Cold Calling: The Most Unpopular Sales Subject

Been there, done that, got that T-Shirt....years of cold calling as a Manufactureres Rep....but at least you should "cold call" at industries that remotely can use your "Product". You don't know until you try!

A recent Wall Street Journal article, lead with, "The cold call won't die." Couldn't help but wonder, why in the world anyone who sells for a living would want the cold call to die in the first place.

Do the math. Sellers of professional services look for 20-25 new clients a year. Then, ask yourself, what faster way is there to reach prospects them than by telephone? With the right mindset, words and delivery on the part of the seller, you will quickly begin to hear money making sounds like cha-ching.

90-seconds of phone time you have with prospects are pure gold.

We are not talking about the "burn and churn tactics" of call centers that count on more than 300% turnover of telemarketers each year. We are talking about sales professionals who cold call people they have not met yet to let prospects know about the value gleaned by those who take advantage of their products and services.

Here's a radical action step for you.

For one week do a minimum of 5 calls a week or a maximum of 5 calls a day. If you are a seller who makes 100 calls a day now here this. The instruction to make five calls a day is not heresy, it is educational, and it most certainly your short cut to success.

How can that be? For your answer ask yourself, how human do you feel after non-stop dialing-for-dollars all morning? You have got to know if you feel wrung out, spent, and down on cold calling how do you think the people on the other end of the line feel listening to you?

Remember when broker's used to call with hot stock tips and sell financial products for quick commissions?

Savvy financial services professionals do not and never did operate that way.

They work toward building relationships with clients for lifelong financial planning and service. They connect with the prospects as people with real needs that these professionals are in a unique position to serve.

Even great sellers become insecure if they think of themselves as telemarketers.

Burn and churn tactics have contributed to giving cold calling a bad name. Better to remember cold calls are not driven by a script and dials per hour, but by a moral obligation to find those very people who want/need what you have to offer and the skills to deliver that information in a way that is meaningful to your prospects.

If you want to leverage cold calls for great profit and benefit for all, you are better off making fewer calls and positioning yourself as the expert in your field that you are; who has important, valuable services to offer prospects.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com


About the Author:
For your mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit www.ColdCallingExecutives.com ! Or call Cold Calling Expert, Lead New Business Development Coach, Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time) Find much more on our www.ColdCallingExecutives.com/blog/index.html

Get Rich Books

Get Rich, Retire Rich Books.......Do They Work?

OMG, so many books, so little brains. Initially, my reaction is the way to get rich is write a "Get Rich Book". I mean, come on, if all it took was reading a book, we would all be rich.

Personally, I believe it takes a certain personality type to pursue wealth for the sake of wealth, definitely a "Type A" personality. Someone who enjoys competition, crowds, a fraternity/sorority type...someone who "networks". And that is just to read the books!

I am sure all those who compete on the Donald Trump Show, "The Apprentice", qualify. I remember a Business Law class I took at Colorado State University, as part of my MBA program. The Professor asked the students, at least 90% who were 21-23 years of age, "How many think they will be making $50,000/yr by the time they are 30 yrs old?" At least 90% raised their hands! Uh huh.

In my present "job" as a "Bookseller", I see many people seeking these types of books. Here are some on-line lists of the "Top 10"........most are none of the ones that I see daily.

http://www.helpyourmoney.com/180/most-recommended-personal-finance-books

http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Get-Rich-Books/lm/2QKVEZ32R9XNB

People seem to like the "Rich Dad" series......unfortunately for my kids, I was the "Poor Dad". The best way to get rich is for dad or grandpa to have been a "Robber Baron" and leave you all his money!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/104-9703033-7055953?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=how+to+get+rich&Go.x=7&Go.y=8

I suppose all the above are for what I still call "Yuppies or "Yuppie Puppies". Conventional, conservative "wannabes".

Then there are the Evangelical Christan.............."God will Bless Me with Wealth" types who actually believe that "GOD" will reward their Christian beleifs with money, power, etc. Uh huh. What happened to that bible verse "A rich man has as much chance of getting into heavens as a camel going through an eye of a needle?"

I guess I am just pessimistic...........you inherent wealth or you "get lucky". As the movie "Wall Street" stated "Greed is Good!"

Technorati : Karl Marx, capitalism, communisim, evanelical christians, financial, fundamentalists, greed, poor, socialism, working class

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Identity Theft, Part 2

OK, the blank signature line on 50% of cards, or the "See ID" instead of a readable signature goes on.

However there are new players on the scene now. Mastercard's "PayPass", and Visa's "Visa payWave" contactless smart cards. No signature or pin number required!

In my brief, on going poll of people who don't sign their darn cards, 100% say they will never use such a device! Indeed, the reason some cro-magnon shoppers still write checks, is to prevent ID theft!

What happened to those programs to put your photograph on credit/debit cards? I always thought that was a great idea, but it did not seem to take off. I still see them, but rarely.

I even found an "ABC News" site that discussed this very topic of signature free transactions http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=2601925

All in all, I feel the media ramps up this fear in consumers...most credit card companies limit your liability for false transactions, and I think that some people have an inflated value of their own importance. ID Thieves are more likely to steel Bill Gates information, than "Joe Sixpacks" who lives in a single wide trailer!

http://www.mastercard.com

http://www.corporate.visa.com

Can A Microbusiness Help You Enjoy A Better Retirement?

Not having enough money for a comfortable retirement tops the list of financial concerns among aging Americans, according to a recent Gallup Poll. It even outweighs peoples’ worries about having a serious illness or accident.

With statistics showing that Americans can expect to live 20 ormore years after reaching retirement age and our longevity continuing to inch upward, these fears could be well founded.

Three out of 10 American workers haven’t saved at all forretirement, and among those who do, many have not saved enough, according to another study. The study showed that three out of 10 workers age 55 or older have saved lessthan $25,000.

Many of us plan to work past the normal retirement age.But at this rate, we may not have a choice. Some of us inthe Baby Boom generation can expect to work beyond age 65, whether we want to or not.

There is an alternative to having to work full-time until we’re in a wheelchair. It’s also a smart choice as we get pastage 50 and want to slow down a bit, but still stay active andstimulated. And that’s to gradually make the transition from working full-time as an employee to being in business for ourselves on a contract or per-project basis. By planning ahead,you can gradually turn your job skills into a “microbusiness”while you are still employed.

If you have worked in a specific industry for 10, 15 or more years, you are ideally suited for this type of transition. You can set up a home office in a spare bedroom of your home, get the equipment you need and gradually establish your business.

When the time comes and you want to make the change, you can do it on your own terms – often by negotiating a contract with your existing employers for 50 percent of your time. There are other ways to make the change, such as negotiating with your employer for a reduced work week,or working from home as a “teleworker” for a few days a week.

Still others have begun their private practice by moonlighting – doing a few projects for other clients on the side at night or on weekends in the year leading up to their departure, and building up a clientele that way. Provided such work isn’t prohibited by your full-time employment contract, it’s another smart way to get started.

Enjoy The freedom

Being your own boss means you get to choose how hard you work and how much you are compensated. If you want to earn extra cash for an upcoming trip or purchase, you can work a few extra hours per week or take an extra project. If you want to take four weeks off and visit friends in Florida, simply plan ahead,keep your clients informed, and off you go.

Perhaps that’s why people over 50 are much more likely to be self-employed, according to a study commissioned by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).The study showed that 16 percent of people over 50 were self-employed, compared with 10 percent of the general work force. Plus one-third of self-employed seniors were first-time entrepreneurs who began their business after turning 50 and spending many years working for other people.

Being in business for yourself… especially after a lifetime of being an employee for a larger organization… is the next best thing to being financially independent while still earning a living.

You can scale back your hours worked per week to ease into retirement. Or work in bursts of activity to earn extra money for special purchases or travel. And the best part is… it often doesn’t even feel like “work” anymore.




About the Author:

Barnaby Kalan is an independent copywriter and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in direct marketing. He is the author of Outsourcing Yourself, which reveals the safest, smartest ways to turn your current job skills and experience into a potential six-figure income as a self- employed freelance professional or consultant. For details, visit www.outsourcing-yourself.com

Read more articles by: Barnaby Kalan

Article Source: www.iSnare.com