The Dreaded Phone

As social networking online continues to evolve, less and less salespeople are comfortable picking up the phone and calling decision makers. Some may even think that cold calling doesn’t work.

We sat down with Dale Dupree, a.k.a. the Copier Warrior and general manager of Zeno Office Solutions, to learn how to become more effective when using this amazing tool, and tactics for supporting your efforts.

Making the Most out of Cold Calls

Cold calls may seem old-school, but they allow sales professionals something that other methods of interaction don’t: a human connection. According to Dupree, sales reps should pick up the phone more often. “Cold calling is that gateway into an emotional connection,” Dupree said. “Even if you don’t get the business, you have won.”

Don’t forget to be yourself. The first 15 seconds of a call are crucial for the human connection. There’s going to be some hesitation on the other end to talk to you, and it’s up to you to break that barrier. Having a script is a great start, but don’t get tethered to it. It’s your job to gain the trust of the decision maker and to do that you need to ask questions.

A Great Cold Call Story

One thing that Dupree stresses is to be different from everybody else. This thinking has led to some interesting and rewarding situations – like his first time pitching a manufacturer – a gun manufacturer no less.

Dupree decided to purchase a toy nerf gun and a case to hold it in. Knowing that the manufacturer collected guns, he asked that the owner take a look at what he was offering. Five seconds of silence passed as the owner stood in disbelief with his right hand man, staring at the toy gun. “Are you for real?” they asked.

The manufacturer soon became Dupree’s client and they’ve since had a close relationship, all because Dupree decided to do things a bit unconventionally.

Three Habits to be More Effective

1. Jump out of your bubble. Try different things, whether on the phone, in-person, or during a discovery session. Think of things that will help you develop the relationship further. There’s someone out there doing the same thing you are, so be different.
2. Time management. A lot salespeople are too busy. Time is always fleeting, so structure your time better. If you’re managing your time correctly, interruptions are no problem.
3. Stop thinking of sales as a 9-5. Sales is a full-time job, and that includes your personal life. Be who you want to be at all times.

Acceleration Insight

In every episode of the B2B Revenue Executive Experience, we try to pull one nugget of wisdom from our guests that they would impart on a sales professional. Here’s this one:

“Start practicing integrity. Don’t just have it in your repertoire. Don’t just put it in your top ten things you are as a leader. Make it number one; make it the focal point of who you are on a daily basis. When you operate with integrity, everybody notices it from your customers to the people in your office that are on your team. Your attitude will be that of a very bright and shining human being. That will cause a rift in your life of success that you won’t even know how to handle. Honestly, integrity is not hard to have.”

This post is based on a podcast interview with Dale Dupree, a.k.a The Copier Warrior and general manager of Zeno Office Solutions. To hear this episode, and many more like it, you can subscribe to the B2B Revenue Executive Experience.

If you don’t use iTunes, you can listen to every episode here.