Cold Calling: Taking Another Look at Those "Impossible" Leads

There is nothing more discouraging than looking at the same leads day in and day out and realizing that you may never get through to the decision maker.  You stare at the lead a long moment before moving on to the next one, the easier one.  As the days and weeks and months go by, those leads become more ominous, but yet you’re doing nothing about it.  They just sit there.  Psychologically, you’ve given up.

            If that’s the case, it’s time to turn a negative into a positive.

            Why do these particular leads make you run for cover?  Is it Shirley, Bills EA, who intimidates you and never puts you through, who tells you—not as much anymore because you’ve stopped calling—“I’ll take another message, John.  I keep telling you, you’ll only get meeeee when you call.”?  Is it the level of the decision maker that intimidates you because the last time you tried to pitch Bill he hung up before the fifth word left your mouth?  Is it the entire company itself?  Where’s receptionist?  Doesn’t anybody pick up?  Doesn’t anybody know anything at XYZ?

            These obstacles become more daunting as the days pass by, but you can turn it—the negative-to-positive attitude—all around with a single call.  How?  Well, you have to examine, or reexamine, the situation.  Let’s take a look:

            Getting Past Shirley.  This is no easy task.  She seems to be there, smiling, waiting for you, from sunrise to sunset—or is that just your imagination running wild?  Try calling Bill at different hours of the day, before hours, after hours, during lunch hours (Shirley's human, she takes lunch.)  Take detailed notes.  Now is the time to become an excellent researcher.  Shirley, no doubt, has laughed at you when you asked for Bill’s cell phone, but have you tried calling other offices and asking for the cell?  Have you tried the Intentional Misdial, which is calling a wrong number and insisting it’s the right digits and acting your way into obtaining Bill’s mobile?

            Bill's Hang-Ups.  Hang-ups are a major part of the cold calling game.  This will never change, so either you accept it, or, if the rejection becomes too much, you need to find another line of work.  If you’re not getting hung up during the course of the day then you’re not making enough calls.  Hang-ups are a mystery factor and can cause you to overanalyze the situation.  Why did Bill hang-up on you?  Was he in a meeting?  Maybe.  Was he having a terrible morning?  Yeah, maybe.  Did he just spill coffee on his new suit because the phone startled him?  Possibly.  Who knows?  Not only that, who cares?  As difficult as it may be, you need to keep calling Bill back until he tells you unequivocally, “Listen, John, I’m not interested in what you’re selling.”

            That’s crystal clear.  Great answer, Bill.  And you can respond by saying:

            “I appreciate that, Bill.  Do you know anyone who can benefit from our services?”

            Click.  Or, in the best world, Bill may give you a reference.

            When looking at those impossible leads, ask yourself, “Am I exhausting all my resources in getting Bill on the phone?”  “Am I nervous that Bill’s going to hang-up on me again?  And why should I be nervous?  He'd be lucky to have an assertive salesperson like me working for his company.”  Then pick up the phone and dial.

            Don’t let Shirley or hang-ups hang up your workday.  Get creative, stay positive, and exhaust all possibilities.