Handling Call Avoidance

The Questioner asks:
Hal:
I've changed jobs and now I am recruiting for the stock brokerage industry. The problem is that I hate to cold call. I must do this temporarily, any ideas on how to make the calling more bearable?
Thanks
Ann

The Answer:
Ann,
To start with, assume that the source of your anxiety is right and ask yourself... "Why am I hesitant? If my call is a disruption to them, maybe I should hesitate. How can I make my call a welcome gift instead of an interruption?"

Assuming that you are not in a position to offer tangible gifts, here are three primary categories of valuable information that you can offer:
1) inside information (self-serving tips don't count) that they would be unlikely to find anywhere else and that is useful to them,
2) information on how to accomplish or acquire something that they want but don't know how to do or get,
3) information that enables them to accomplish a desirable objective that they didn't know they could get.

Just for fun, go out on a busy sidewalk and try to give away $1 bills. (Winos and kids don't count) As a rule, it will take about 20 minutes to give away the first one or two bills. By then, most people either develop a pitch that works or they give up in exasperation (which only makes the strangers more defensive and suspicious).

Use this knowledge. Even if you are giving something away, there will be resistance. Be prepared for it. Address their suspicions directly. Disarm them with your candor. Hook them with the usefulness of your gift. Be there for them, not you. Even the rejections will feel good because you know that your offer is worthwhile whether they buy anything from you, or not.

We have found our Power of 1%™ Calculator to be a powerful tool in this regard. When our marketing staff must contact new prospects (I loathe the term cold call; the word cold emphasizes the negative aspects of the situation), they open with the news of the calculator and invite them to use it with all of their staff as a motivational tool. This offer opens the door for a discussion on the tremendous impact of small improvemnts and you can imagine where the dicussion goes from there.

I hope this answers your question and that you are able to make use of my suggestions. Good luck and good selling.

Hal Slater

Readers: I would really like to hear from you on this topic. Do you experience "call aviodance"? Do you have a special way to deal with it? Are any of these suggestions useful to you? After trying them, are you any more eager to approach unfamiliar prospects? Send me your comments...