industries, is cold calling really the Mecca of prospecting?
I'd be very interested in getting your cold calling experience. My only request is that you identify yourself with your real name (too many try to hide behind a screen name), and that you give real experience, not opinion.
Link to original post