6 more reasons to make sales calls

6 more reasons to make sales calls

In the last edition, I said I would give you 10 reasons to make sales calls. I started with four:

1. Because it works.
2. If you don’t make the calls, your competitors might be.
3. You don’t have to be that good at it, so just do it.
4. If builds your confidence.

Now, here are the remaining six reasons. Send me some more of yours.

5. It’s efficient. There is no quicker way to find out where the Easter eggs are (your buyers) than to call up and ask. They’ll tell you if they have any interest at all. You can easily make 20-30 calls in a day. I know some stockbrokers and insurance salespeople who make 50-200 in a day.

6. As tough as it sounds, it’s really pretty lazy. Calling people on the telephone is not mining coal or laying a block. It’s sitting, in an air-conditioned office, and talking.

7. It’s cheap. It only costs my time in prepping leads, making calls, and sending follow-ups. Appointments after that cost the same. You can buy lots of lunches for the price of one week’s worth of advertising.

8. It’s simple and direct. It’s not a big complex web of mystery like networking and social media. And it’s not a “game” like networking. When you’re networking, the tacit rule is that you’re trying to act like it’s not about sales. But of course, it is. A direct sales call is clearly about sales. You have an agenda, but it’s not hidden.

9. You’re doing someone a favor. You heard me right. If you approach sales correctly, you will often hear “I’m glad you called” or “We were just talking about that – funny you should call.” Correctly means a couple of simple principles, by the way: You are offering your services, not pushing. You ask a question and listen; you do not launch into a pitch. If they are not a prospect – you should know within 3 or 4 questions – you thank them for their time and move on. They might be a prospect later.

10. You have to do it anyway. All of life is sales or negotiation of some kind. When you’re a kid you sell your parents on letting you stay up late or getting you a puppy. When you’re a teenager it’s a car or a concert. In your 20s, you’re selling someone on the idea of hiring you, and someone on the idea of marrying you. You’re going to sell and negotiate anyway. You might as well get good at it.

Updated: 10/30/2023

Categorised in: Random

This post was written by Michael Byrd