Okay, so I got an email today from a law firm in California (they are one of @ColdCallWriter's Twitter followers). They sell mediation services to companies.
They asked if I would like to be a freelance cold caller for them.
I thought it was a joke. Then the guy actually called today from California to repeat the offer.
Now what can one glean from this?
First, I think it shows how hard it is to convince most people to pick up the phone and sell something. If they're willing to give me, a complete stranger, a chance just because I write a blog ... psh. There you go.
Anyway, I politely declined their offer.
Why? As I explained to the mediation guy in an email, anyone, and I mean ANYONE, can sell freelance writing (or related freelance services).
Because if you find the right client, your stuff sells itself.
When I've got an interested prospect on the phone, I don't have to tell him or her my unique selling proposition or list features and benefits.
Honestly, until they see what I've written, they don't give a rat's.
My job is to answer their initial questions (usually few) and direct them to my online portfolio and resume.
Simple. A middle school kid could do it.
Now if I were selling mediation services (or aluminum siding or life insurance) through cold calls, it would be a different story.
That would require actual sales skills.
That would require a polished presentation.
That would require extreme motivation that withstands hang-ups, take-me-off-your-lists and stop-wasting-my-times.
I have so much admiration for people who have all of the above. But believe me, @ColdCallWriter is not one of them. The one time in 460 calls I had a guy get mad at me and tell me never to call again, I put down the phone and cried.
But I can sell freelance services. Because cold calling freelance services is a completely different (and gentler) process than what we usually think of when we think of phone sales.
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
When you're calling your ass off -- and no one's buying
Okay, so after two months of patiently calling 25 people a day with absolutely not a penny to show for it, the worm has turned.
First, permit me to rant for a moment about how crazy and insecure those two months of silence made me. I had plenty of nibbles (people who loved the portfolio, loved the idea, needed a writer, etc.), no one actually coughed up the cash.
This was maddening, as you might imagine. Especially when I was having trouble paying the bills and putting time into cold calling that could have been spent querying, networking and conducting other business building activities.
To keep doing it (with absolutely no reward) was a leap of faith of sorts.
I remember a story (I think I heard it at church camp) that would have made a great essay. Except it was from Middle-Ages Europe before they had O Mag or websites.
A monk was writing about his trip to a cathedral that was under construction. He admired how all the laborers, from men who were hauling giant stones to the women sweeping up the debris, were all working with great excitement and esprit de corps.
They knew they were building something worthwhile. The clincher? They also knew the cathedral would take 100 years to build.
They wouldn't live to see it finished.
Not a perfect example, but I really think when you're starting a business, you have to believe THAT MUCH in what you're doing. You have to be willing to bust ass through long periods with zero gratification.
What keeps a cold caller going?
For me, it was simple: Peter Bowerman said it would work. Other writer pals who have tried it said the same.
I was sure I was going to be the exception to the ironclad Law of Averages. Then last week, the phones started to ring.
Since May 23, I have either completed, quoted or am waiting on the green light for five new projects -- all from cold call clients.
Nothing huge, nothing earth shattering, but it's been months since I had a new client at all. And I have meetings with a number of promising prospects lined up when I get back from Vegas.
It's a huge change from business as usual, so I'll be slowing down the actual cold calls. But I will keep up the blog.
You see, the cold call process doesn't end when you hang up. There's the meeting, the quote, the dancing around fees, and all sorts of post-call fun to explore.
So stay tuned. And if you're currently busting ass with nothing to show for it, cheer up. Odds are your glory, when it comes, won't be posthumous.
First, permit me to rant for a moment about how crazy and insecure those two months of silence made me. I had plenty of nibbles (people who loved the portfolio, loved the idea, needed a writer, etc.), no one actually coughed up the cash.
This was maddening, as you might imagine. Especially when I was having trouble paying the bills and putting time into cold calling that could have been spent querying, networking and conducting other business building activities.
To keep doing it (with absolutely no reward) was a leap of faith of sorts.
I remember a story (I think I heard it at church camp) that would have made a great essay. Except it was from Middle-Ages Europe before they had O Mag or websites.
A monk was writing about his trip to a cathedral that was under construction. He admired how all the laborers, from men who were hauling giant stones to the women sweeping up the debris, were all working with great excitement and esprit de corps.
They knew they were building something worthwhile. The clincher? They also knew the cathedral would take 100 years to build.
They wouldn't live to see it finished.
Not a perfect example, but I really think when you're starting a business, you have to believe THAT MUCH in what you're doing. You have to be willing to bust ass through long periods with zero gratification.
What keeps a cold caller going?
For me, it was simple: Peter Bowerman said it would work. Other writer pals who have tried it said the same.
I was sure I was going to be the exception to the ironclad Law of Averages. Then last week, the phones started to ring.
Since May 23, I have either completed, quoted or am waiting on the green light for five new projects -- all from cold call clients.
Nothing huge, nothing earth shattering, but it's been months since I had a new client at all. And I have meetings with a number of promising prospects lined up when I get back from Vegas.
It's a huge change from business as usual, so I'll be slowing down the actual cold calls. But I will keep up the blog.
You see, the cold call process doesn't end when you hang up. There's the meeting, the quote, the dancing around fees, and all sorts of post-call fun to explore.
So stay tuned. And if you're currently busting ass with nothing to show for it, cheer up. Odds are your glory, when it comes, won't be posthumous.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Success!
After 1.5 months at this cold calling thing, I'm about to write my first invoice for a client I met through cold calling.
I spent today hanging around his marketing firm helping out with a rush editing job. Since I work in relative isolation most of the time, it was really fun to see creative-types teleconferencing, instant messaging, giving feedback and working as a cohesive team.
Tomorrow I'm headed to Wyoming to meet another prospect (who is very kindly taking me out to lunch), then rushing home to call yet another prospect who was referred to me by someone I cold called.
Believe. Cold calling works.
I spent today hanging around his marketing firm helping out with a rush editing job. Since I work in relative isolation most of the time, it was really fun to see creative-types teleconferencing, instant messaging, giving feedback and working as a cohesive team.
Tomorrow I'm headed to Wyoming to meet another prospect (who is very kindly taking me out to lunch), then rushing home to call yet another prospect who was referred to me by someone I cold called.
Believe. Cold calling works.
BLOOPERS: I cold called so much, my phone died.
Well, that's what I tell people. Actually, I have no idea what happened. One minute I'm taking my visiting friend on a bike tour of Fort Collins breweries and the next I'm having a massive panic attack because my phone's screen has gone blank.
It's not exactly dead. It still vibrates and chirps and plays Ozzy Ozborne's "Crazy Train" when someone calls. But the screen is shot.
I have two conflicting feelings.
The first is terror. I have 460 phone calls out! What if one calls back before I can get my phone situation sorted out? I've put so much work into this cold calling thing, it just breaks my heart to think of even one little prospect slipping through my fingers.
(Rationally, there's very little chance this will happen at beer o'clock on a Saturday, but still.)
The other emotion is jubilation. Now I have the perfect excuse not to cold call. Perhaps my phone situation will be tied up for a whole week and I can have a break from reading the same script ad nauseum.
Alas, neither scenario comes to pass.
By Tuesday (when my dear friend departs and I resume business as usual), Virgin Mobile has overnighted me a spankin' new phone, so I am back on the cold calling war path.
I did miss one call from a new prospect. Fortunately she emailed me, so I was able to get back to her the same day.
What would I have done without a phone? I like to think I'd have forged on using Skype or similar. But truthfully, even though it doesn't scare me anymore, I haven't grown to adore cold calling. So I probably would have kicked back, taken the week off ...
... and had a really agonizing time getting back on the horse next Monday.
It's not exactly dead. It still vibrates and chirps and plays Ozzy Ozborne's "Crazy Train" when someone calls. But the screen is shot.
I have two conflicting feelings.
The first is terror. I have 460 phone calls out! What if one calls back before I can get my phone situation sorted out? I've put so much work into this cold calling thing, it just breaks my heart to think of even one little prospect slipping through my fingers.
(Rationally, there's very little chance this will happen at beer o'clock on a Saturday, but still.)
The other emotion is jubilation. Now I have the perfect excuse not to cold call. Perhaps my phone situation will be tied up for a whole week and I can have a break from reading the same script ad nauseum.
Alas, neither scenario comes to pass.
By Tuesday (when my dear friend departs and I resume business as usual), Virgin Mobile has overnighted me a spankin' new phone, so I am back on the cold calling war path.
I did miss one call from a new prospect. Fortunately she emailed me, so I was able to get back to her the same day.
What would I have done without a phone? I like to think I'd have forged on using Skype or similar. But truthfully, even though it doesn't scare me anymore, I haven't grown to adore cold calling. So I probably would have kicked back, taken the week off ...
... and had a really agonizing time getting back on the horse next Monday.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Guest Post: Anxiety Free Cold-Calling Tips From Peter Bowerman
Talk about a superstar of cold calling.
To relieve any lingering fears you may have had about the cold call process, here's a guest post from the man who inspired me to give it a try -- the one and only Peter Bowerman!
If you like his advice below, I definitely recommend you pick up a copy of his book, The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less. He does a great job of psyching you up, demystifying the cold-call process, and showing you how anyone can succeed at self-marketing (whether through cold calling or other means).
So without further ado ... take it away, Peter.
Anxiety-Free Cold-Calling
How to Make Phone Prospecting Productive – Minus the Stress!
by Peter Bowerman
(An adapted excerpt from The Well-Fed Writer (2010; Fanove) by Peter Bowerman)
Action or Results? In my seminars, I’ll ask, “When starting a cold-calling campaign, should you focus on action or results?” Many immediately yell out, “Results!” Why? “Well, we’re judged on results,” they’ll reply. But I say “Action” is the right answer. Think about it. What’s true of action that isn’t true of results? If you answered, You can control action, but you can’t control results, go to the head of the class.
You have no control over the results of any given phone call or email. Nor how that person on the other end of the line will react to your contact or whether that individual will think your portfolio is good enough to consider hiring you.
Sure, you can improve your results by, say, getting more comfortable with your phone skills, choosing better prospects and beefing up your “book.” But still, fundamentally, the one thing you have control over is the actions you take. An example…
Two copywriters both start cold-calling at 9:00 a.m. Copywriter #1’s goal? To land two new writing projects or three hot prospects by 5:00 p.m. Copywriter #2’s goal? To make 50 calls. Now, tell me – who’s going to have a more stressful day?
Around 2:00 p.m., if #1 has landed neither gigs nor interest, you think the desperation is going to start seeping into his voice? How do you think that’ll work out for him? Meanwhile, #2, cool as a cucumber, makes his 50 calls – unconcerned about the outcome (that would be focusing on results again!) – and he’s done.
Here’s the key: Make those 30, 40 or 50 calls a day, and the results – hot prospects and writing jobs – will come. Minus the anxiety. The Law of Averages is ironclad. And I don’t care how those calls turn out (i.e., live contact, voice mail, message left with a secretary, appointment, dinner date, etc.). Keep calling and the results are assured.
Just a “Telemarketer”? Really? Another thing. In a seminar I was doing a few years back, a woman raised her hand and said, very earnestly, “I just hate the idea of cold calling, because I don’t appreciate telemarketers, and I think most people feel the same way.” Whoa.
I gathered my thoughts, looked at her and asked, “Is that who you think you are? Just an obnoxious telemarketer—no different from the people who rudely interrupt your dinner to peddle aluminum siding, long-distance service, carpet cleaning, and a zillion other things you have no interest in?”
Get this or fail: Assuming you’re a competent, reliable writer, if you pursue this business, you’ll be a professional marketing a valuable and needed professional service to other professionals. Period. While the people you call may not need your services (80 percent won’t) or even have the time to talk to you, I promise they will not be viewing you as an irritating telemarketer. So, don’t dare view yourself this way.
Action, Not Results…Again When I sold books door-to-door in college, our goal was 30 demos a day (the equivalent of phone calls made to prospects), a demo roughly defined as pulling the books out and beginning our pitch—either in the house or at the door—whether or not we got to finish it. Making sales the goal (i.e., results) would’ve introduced unnecessary anxiety into the process. They knew if we made 30 honest demos a day or close to it, the sales would come. And they did. Same here.
There were days as bookmen where we’d put in our honest 13½ hours (8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday; insanity, yes, but character-building insanity) and come up with…bupkus. Growth and Development Days, we called them. Very, very rare. Our sales managers would congratulate us on having a G&D day, adding, By the way, you do know that you’ll sell the first three houses you visit tomorrow, don’t you?
And I’m telling you straight here, we always did, because, I’m convinced we were, well…convinced. On my first call one morning following a G&D day, I remember approaching someone getting in their car in the driveway, briefcase in hand, about to head to work, and absolutely knowing that, despite the unpromising-looking circumstances, this person was going to buy a set of books (a $40 purchase). I guess he knew it too, because he did. Approach cold calling with that same bone-deep belief in the Law of Averages and you can’t help but win.
************
Love to write but hate to starve? Visit www.wellfedwriter.com for a free report, ezine and blog on the lucrative field of “commercial” freelancing – writing for businesses and for $50-125+ an hour. All written by Peter Bowerman, veteran commercial freelancer, writing/publishing coach, and the author of the three award-winning Well-Fed Writer titles, the self-published how-to “standards” on lucrative commercial freelancing. He chronicled his self-publishing success (currently, 60,000 copies of his books in print and a full-time living for nine-plus years) in the award-winning 2007 release, The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living. www.wellfedsp.com.
To relieve any lingering fears you may have had about the cold call process, here's a guest post from the man who inspired me to give it a try -- the one and only Peter Bowerman!
If you like his advice below, I definitely recommend you pick up a copy of his book, The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less. He does a great job of psyching you up, demystifying the cold-call process, and showing you how anyone can succeed at self-marketing (whether through cold calling or other means).
So without further ado ... take it away, Peter.
Anxiety-Free Cold-Calling
How to Make Phone Prospecting Productive – Minus the Stress!
by Peter Bowerman
(An adapted excerpt from The Well-Fed Writer (2010; Fanove) by Peter Bowerman)
Action or Results? In my seminars, I’ll ask, “When starting a cold-calling campaign, should you focus on action or results?” Many immediately yell out, “Results!” Why? “Well, we’re judged on results,” they’ll reply. But I say “Action” is the right answer. Think about it. What’s true of action that isn’t true of results? If you answered, You can control action, but you can’t control results, go to the head of the class.
You have no control over the results of any given phone call or email. Nor how that person on the other end of the line will react to your contact or whether that individual will think your portfolio is good enough to consider hiring you.
Sure, you can improve your results by, say, getting more comfortable with your phone skills, choosing better prospects and beefing up your “book.” But still, fundamentally, the one thing you have control over is the actions you take. An example…
Two copywriters both start cold-calling at 9:00 a.m. Copywriter #1’s goal? To land two new writing projects or three hot prospects by 5:00 p.m. Copywriter #2’s goal? To make 50 calls. Now, tell me – who’s going to have a more stressful day?
Around 2:00 p.m., if #1 has landed neither gigs nor interest, you think the desperation is going to start seeping into his voice? How do you think that’ll work out for him? Meanwhile, #2, cool as a cucumber, makes his 50 calls – unconcerned about the outcome (that would be focusing on results again!) – and he’s done.
Here’s the key: Make those 30, 40 or 50 calls a day, and the results – hot prospects and writing jobs – will come. Minus the anxiety. The Law of Averages is ironclad. And I don’t care how those calls turn out (i.e., live contact, voice mail, message left with a secretary, appointment, dinner date, etc.). Keep calling and the results are assured.
Just a “Telemarketer”? Really? Another thing. In a seminar I was doing a few years back, a woman raised her hand and said, very earnestly, “I just hate the idea of cold calling, because I don’t appreciate telemarketers, and I think most people feel the same way.” Whoa.
I gathered my thoughts, looked at her and asked, “Is that who you think you are? Just an obnoxious telemarketer—no different from the people who rudely interrupt your dinner to peddle aluminum siding, long-distance service, carpet cleaning, and a zillion other things you have no interest in?”
Get this or fail: Assuming you’re a competent, reliable writer, if you pursue this business, you’ll be a professional marketing a valuable and needed professional service to other professionals. Period. While the people you call may not need your services (80 percent won’t) or even have the time to talk to you, I promise they will not be viewing you as an irritating telemarketer. So, don’t dare view yourself this way.
Action, Not Results…Again When I sold books door-to-door in college, our goal was 30 demos a day (the equivalent of phone calls made to prospects), a demo roughly defined as pulling the books out and beginning our pitch—either in the house or at the door—whether or not we got to finish it. Making sales the goal (i.e., results) would’ve introduced unnecessary anxiety into the process. They knew if we made 30 honest demos a day or close to it, the sales would come. And they did. Same here.
There were days as bookmen where we’d put in our honest 13½ hours (8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday; insanity, yes, but character-building insanity) and come up with…bupkus. Growth and Development Days, we called them. Very, very rare. Our sales managers would congratulate us on having a G&D day, adding, By the way, you do know that you’ll sell the first three houses you visit tomorrow, don’t you?
And I’m telling you straight here, we always did, because, I’m convinced we were, well…convinced. On my first call one morning following a G&D day, I remember approaching someone getting in their car in the driveway, briefcase in hand, about to head to work, and absolutely knowing that, despite the unpromising-looking circumstances, this person was going to buy a set of books (a $40 purchase). I guess he knew it too, because he did. Approach cold calling with that same bone-deep belief in the Law of Averages and you can’t help but win.
************
Love to write but hate to starve? Visit www.wellfedwriter.com for a free report, ezine and blog on the lucrative field of “commercial” freelancing – writing for businesses and for $50-125+ an hour. All written by Peter Bowerman, veteran commercial freelancer, writing/publishing coach, and the author of the three award-winning Well-Fed Writer titles, the self-published how-to “standards” on lucrative commercial freelancing. He chronicled his self-publishing success (currently, 60,000 copies of his books in print and a full-time living for nine-plus years) in the award-winning 2007 release, The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living. www.wellfedsp.com.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
I know this much is true
A prospect (for whom I'd left a voice mail an hour ago) just phoned in a panic.
"I really need the link to your site!" she said. "Didn't you send it?"
I told her I had, but that I would send it again. Just in case.
Turns out it was in her spam folder.
"Great!" she said. "This couldn't come at a better time. I have something big coming up and I could really use a writer."
This before she even read my portfolio.
Seriously.
Write this down and post it on your bathroom mirror.
En serio. There are people out there who really need a good copywriter RIGHT NOW and will be overjoyed if someone friendly and competent called them up right this minute.
I guarantee you, if you make enough calls, you will find someone who will be GAGA to hear from you. It will be like they have been sitting around all their life waiting for a writer to call.
I never would have believed it, but it happened twice my first day of cold calling. It still happens pretty regularly.
"I really need the link to your site!" she said. "Didn't you send it?"
I told her I had, but that I would send it again. Just in case.
Turns out it was in her spam folder.
"Great!" she said. "This couldn't come at a better time. I have something big coming up and I could really use a writer."
This before she even read my portfolio.
Seriously.
Write this down and post it on your bathroom mirror.
For every one prospect who will be annoyed by your call, there are at least 50 who will act like you just answered their prayers.
En serio. There are people out there who really need a good copywriter RIGHT NOW and will be overjoyed if someone friendly and competent called them up right this minute.
I guarantee you, if you make enough calls, you will find someone who will be GAGA to hear from you. It will be like they have been sitting around all their life waiting for a writer to call.
I never would have believed it, but it happened twice my first day of cold calling. It still happens pretty regularly.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Wussy Prospect List Reaps Rich Rewards
Okay, so lest you feel like a total wuss for axing those client types that give you fits from the prospect list (whoever they may be for you), I must say that yesterday was probably my most productive day of cold calling ever.
And I think it was because I overhauled my list to eliminate all doctors' offices (which were starting to feel like my personal nemesis).
I actually took today off from cold calling because just about everyone I called and sent a link to yesterday wrote me back and it took forever to answer them all.
Quite a few were looking to set up face-to-face meetings. And one (who is an artist on the side) asked me if I'd be interested in reworking her bio (first paid gig if it pans out -- woot!).
One man wrote and asked not only for more info, but for tips on selling copywriting services to his clients.
So who did I call yesterday? Almost everyone was a graphic or web designer.
And weirdly enough, they were all in Cheyenne and Laramie. Those are little Wyoming towns about an hour up the road. I was sure they'd be a tough sell, but so far they've been very receptive. Maybe there are less copywriters trolling the phone lines up there.
So who's on your list that you dread calling today? I give you permission to delete them. Give them the ax and replace them with a different prospect you feel more confident about.
And I think it was because I overhauled my list to eliminate all doctors' offices (which were starting to feel like my personal nemesis).
I actually took today off from cold calling because just about everyone I called and sent a link to yesterday wrote me back and it took forever to answer them all.
Quite a few were looking to set up face-to-face meetings. And one (who is an artist on the side) asked me if I'd be interested in reworking her bio (first paid gig if it pans out -- woot!).
One man wrote and asked not only for more info, but for tips on selling copywriting services to his clients.
So who did I call yesterday? Almost everyone was a graphic or web designer.
And weirdly enough, they were all in Cheyenne and Laramie. Those are little Wyoming towns about an hour up the road. I was sure they'd be a tough sell, but so far they've been very receptive. Maybe there are less copywriters trolling the phone lines up there.
So who's on your list that you dread calling today? I give you permission to delete them. Give them the ax and replace them with a different prospect you feel more confident about.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Prospect Lists for Wusses
A confession: I have not been taking my own advice.
I let several days go by last week without cold calling.
Part of it was looming deadlines, part of it was normal life drama, and part of it was, well, resentment because cold calling the past two weeks hasn't been going as smoothly as it was at first.
Unable to face another round of, "You do, um, WHAT?" I decided to prune my prospect list to focus on the types of businesses that have been most receptive to cold calling. These include:
* Marketing firms
* Graphic design firms
* Hospitals
* Universities
* Publications/Publishers
* Larger nonprofits
And I kept a few things that I just happen to like (e.g. microbreweries).
This made today's round of cold calls refreshingly smooth. It's just so much faster and less taxing when you're calling people who already know exactly what you're selling and can give you a yes or no on the spot.
And if you're an anxious cold caller, I would recommend starting out with these types of prospects.
So who did I cut? For the moment (until my sales skills are more honed and my skin is thicker), I've decided to give small businesses, medical practices and school districts a miss. I just haven't had much luck with them.
Anyone have any tips for selling projects to businesses in any of these categories? Might be a great opportunity for a guest post!
I let several days go by last week without cold calling.
Part of it was looming deadlines, part of it was normal life drama, and part of it was, well, resentment because cold calling the past two weeks hasn't been going as smoothly as it was at first.
Unable to face another round of, "You do, um, WHAT?" I decided to prune my prospect list to focus on the types of businesses that have been most receptive to cold calling. These include:
* Marketing firms
* Graphic design firms
* Hospitals
* Universities
* Publications/Publishers
* Larger nonprofits
And I kept a few things that I just happen to like (e.g. microbreweries).
This made today's round of cold calls refreshingly smooth. It's just so much faster and less taxing when you're calling people who already know exactly what you're selling and can give you a yes or no on the spot.
And if you're an anxious cold caller, I would recommend starting out with these types of prospects.
So who did I cut? For the moment (until my sales skills are more honed and my skin is thicker), I've decided to give small businesses, medical practices and school districts a miss. I just haven't had much luck with them.
Anyone have any tips for selling projects to businesses in any of these categories? Might be a great opportunity for a guest post!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
SUPERSTARS OF PHONE MARKETING: Paul
I'm staring at giraffes at The Living Desert in California when suddenly my cell phone starts to blare.
Though I haven't added him to my contacts, I recognize his number. Yup, he's called that many times.
At first I almost ignore him, but I have fobbed Paul the cheerful insurance agent off so many times I feel like I at least owe him one more lame excuse. And so I answer.
"Hello," I say in my grumpiest, I'm-oh-so-busy voice.
"Hello," says Paul, sounding way too chipper for a Monday morning. "Just checking to see if you had a chance to have a look at those numbers I sent over."
I tell him I have not, and then add in a less-than-angelic tone that I'm on vacation and I'll talk to him when I get back in a week or so. I hang up as fast as possible and probably don't even say good-bye.
Now if that had been ME trying to get some grumpy girl's business, I probably would have given up right there. And written a ranting blog post about psycho prospects to boot.
But Paul is, well, way better at this phone-marketing thing than I am. Which is why he's now not only my insurance agent but my financial planner and I've bought all kinds of insurance from him that I didn't even know I needed.
It didn't happen overnight though. It didn't even happen in a month. The best way I can describe it: he wore me down.
And ya know, I'm glad he did.
Paul first contacted me after I filled out a reply card that arrived in my new-business welcome packet when I registered my LLC. It was from a firm offering "affordable health insurance," and at the time I was hoping some agent with magic powers could get me a policy that covered doctor visits and didn't have a through-the-roof deductible.
So it wasn't technically a cold call, but still.
Paul called next week and said he'd send over some numbers for me to look at. This he promptly did.
I, however, was in the throes of starting my new business and had better things to do.
Every week, usually on a Monday, Paul would call and ask if I had looked at the numbers.
"Nope," I'd reply week after week. "Nope, nope, nope."
I swear, this went on for months. After a while, I almost started to feel guilty about it. But Paul's quotes stayed in my inbox untouched.
I can't remember what finally lit a fire under me. Maybe the stars aligned. Maybe my current health insurance company did something that annoyed me. Anyway, I finally picked up Paul's quote and had a gander.
Only to find it was written in jargon that might as well have been Mandarin.
For the first time ever, I called Paul and asked what in the name of all that was holy he had sent me.
"Oh, I have some free time tomorrow," he said. "How about if I stop by and we look at it together?"
Well, long story short, he stopped by, he was friendly and knowledgeable and he had solutions that made sense to all my problems. Many visits later, he's part of the dream team that makes my little business chug along.
And I now own all sorts of insurance that I never knew I needed or thought was too expensive, like dental and disability.
Well played, Paul. Well played.
Lessons I learned from being on the successfully-converted prospect end of phone marketing:
1. Keep showing up (by phone). After a few calls, Paul established himself in my mind as "THE Insurance Agent." Even though I'd never used his services yet, I started to think of him as mine.
2. These things take time. Paul didn't sell me in one call or even ten calls. But all that calling paid off in the end.
3. Be courageous about following up. Even though sometimes I got grumpy with Paul, I needed what he was selling and in time I realized it. I shudder to think what would have happened to me if I had come down with leukemia or fallen into the gears of combine pre-Paul.
Do you have a hero of cold calling? Want to guest blog about them here? Give me a shout.
Though I haven't added him to my contacts, I recognize his number. Yup, he's called that many times.
At first I almost ignore him, but I have fobbed Paul the cheerful insurance agent off so many times I feel like I at least owe him one more lame excuse. And so I answer.
"Hello," I say in my grumpiest, I'm-oh-so-busy voice.
"Hello," says Paul, sounding way too chipper for a Monday morning. "Just checking to see if you had a chance to have a look at those numbers I sent over."
I tell him I have not, and then add in a less-than-angelic tone that I'm on vacation and I'll talk to him when I get back in a week or so. I hang up as fast as possible and probably don't even say good-bye.
Now if that had been ME trying to get some grumpy girl's business, I probably would have given up right there. And written a ranting blog post about psycho prospects to boot.
But Paul is, well, way better at this phone-marketing thing than I am. Which is why he's now not only my insurance agent but my financial planner and I've bought all kinds of insurance from him that I didn't even know I needed.
It didn't happen overnight though. It didn't even happen in a month. The best way I can describe it: he wore me down.
And ya know, I'm glad he did.
Paul first contacted me after I filled out a reply card that arrived in my new-business welcome packet when I registered my LLC. It was from a firm offering "affordable health insurance," and at the time I was hoping some agent with magic powers could get me a policy that covered doctor visits and didn't have a through-the-roof deductible.
So it wasn't technically a cold call, but still.
Paul called next week and said he'd send over some numbers for me to look at. This he promptly did.
I, however, was in the throes of starting my new business and had better things to do.
Every week, usually on a Monday, Paul would call and ask if I had looked at the numbers.
"Nope," I'd reply week after week. "Nope, nope, nope."
I swear, this went on for months. After a while, I almost started to feel guilty about it. But Paul's quotes stayed in my inbox untouched.
I can't remember what finally lit a fire under me. Maybe the stars aligned. Maybe my current health insurance company did something that annoyed me. Anyway, I finally picked up Paul's quote and had a gander.
Only to find it was written in jargon that might as well have been Mandarin.
For the first time ever, I called Paul and asked what in the name of all that was holy he had sent me.
"Oh, I have some free time tomorrow," he said. "How about if I stop by and we look at it together?"
Well, long story short, he stopped by, he was friendly and knowledgeable and he had solutions that made sense to all my problems. Many visits later, he's part of the dream team that makes my little business chug along.
And I now own all sorts of insurance that I never knew I needed or thought was too expensive, like dental and disability.
Well played, Paul. Well played.
Lessons I learned from being on the successfully-converted prospect end of phone marketing:
1. Keep showing up (by phone). After a few calls, Paul established himself in my mind as "THE Insurance Agent." Even though I'd never used his services yet, I started to think of him as mine.
2. These things take time. Paul didn't sell me in one call or even ten calls. But all that calling paid off in the end.
3. Be courageous about following up. Even though sometimes I got grumpy with Paul, I needed what he was selling and in time I realized it. I shudder to think what would have happened to me if I had come down with leukemia or fallen into the gears of combine pre-Paul.
Do you have a hero of cold calling? Want to guest blog about them here? Give me a shout.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Just hit call
Monday is always my worst day of cold calling. After a weekend off, I just can't bring myself hit the call button for the first time. If I'm not careful, I start checking Facebook, reading Twitter and catching up on FLX -- and suddenly it's 11 o'clock and all the prospects are at lunch.
This Monday was extra brutal because I took the day off from cold calling last Thursday and then wrote all day Friday, so I really lost my momentum.
A few tricks for getting yourself to hit the call button when you REALLY don't want to:
1. Have strict "cold calling" hours. At 9:00, you're calling until you reach your goal for the day. No whining. **cracks whip**
2. Reward yourself. Make an agreement with yourself that if you get through your cold calls by a reasonable hour, you can have a little treat (a shorter workday, a break with a favorite TV show, a cheeseburger. Seriously, whatever it takes).
3. Remember why you're doing this. I posted a list of the things that cold calling is going to bring me: the chance to travel, move to Denver, and get my own place. I force myself to look at it when I'm flagging.
4. Repeat: The first is the worst. Once that first call is done, the others will be easy. Do what you have to to break the ice.
5. Keep your momentum up by calling every day. Twenty-five calls should take 1 to 2 hours, which leaves plenty of time for other projects.
How do you motivate yourself to make that first call on a Monday morning?
This Monday was extra brutal because I took the day off from cold calling last Thursday and then wrote all day Friday, so I really lost my momentum.
A few tricks for getting yourself to hit the call button when you REALLY don't want to:
1. Have strict "cold calling" hours. At 9:00, you're calling until you reach your goal for the day. No whining. **cracks whip**
2. Reward yourself. Make an agreement with yourself that if you get through your cold calls by a reasonable hour, you can have a little treat (a shorter workday, a break with a favorite TV show, a cheeseburger. Seriously, whatever it takes).
3. Remember why you're doing this. I posted a list of the things that cold calling is going to bring me: the chance to travel, move to Denver, and get my own place. I force myself to look at it when I'm flagging.
4. Repeat: The first is the worst. Once that first call is done, the others will be easy. Do what you have to to break the ice.
5. Keep your momentum up by calling every day. Twenty-five calls should take 1 to 2 hours, which leaves plenty of time for other projects.
How do you motivate yourself to make that first call on a Monday morning?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Can Internet dating make you a better self-marketer?
I hate Internet dating, and I only do it because I have trouble meeting people now that I work at home. In the month since I put up a profile, I have been on a slew of truly horrible dates (including one with a guy so creepy I ended up hiding in the ladies room in hopes he would get the message and bail).
But however painful it is, I'll admit Match.com has taught me certain life skills.
For one, it has given me a ton of practice talking up total strangers, breaking the ice and listening actively through even the most painfully boring of conversations.
These are good skills to cultivate if you're contemplating making the leap from prospecting primarily through LOIs to putting the real thing out there -- your voice, and ultimately, your face -- to clients.
I think Internet dating has also taught me patience (which I'll admit is not one of my virtues). Just like I may go out with 10 guys and see nothing I like, I may call 300 clients without a job offer. S'OK. That's just the way the game is played, and if you don't like it, try a different marketing method (or take down your profile).
During both dating and cold calling, it pays to admit you have absolutely no control over the outcome. For this reason, I give both dates and prospects complete freedom to behave irrationally.
They can ignore me for weeks or months and then call me up out of the blue.
They can express enthusiasm and then disappear for months.
They can pull the "I really like you, but the timing is bad" card and revoke it later.
Yup, marketing is a lot like the early stages of dating. Can't say I'll miss either one of them when I'm happily coupled/rolling in assignments, but I'll never forget the lessons they have taught me.
But however painful it is, I'll admit Match.com has taught me certain life skills.
For one, it has given me a ton of practice talking up total strangers, breaking the ice and listening actively through even the most painfully boring of conversations.
These are good skills to cultivate if you're contemplating making the leap from prospecting primarily through LOIs to putting the real thing out there -- your voice, and ultimately, your face -- to clients.
I think Internet dating has also taught me patience (which I'll admit is not one of my virtues). Just like I may go out with 10 guys and see nothing I like, I may call 300 clients without a job offer. S'OK. That's just the way the game is played, and if you don't like it, try a different marketing method (or take down your profile).
During both dating and cold calling, it pays to admit you have absolutely no control over the outcome. For this reason, I give both dates and prospects complete freedom to behave irrationally.
They can ignore me for weeks or months and then call me up out of the blue.
They can express enthusiasm and then disappear for months.
They can pull the "I really like you, but the timing is bad" card and revoke it later.
Yup, marketing is a lot like the early stages of dating. Can't say I'll miss either one of them when I'm happily coupled/rolling in assignments, but I'll never forget the lessons they have taught me.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
CHALLENGES: Boredom
Cold calling people on the phone can certainly bring all your uncertainties to the surface.
During the first couple hundred calls I struggled with fear of rejection, fear of nameless people, fear of sounding pushy and fear of being labeled an annoying telemarketer.
I just hit 300 calls today and I think I can safely say the fear if gone. There's a new enemy. Crushing boredom.
If you've ever been in choir or another performance group, you might be able to relate to this. It's the feeling of having sung the same song so many times, you feel like you'd rather put a live grenade in your mouth and pull the pin than sing it one more time.
When I get so bored with cold calling I want to eat my one head, I think about the time I went to a Rolling Stones concert. The performance was so electric and crackling with energy, it was impossible to believe Mick and the boys had been singing those same songs for going on 40 years.
So must it go with cold calling, I suppose.
One thing you can do that bands can't, of course, is change the words. I think after this week I'll rewrite my cold call script and see if it puts some life back in me.
Do you ever get bored with cold calls? How do you cope?
During the first couple hundred calls I struggled with fear of rejection, fear of nameless people, fear of sounding pushy and fear of being labeled an annoying telemarketer.
I just hit 300 calls today and I think I can safely say the fear if gone. There's a new enemy. Crushing boredom.
If you've ever been in choir or another performance group, you might be able to relate to this. It's the feeling of having sung the same song so many times, you feel like you'd rather put a live grenade in your mouth and pull the pin than sing it one more time.
When I get so bored with cold calling I want to eat my one head, I think about the time I went to a Rolling Stones concert. The performance was so electric and crackling with energy, it was impossible to believe Mick and the boys had been singing those same songs for going on 40 years.
So must it go with cold calling, I suppose.
One thing you can do that bands can't, of course, is change the words. I think after this week I'll rewrite my cold call script and see if it puts some life back in me.
Do you ever get bored with cold calls? How do you cope?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
More serendipity: Copywriter with tips to dream pub
You just never know who you'll meet once you start calling all over creation.
Just phoned a web design company and a very friendly copywriter answered.
We got to chatting.
When she's not doing web copy, she writes for 5280 (our awesome Denver regional mag which I am DYING to break into). And she's been hoping to break into Writer's Digest, so looks like we can help each other out.
Over the next 15 minutes, she gave me the scoop on local writer's groups, conferences and "people I must meet" in the NoCo writing world.
We agreed we must get together for coffee soon.
After calls like this, I always think back on the months I spent agonizing over being yelled at, scolded, rejected and told off on the phone (none of which has ever happened).
If only I had know that happy scenarios like this would be (far) more common!
Just phoned a web design company and a very friendly copywriter answered.
We got to chatting.
When she's not doing web copy, she writes for 5280 (our awesome Denver regional mag which I am DYING to break into). And she's been hoping to break into Writer's Digest, so looks like we can help each other out.
Over the next 15 minutes, she gave me the scoop on local writer's groups, conferences and "people I must meet" in the NoCo writing world.
We agreed we must get together for coffee soon.
After calls like this, I always think back on the months I spent agonizing over being yelled at, scolded, rejected and told off on the phone (none of which has ever happened).
If only I had know that happy scenarios like this would be (far) more common!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Serendipity
So didn't get an assignment, but almost as good -- one of my prospects wrote back and invited me to a local Meetup of web designers, SEO pros, writers and so on! Beyond excited. You just never know what you might find when you go digging around calling for people.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Cold Calling Day Zero
(Plagiarizing a post from my Recovering Expat blog):
So for folks in the copy/commercial writing biz (which is where I get the bulk of my income), cold calling (a.k.a. calling total strangers on the phone without an introduction) is considered one of the fastest ways to build your client list.
According to Peter Bowerman (author of "The Well-Fed Writer," an awesome book I highly recommend if you're trying to break into this area), making about 1,000 cold calls at start-up should have your business running along pretty smoothly.
One problem -- it's absolutely terrifying! Which is why despite knowing this, I've waited nine months to attempt it.
See the little ticker on the right? Did you notice how it's been at "0" since January? That's me being a cold-calling wimp.
After a busy first quarter, I finally ran out of work this week, so I bit the bullet and started my 25-a-day, two-month cold calling program.
And you know what? It wasn't all that terrible. It even had fun and interesting moments. And while we'll see what happens in the next few weeks, so far it seems like a great way to connect with people who hire freelancers -- fast.
I started out following the little "script" in the Well-Fed-Writer, but actually, after a few calls, I rewrote it so it was a bit less formal and better suited to my personality. That helped me relax a bit.
The first few calls were terrifying.
After five, I took a little break to calm down.
After ten, I was still freaking out a little.
Around twenty, it started to feel like I had been doing this my whole life.
My nerves were totally gone by twenty-five.
A few people said thanks but no thanks. Most were VERY nice. One was a little grumpy, but hey. I was often grumpy when I had a day job.
A few said they rarely hire copywriters, but to send something for the file.
A surprising number seemed quite enthusiastic and said to send over materials and follow up in a few days.
At least two acted like they had been sitting around all their lives waiting for a copywriter to call (highly gratifying, and kind of amusing considering they hadn't even seen my stuff yet).
No one yelled at me.
No one asked what the hell a copywriter is.
Though I tripped over my tongue a couple times, I didn't say anything too embarrassing.
So I have a ton of resumes, clips and links to send out tomorrow. It's a great feeling to have the first day over with (which I'm assuming is probably going to be the hardest by far).
It's only 4:00, but am having a delicious Dales Pale Ale now to reward self.
So for folks in the copy/commercial writing biz (which is where I get the bulk of my income), cold calling (a.k.a. calling total strangers on the phone without an introduction) is considered one of the fastest ways to build your client list.
According to Peter Bowerman (author of "The Well-Fed Writer," an awesome book I highly recommend if you're trying to break into this area), making about 1,000 cold calls at start-up should have your business running along pretty smoothly.
One problem -- it's absolutely terrifying! Which is why despite knowing this, I've waited nine months to attempt it.
See the little ticker on the right? Did you notice how it's been at "0" since January? That's me being a cold-calling wimp.
After a busy first quarter, I finally ran out of work this week, so I bit the bullet and started my 25-a-day, two-month cold calling program.
And you know what? It wasn't all that terrible. It even had fun and interesting moments. And while we'll see what happens in the next few weeks, so far it seems like a great way to connect with people who hire freelancers -- fast.
I started out following the little "script" in the Well-Fed-Writer, but actually, after a few calls, I rewrote it so it was a bit less formal and better suited to my personality. That helped me relax a bit.
The first few calls were terrifying.
After five, I took a little break to calm down.
After ten, I was still freaking out a little.
Around twenty, it started to feel like I had been doing this my whole life.
My nerves were totally gone by twenty-five.
A few people said thanks but no thanks. Most were VERY nice. One was a little grumpy, but hey. I was often grumpy when I had a day job.
A few said they rarely hire copywriters, but to send something for the file.
A surprising number seemed quite enthusiastic and said to send over materials and follow up in a few days.
At least two acted like they had been sitting around all their lives waiting for a copywriter to call (highly gratifying, and kind of amusing considering they hadn't even seen my stuff yet).
No one yelled at me.
No one asked what the hell a copywriter is.
Though I tripped over my tongue a couple times, I didn't say anything too embarrassing.
So I have a ton of resumes, clips and links to send out tomorrow. It's a great feeling to have the first day over with (which I'm assuming is probably going to be the hardest by far).
It's only 4:00, but am having a delicious Dales Pale Ale now to reward self.
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