Cold Calling IS Selling

I am on the phone a lot.

I practice what I preach. I make cold calls. I reach out on a daily basis and let people know that I am here to help. I love it.

As you can imagine, I speak to a lot of people. What I hear a lot of is, “I don’t like cold calling, I like to build relationships”.

I always chuckle, because by the time I get off the phone with these people I know quite a bit about them, and I have planted the seeds for a budding relationship.

The core of Essential Selling is building relationships AND cold calling is selling. So, to bring this to its logical conclusion, you can build relationships by picking up the phone and making cold calls.

I love cold calling because I can learn about a lot of different people. I can also make "friends" by cold calling. This is great, because people want to do business with people they like. I have so many people in my “rolodex” that I have known for years over the phone. When we finally do meet, it is as if we are two pen pals meeting for the first time. It is quite a lot of fun.

Cold calling is an incredibly affordable tool that allows you to reach out beyond people you meet at local events, networking and chamber events and conferences. It is a tool that enables you to laser focus your time and reach out to ANYONE in your target market ANYWHERE. You never know who will show up at your local networking event, but you KNOW who you are reaching out to when you create a target list of prospects to call.

Think about your day and your time and how easy it would be to take one or two hours out of your day, without driving to an event and just reach out easily to your target market. Great right?

Why don’t more people utilize this incredible SELLING tool?

Some reasons are:

Fear
Discomfort
Not knowing what to say
Not knowing who to say it to
Not knowing how to get through to the decision maker

Instead, people will continue to do the same thing over and over. It is time to do something new. It is time to reach out and touch as many people as possible. It is time to think in a creative new way and sometimes that is just as simple as picking up the phone and getting back to basics.

My next course starts on Tuesday April 21st at 12pm PST. If you are ready to MAKE MORE SALES, you might want to consider joining.

Check out some of the comments from people who have taken my course and reach out to me for more information!


"Essential Selling's "Cold Calling" is a powerful tool for growing your business! After completing the course I quickly began applying the practical telephone techniques to my marketing plan. As a result, within a few weeks a tremendous opportunity was uncovered that has allowed me to connect face-to-face with target customers who will benefit from SmartChoice Resume's service. Thank you Essential Selling!"

Dala Gorner
Smart Choice Resume



"I've never done sales, don't consider myself a big phone talker, and have dealt with poor confidence for the last few years due to depression and fatigue. So I have many obstacles to overcome. That's why I got very excited when I heard what Carolyn was doing with her cold calling class. I was looking for guidance just like this.

I decided Tuesday (today!) would be my first day out in the field approaching business owners. Doing Carolyn's first exercise (From her Essential Cold Calling System™) and clearly defining my WHY and my future vision was crucial in order to go out on my first day.

I spent about 2 hours writing a detailed description of everything I will have and be in 5 years. Even so I was still terrified and called Carolyn for some moral support and finally around 12:30, made myself get in the car and go to my first appointment. I almost turned around about 3 times, then I sat in my car for about 10 minutes deep breathing and reminding myself of my WHY and that I could do it.

So I finally got my butt out of the car and approached the businesses on my researched list. The 1st biz owner wasn't there, the 2nd wasn't either, but the 3rd one was and was very pleasant. We sat and talked about his business for 30 minutes, I even showed him the entire presentation. Although he did not buy the membership right there, I think he might later. I stopped there and came home elated and bubbling with excitement!

I am so very proud of myself for facing this seemingly overwhelming fear of talking to business owners. I'm going out again tomorrow and I'm going to talk to 10 business owner this time.

Looking forward to working more of the Essential Selling Cold Calling System with you Carolyn,"

Trista Thompson
Pre-Paid Legal

Contact me for more information! carolyn@essentialselling.com

HERE'S MY DEFINITION OF ATTRACTION MARKETING

Attraction Marketing is a term that you can find all over the internet!

This is the “new” model for network marketing, MLM’s and other businesses. Everyone is using the term and everyone is doing it so that they can become “the hunted and not the hunter”! This is a great concept. It works for certain businesses and certain products and services. The stars line up correctly and you make your passive millions.

I have a little bit of a different take on attraction marketing. If you aren’t on the top of the search engines, coming up in the first 5 places on Google or Yahoo, I don’t know how well attraction marketing will work for you. But let’s put that aside, because that only takes money and a good writer.

Let’s say you do get people coming to your website. Now what? Do they just buy your product? Or are they browsing? What if they have questions? Are you going to answer all their questions via email? How are you going to build the relationship?

Is your e-zine, newsletter, or email campaign going to be the one that will stand out from all the rest? Why? What is it about your correspondence that makes it better than the person that sent their e-zine five minutes before you sent yours?

I am not trying to be negative, this is just my opinion. In this frantic “attraction-marketing-market” it doesn’t matter how well written your e-zine is or how funny or cute, because the only thing that will differentiate you from all your competition is YOU!

This is what I mean about Attraction Marketing. If you want to attract someone to you then you need to be strong and confident in your communication and at some point your communication will need to be live.

Many of the people who have built their internet empires started somewhere and rumor has it that they started with talking to a lot of people; both, in person and on the phone. The people who have built their empires on the internet had to start somewhere. Just a little note, when they did start, there were a lot less people doing what they were doing, that is why they teach it now!

I am not saying that you shouldn’t utilize all the tools in your tool box and one tool is attraction marketing.

It is time for so much more. It is time for focus. It is time for direction. It is time to stand out and know your worth, your value, the benefits you can offer and how to build relationships! At some point you will need to pick up the phone, either to follow up or reach out. So, think about it. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to stand out amongst your competition as the one that offers the personal touch? Are you ready, as an expert, to offer the professionalism to follow up and reach out?

My definition of attraction marketing is this: If you reach out and know why you are reaching out and the value you offer someone and you have the knowledge to back it all up as an expert, you will naturally attract your customers to you. People will be drawn to you and even if they don’t work with you immediately, they will eventually! Or they might just refer someone to you!

Just my two cents and a different spin on attraction marketing to about.

Learn more: carolyn@essntialselling.com Stay tuned for my updated website...

INSIDE OUT NETWORKING

Everyone is doing what you’re doing, how can you set yourself apart and stand out?

When you go to a party, who do you remember? I remember the person that was nice to me; the person that was genuinely interested in me and was curious and asked questions. You know what, that makes me interested in them!

I can’t stand going to networking events and having people tell me how great they are, how great their product is and how I need what they have. How do they know?

Networking events can be crazy and frenzied with people pushing themselves on the other glazy eyed attendees. Frantic networkers are spewing 30 second commercials in every direction as if they are robots circling around the room looking for their next victim. They are hoping desperately to find that one fish to bite down on their hook.

Is this really conducive to building strong relationships, which, as we have established, is how you build your business? Is this how you are going to let people know what you have to offer? NO!

I have an idea, try something different and go against the grain and do what isn’t expected from you. Let’s make a pact right here that the next networking event we attend we will be the ones to stand out and be noticed by not trying to be noticed. What do you say? Are you in?

Let’s not talk about ourselves. While everyone else is pitching why not catch? Why not just listen, take note and remember what is being said. When you do follow up (and you must!) you will be armed with information and know just what to say to build a relationship.

This alone will make you stand out. You will be remembered because you listened and you weren’t pushing, you were just being. So take note of what they are throwing your way and catch it so you can then “throw it right back” to build a relationship when you follow up.

When I say “throw it right back” what I mean is that because you are such a good listener and you really can understand the nuances of what people are saying, read the sub-text, you are able to craft the perfect questions and lead your new friend down an easy path to buying your product. You are building a relationship because you are taking the time to build a relationship.

Think about it and give it a try. By remembering them you will stand out. You will be the one who noticed them and made them feel important and special. Let them turn the tables and ask you questions and want to know what you do. Focus on being yourself and just listening, being friendly and being approachable and turn the networking events inside out!

Just a note, you have to follow up to be successful. One out of two people aren't following up so you be the one that does! Then this will really work.

For more information on the right questions to ask, gently leading your prospect down the path of discovery and building a strong bond that leads to a sale, contact me. carolyn@esesntialselling.com

How do you feel about "selling"?

Many people don't like "selling".

They feel that “selling” means that they have to convince someone to do something they don't want to do or have to force their product or service on someone.

This is a misconception. Selling isn't pushing or forcing. Selling is a creative process. It is a dynamic dialogue between you and your customer.

You ask questions, you listen, you answer questions and ask more questions. It is an easy, casual, and professional, dialogue.

Don't push. If you start from the beginning, knowing that you aren't going to "CLOSE" your prospect, but learn about how you can help your prospect, then you should easily move from point "A" to point "B". Point "B" is your answer to your customer's need. You answer their need and you make a sale. You easily, casually and naturally make a sale.

No pushing, no pulling, no forcing, just an easy dialogue.

Is that what selling is for you? Is it easy and fun? Do you know which questions to ask so you can easily move from Point “A” to Point “B”? Do you know what to listen for in the answers?

If so, you are on your way to selling success. If not, you might want more information.

Contact me about my next course starting April 21st 12pm PST
Email: carolyn@essentialselling.com

KEYS TO SUCCESS

No matter your industry, no matter what you do or what your passion
is, there are some common threads to pull on the path to success.

I believe EVERYONE sells no matter what and the core of Essential Selling is reaching out to build lasting relationships that grow into increased sales, more money and referrals!

Here are a couple of tips to help you build strong relationships.

• It’s about them! It is important to understand that your purpose is to solve a personal problem or need for your customers and to serve them in an emotional capacity. Find out what that is before you just SELL HARD and “verbally assault” your prospect your prospect. If you want to build a relationship you can’t make it all about you!
  
• Be confident (not cocky)! When you are confident your prospects and customers will naturally gravitate toward you. They won’t be able to help it because your positive energy and excitement will draw them in! Confidence isn’t arrogance. When you reach out with confidence you reach connected to your passion and you understand your value. This is how you easily build relationships. Speak to your prospects as if you are speaking to a friend and the sales process becomes a natural conversation. Selling is an ongoing dialogue and should be relaxed. Self-serving manipulation is a real turn-off. So be yourself and connect naturally while being respectful and LISTEN.

Learn more about the Essential Selling Equation for Success

Join the Next Essential Cold Calling Class on April 21st.

Email me for more information: carolyn@esentialselling.com