Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Hello!

I am not exactly new to the Forums, I've been "lurking" for a while and enjoy the creativity of it's members.

I have decided to start with the coupon books for Realtors and Car Dealers.

In the past, I would have made a mock-up and gone in to offices to sell the deal, no problem. But, now, that isn't a possibility.

I am a stay at home mom of 2, with one more on the way, and my husband is about to be laid off (I'd give it 3 more months). So, I find myself in unfamiliar territory. I do not have the freedom to go out and sell nor do I have the money for a babysitter so, this will have to be strictly telephone and internet.

To elaborate:
I make beeswax candles, right now it's a glorified hobby, but they're of very fine quality and retail at $30 apiece. I've decided to create the coupon books and tie them to the candles, essentially marketing my candles at a large profit while increasing the perceived value of the gift.

Also, for the realtors, I will include the magnetic sheet with a picture of the house, local numbers, and the advertisers that are in the coupon book - just to sweeten the deal for the advertisers.

So, they get a coupon in 1,000 books and an ad on the magnetic sheet for 3 months (however many I make in that time), for $497.

Currently, I am thinking that my procedure will be:
(After I get participation agreements from several realtors and dealerships)
1. Call the business and briefly introduce myself and what I am offering.
2. If they show an interest, ask if they are in front of a computer, if not, may I email them a link and more info? If so, send them to a website I have created with detailed pictures, video, and explanation of the product.
3. Create incentive to order immediately (A LITTLE HELP HERE PLEASE - maybe a small price cut and "only one of your business type will be included"? Or, If they sign up now, they get a place on the sheet - so it's not part of the deal unless they agree by X date?)
4. Once they order, get agreement to participate and create a proof of the coupon.

Am I missing anything?
Do any thoughts come to mind when it comes to the wording of my sales script?
I'm used to just walking in with a product and selling it so, I know this will take longer to fill all 30 spots on the telephone than it would in person.

Any other input would be greatly appreciated as well! Thank you.

Regards,
Kathryn Doyle

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Is there anything SUMMER-related (seasonal) that you could get going on right now?

That way the calendar would provide the pressure on your prospects -- you'd have some built-in, obvious urgency.

Are you in a tourist area where biz's want to attract the tourists during the summer (only)?

Can you come up with a seasonal/tourism-based promotion?

-- TW

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Hi Kathryn,

The only draw back to phone selling compared to face to face is you get to place a sample into the prospects hands face to face.

So, this is the phone pitch I used for the magnetic memo boards, that worked just as good as face to face for me. In fact because I only had to travel to the "HOT" prospects I did better then face to face time wise.

Change the follow to suit your product.

Beginning of Phone Script

1. Call the business and ask:

Could you tell me the name of the person responsible for your
advertising?

2. Upon contact with that person I say the following:

Mr. Brown, in conjunction with the real estate firms in
Dutchess County we are giving a free gift to all new
homeowners in your area. We would like to recommend your
business to all of these new homeowners. Does that sound
like something you would be interested in?

3. Once I get a yes I say:

The investment is small and you can see the product with your
business information in place at no obligation. Would you like
to take a look at one?

5. Upon a yes answer I say:

Good, I will special deliver one to your office today. You can
take a look at it and I will call you on (day of week--two days
later) to see what you think, OK.

6. Upon a yes I say:

I will send the Sample Sheet right away. The only thing I ask is
that if you decide not to take advantage of these Sheets, you
will return the sheet to me in good condition. Fair enough?

7. I send the Magnetic Sheet with a form that has to be signed
that states they received the Sheet. Included with the Sheet is
a sales letter. I then call at the agreed upon time.

End of Phone Script

If you can not deliver the sample yourself get a retired person and give them gas money plus a few bucks for their trouble.

This worked like a charm for me.

Best of success,

Skip Rosell

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Thank you, both of you!

TW, I am seriously thinking about a seasonal item to use as a gift, that is a very good idea. Thanks for that.

Skip, Thank you SO much for that script - mentioning right away that I am working with local realtors/car dealers adds credibility right off the bat. Perfect.

Thanks again!
Kathryn

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Hi Skip
Would you have some sort of script my guys could use when cold calling business prospects for selling carpet cleaning? They are pretty good but I am always willing to try new ideas out.
Regards
Phil

Even when you think you're NOT using a script, you ARE using a script...
 

If you're making hundreds of calls -- the same TYPE of calls, for the same REASON(S), you are going to end up "using" a script, whether you like it or not.

The things you say will *automatically* evolve into a script, any way. There's no way to escape it.

So... you may as well develop your script ON PURPOSE, in advance, using your brain, instead of *letting* it evolve on its own, "naturally/by accident" (WITHOUT any brain power involved).

-- TW

Hey Kathy (and TW)
 

Forget trying to sell anything to Car or Real Estate people NOW! (Just MY O)

How bout this;

EVERYBODY who's still in business, has a business card.

Those business cards are PLAIN, BORING and most look like "2 Cents"!

I call them, "TOMBSTONE" Cards...."Here Lies a Business! We can be found at 123 Main St and if you are impressed with THIS "Cheap" Card...you can call me at 555-1234!"

These Cards are either thrown away, soon after receiving them or...they're used as "ToothPicks"!

Now....what if there was a way to;

1) Get these people carrying "Tombstone" cards...to pay YOU $129 for 1,000 Cards that are IMPRESSIVE....and will BRING THEM BUSINESS?

2) NOT be thrown away but KEPT FOR REFERRENCE?

3) Get these "Tombstone Card Carrying" people to order YOUR Cards without you having to SEE them in person?...simply by sending them an Email (or Regular Mail)?

I found a way to "sell Business Cards" for $129/M...via Email!...and my cost is about $30 so I NET about $100 per order.

Not to "keep you in suspense" any longer;

1) I find "Tombstone" business cards
2) Re-Design their cards
3) Send a "Sales Letter" via email with the Sample Card I made, "On Speculation"....where they can SEE with their own eyes, the HUGE DIFFERENCE between their existing cards and MINE!

And....6 out of 10 BUY....MY Cards! All...from the comfort of home.

I call this "Business Cards On Spec"

Re-designing the Tombstone Cards takes about 10 min. And when I get an order I go to my supplier OnLine and upload my Card....which is them shipped "Blind" to my customer. (The box has MY Name, not the maker's)

So....for a business that has TREMENDOUS potential and is EASY...EASY...EASY! This is it.

PLUS...there's a HUGE RESIDUAL with this. Business Cards are USED and need to be "Re-Ordered". When they're re-ordered, you make the SAME profit as you did on the FIRST order and many order 4 times a year.

Don Alm

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Hey Don,

Now that sounds PRETTY GOOD, some more details

gadgetbob:)

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Without "turning over all my research" I will tell you the following;

In any Graphics program ( I use MSPub) create a blank space 2" h by 3.5 w

Divide space into 3 columns.

In righthand space put the "Regular" biz card stuff; Logo, Name, Address, Phone.

In the other 2 columns put 2 to 6 PHOTOS (Get from Free Photo sites, FreeFoto or MS has a big one) of people performing the duties of what the cardholder does; eg;

House Painter - use photos of a painter on a ladder painting a house, photo of a House, Photo of someone painting an interior wall...etc.

Roofer - photos of men on roofs installing a roof, before & after photos of roofs etc

Chiropractor - photos of someone massaging a patient's back, photo of a spine, photo of a doctor looking at xrays, etc

Animal Hosp - photo of vet looking at a dog or cat on a lab table, photos of dogs & cats & horses (if they do horses)

Pest Control - photos of man with sprayer, photo of Bugs

Satellite Installer - photos of man installing a dish on house, photos of various dishes (I even have a photo I took of the installer standing on a roof next to his just installed dish and he's holding a Beach Towell over his arm nd the caption reads; "We Do Dishes!"

You get the idea.

Then...make up a Sales Letter showing the "Before and After" cards (I scan in their regular card) with wording like, "Which Card would you rather have representing YOU and YOUR Business?"..."Which Card will be Kept?"

I list my prices and a special offer if they order within the next 3 days. I then create a jpeg of the letter and email it or print it and mail it....and, they order.

You then find a Card maker (I found one that does super work, 14pt Glossy Stock for $25/1000 includes shipping)...email a pdf and have them send the cards to your customer. You tell the card maker to send the order "Blind" meaning no referrence to them....so your customers can't bypass you on re-orders.

Now...email or snail mail these and you WILL get orders....and....you'll get reorders when they run out.

Now...this may not sound very exciting or lucrative but...the guy I learned from has been doing this since 2004 and has over 500 customers ordering 3 to 4 times a year....and he has never seen any of his customers in person. He gets ALL his orders via email or mail or phone or fax.

Let's see now...500 x $100 Net per order = $50,000 x 3 reorders per year = $150,000 a year. After the first order it's "Residual-Time".

Well worth looking into.

Don Alm

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Thanks Don...You really are DA MAN.

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

Thanks Don.

Does your friend help in setting up direct marketing campaigns for the clients too?

Or is the 1000 cards per order broken down into... same theme but 10 different names on the cards for 10 different employees? So each employee of the client gets 100 business cards?

The reason I'm asking is I work with a few printers. And the printers have never had clients that buy 4000 business cards a year - unless the client is also involved in a mailing list campaign and sends out his business card with each mail.

On average - a business person doesn't use up more than 500 business cards a year. And there are very few exceptions.

So if your friend has a few tricks with which he manages to sell 4000 biz cards per year on average - I would love to hear them. It may help my printers...

Re: Please Help me with a Cold Calling Procedure....(Don? Skip?)
 

I hope I speak volumes by saying: No comment.

Hey Ankesh & TW...
 

Here's what I said;
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++
Now...this may not sound very exciting or lucrative but...the guy I learned from has been doing this since 2004 and has over 500 customers ordering 3 to 4 times a year....and he has never seen any of his customers in person. He gets ALL his orders via email or mail or phone or fax.

Let's see now...500 x $100 Net per order = $50,000 x 3 reorders per year = $150,000 a year. After the first order it's "Residual-Time".

Well worth looking into.

Don Alm++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++

I said "$100 Net per order".....I did NOT say they order "1,000" Cards at a time! He makes $100 NET Profit PER ORDER or more...whether they order 250, 500 or 1,000 Cards at a time!

As for adding some "clarification" and a "Detail" so yuse guys don;t "ASSume ALL his orders are for "1,000 Cards".... the way he "NETS $100 per Order" is by charging "SetUp Fees".

PLUS....MOST of his accounts are "Tradesmen"....House Painters, Roofers, Contractors, Plumbers, Electricians, Landscapers, Interior Decorators .... people who rent Booths at Home Shows and pass out HUNDREDS OF CARDS at a time....PLUS they belong to groups like "Optimist Clubs", LeTIP, Ch of Comm.

At my area Home Show last Spring, I collected Cards from 150 booths and the next week, collected from over 300 booths at the larger town's Home Show. The businesses who rent booths at Home Shows are the "Target Market". These people DO...pass out a heck of a lot of Cards.

Your "average" business probably only orders 500 cards at a time and maybe orders overy 2 or 3 years.

Our local "Satellite-Guy" passes out 150 Cards a week at the local Biz Luncheons. He probably goes thru 500 Cards a MONTH...at these functions alone. So...it depends on the biz.

Thanks for requesting "Clarification". Don't want you guys to be "CONfused".

Don Alm

Re: Hey Ankesh & TW...
 

Thanks Don.

I thought I read somewhere that you get 1000 cards printed for $25. And charge $129 for it. May have been my mistake.

I tend to work with printers because they are a very good source of leads for marketing and web development (something I'm good at.)

And so always have my radar on for anything that may help them.

--------

If someone wants small business leads - here is an idea for you:

1. Write a 4-8pg report on the best business cards out there
2. Add a unique tracking code to the report
3. Approach a printer and pay him to print 100 copies of the report
4. Then ask him if he could deliver the report to his prospects. If he does - and people contact you for your services - you will pay the printer a finders fee (this is where the unique tracking code comes in handy)
5. Let the printer know that he should contact you when he is out of a 100 copies. And you'll buy more copies from him so that he can deliver the report to his new prospects.
6. Repeat. Find another printer.