I hate when sales people call me, and people who are rejected over and over again lose their enthusiasm. Sure, like Gitomer says, 1 out of 100 cold calls will be successful, but it's a matter of efficiency and prioritizing your time/money/energy. There are far more productive things you can be doing than cold calling.
@JPRubber2 & Konmmaiseir, I didn't come on here expecting to find such knowledge from the people leaving comments! I absolutely agree with so much of your comments! Hunters not Farmers (clearly a BNI 'er') Cold calling getting geniune people in sales a bad name, I could go on and on - and often i do!! I'd love to have some of Jeff's bank balance though ;-) I've just put my first video online - it doesn't have the big branding but it has helped people which is what sales should be about.
Gitomer - Smart calling is an awesome way of getting in the door and I'm so confident of this I'm willing to bet it. Are you up for a challenge? Here is the name of the game: On one side, sales pro utilizing 'smart calling' and networking vs. on your side they utilize twitter, facebook, networking, blog posts, and any other social media you like. Up for it? I'm sick of you praying on the fear of smart calling when you have no data to back up your claims. Dont talk the talk - walk the walk.
@Kommaseir ok, thanks! I could see how this would work. I'm afraid we have a case of underdefined terms. A true cold call is defined by the seller not being prepared to sell and the buyer not prepared to buy. In other words, the seller knows nothing about the buyer, and thus cannot properly prepare themselves to increase the odds of closing. The prospective buyer is caught off guard too. Any level of preparation beyond that is not cold calling, hence the new name 'smart calling'?
@Kommaseir Putting names aside, I think what Mr. Gitomer is pushing is: stick to the basics of selling but be smart about how you apply those basics. The surest sale will always come from someone who knows what you have, likes you, trusts you, wants what you have and has the money to buy what you have. Without reading the book, I would guess that smart calling has to do with Finding those customers who are prime NEW customers, as opposed to return customers. Is this true?
@JPRubber2 Yes, it's true - this book would be geared for new customers. That said, I agree with all your points. But, where I disagree with Gitomer is the fact that many sales people need to have face time and a timely call, with excellent information gained by the internet or other sources, can be extremely powerful. Referrals are awesome, of course, and I get them a lot. But I would never stop calling. If I did, I would be missing out on tons of opportunities.
@Kommaseir hehe, I also thought about certain business models, in terms of percentage of new customers. The company I work for used to turn away business if the customer/order was too small or if they were not an existing customer. But then, I'm surprised my company can stay in business at all some days. With this minidepression we went through, they were close to shutting down. First layoffs ever, and dropped over half the labor force. I do believe every business needs new customers...
@JPRubber2 Also, the ROI on facebook, email blasts, etc. are great if you own the company. Many sales people, however, are pure 'hunters.' In other words, they bring in the business and then another arm takes care of client servicing. Furthermore, many don't have the authorization to start an 'email' campaign - the marketing departments handle that. At the end of the day - Gitomer has to realize his version or notion of 'Cold Calling' is dated back in the past.
@Kommaseir This is true, and I have been a business owner, still am, just a veeery teeny business, so far.:) LOL, dated in the past...I winder if this is the danger of doing something for 30+ years...you become an expert at what you've experienced, not necessarily wha tthe rest of the world is experiencing. However, I wouldn't mind having (what I perceive to be) his bank balance...
@JPRubber2 Me too! Just learn how to write a best seller by getting some of the best ghost writers out there and become a hall of fame speaker. That equals big bank balance!
@JPRubber2 cold callers, they way Gitomer describes, are outsourced from another country. That type of cold call goes on everyday, 24hrs a day, and is what gives sales people a bad image. Also, Gitomer should call his own sales staff and see how they sell. I sure wasn't impressed with their 'professionalism' or knowledge. Gitomer is popular b/c of his books and b/c he's a hall of fame speaker, not b/c of his sales skils - end of story.
@Kommaseir LOL, the bottom line comes out!! I have not called his business or his sales team for any reason, so you're a step ahead of me. But it's hypocritical if he's the sales expert and his team is not properly trained or skilled.
@JPRubber2 One more thing - look up Scott-Vincent Borba and see how he succeeded? He made cold calls and made $5 million dollars in sales in his first year from 'smart' calling. Also, Chris Gardner - the basis of the movie Pursuit of Happyness' took himself from a person living on the street to working with one of the best investment firms on the planet. How - Cold calling!!
@JPRubber2 Last but not least, check out Ted Nicholas. He's a master copywriter and has actually sold things for his customers. He's a true sales master. Check out his stuff as well. Again - I go by what people are doing for their customers - not by how many books or seminars someone can sell. Bottom line - if I went broke tomorrow or ended up in a brand new city I know I'd be okay because I can interact with people easily and build relationships fast - not by sending out tweets or emails.
"great! wake up and smell the internet!" hehe genius
TheRealPervert 10 months ago
I hate when sales people call me, and people who are rejected over and over again lose their enthusiasm. Sure, like Gitomer says, 1 out of 100 cold calls will be successful, but it's a matter of efficiency and prioritizing your time/money/energy. There are far more productive things you can be doing than cold calling.
rappersfriend 10 months ago
@JPRubber2 & Konmmaiseir, I didn't come on here expecting to find such knowledge from the people leaving comments! I absolutely agree with so much of your comments! Hunters not Farmers (clearly a BNI 'er') Cold calling getting geniune people in sales a bad name, I could go on and on - and often i do!! I'd love to have some of Jeff's bank balance though ;-) I've just put my first video online - it doesn't have the big branding but it has helped people which is what sales should be about.
SalesJennyrator 1 year ago
Gitomer - Smart calling is an awesome way of getting in the door and I'm so confident of this I'm willing to bet it. Are you up for a challenge? Here is the name of the game: On one side, sales pro utilizing 'smart calling' and networking vs. on your side they utilize twitter, facebook, networking, blog posts, and any other social media you like. Up for it? I'm sick of you praying on the fear of smart calling when you have no data to back up your claims. Dont talk the talk - walk the walk.
Kommaseir 1 year ago
@Kommaseir please identify smart calling.
JPRubber2 1 year ago
@JPRubber2 Forsure: Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection From Cold Calling by Art Sobczak
Kommaseir 1 year ago
@Kommaseir ok, thanks! I could see how this would work. I'm afraid we have a case of underdefined terms. A true cold call is defined by the seller not being prepared to sell and the buyer not prepared to buy. In other words, the seller knows nothing about the buyer, and thus cannot properly prepare themselves to increase the odds of closing. The prospective buyer is caught off guard too. Any level of preparation beyond that is not cold calling, hence the new name 'smart calling'?
JPRubber2 1 year ago
@Kommaseir Putting names aside, I think what Mr. Gitomer is pushing is: stick to the basics of selling but be smart about how you apply those basics. The surest sale will always come from someone who knows what you have, likes you, trusts you, wants what you have and has the money to buy what you have. Without reading the book, I would guess that smart calling has to do with Finding those customers who are prime NEW customers, as opposed to return customers. Is this true?
JPRubber2 1 year ago
@JPRubber2 Yes, it's true - this book would be geared for new customers. That said, I agree with all your points. But, where I disagree with Gitomer is the fact that many sales people need to have face time and a timely call, with excellent information gained by the internet or other sources, can be extremely powerful. Referrals are awesome, of course, and I get them a lot. But I would never stop calling. If I did, I would be missing out on tons of opportunities.
Kommaseir 1 year ago
@Kommaseir hehe, I also thought about certain business models, in terms of percentage of new customers. The company I work for used to turn away business if the customer/order was too small or if they were not an existing customer. But then, I'm surprised my company can stay in business at all some days. With this minidepression we went through, they were close to shutting down. First layoffs ever, and dropped over half the labor force. I do believe every business needs new customers...
JPRubber2 1 year ago
@JPRubber2 Also, the ROI on facebook, email blasts, etc. are great if you own the company. Many sales people, however, are pure 'hunters.' In other words, they bring in the business and then another arm takes care of client servicing. Furthermore, many don't have the authorization to start an 'email' campaign - the marketing departments handle that. At the end of the day - Gitomer has to realize his version or notion of 'Cold Calling' is dated back in the past.
Kommaseir 1 year ago
@Kommaseir This is true, and I have been a business owner, still am, just a veeery teeny business, so far.:) LOL, dated in the past...I winder if this is the danger of doing something for 30+ years...you become an expert at what you've experienced, not necessarily wha tthe rest of the world is experiencing. However, I wouldn't mind having (what I perceive to be) his bank balance...
JPRubber2 1 year ago
@JPRubber2 Me too! Just learn how to write a best seller by getting some of the best ghost writers out there and become a hall of fame speaker. That equals big bank balance!
Kommaseir 1 year ago
@JPRubber2 cold callers, they way Gitomer describes, are outsourced from another country. That type of cold call goes on everyday, 24hrs a day, and is what gives sales people a bad image. Also, Gitomer should call his own sales staff and see how they sell. I sure wasn't impressed with their 'professionalism' or knowledge. Gitomer is popular b/c of his books and b/c he's a hall of fame speaker, not b/c of his sales skils - end of story.
Kommaseir 1 year ago
@Kommaseir LOL, the bottom line comes out!! I have not called his business or his sales team for any reason, so you're a step ahead of me. But it's hypocritical if he's the sales expert and his team is not properly trained or skilled.
JPRubber2 1 year ago
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@JPRubber2 One more thing - look up Scott-Vincent Borba and see how he succeeded? He made cold calls and made $5 million dollars in sales in his first year from 'smart' calling. Also, Chris Gardner - the basis of the movie Pursuit of Happyness' took himself from a person living on the street to working with one of the best investment firms on the planet. How - Cold calling!!
Kommaseir 1 year ago
@JPRubber2 Last but not least, check out Ted Nicholas. He's a master copywriter and has actually sold things for his customers. He's a true sales master. Check out his stuff as well. Again - I go by what people are doing for their customers - not by how many books or seminars someone can sell. Bottom line - if I went broke tomorrow or ended up in a brand new city I know I'd be okay because I can interact with people easily and build relationships fast - not by sending out tweets or emails.
Kommaseir 1 year ago
excellent advice!
NebulaSteam 1 year ago