Cold Calling is Networking

I have noticed that many salespeople are quick to spend an exorbitant amount of time and money on live events, claiming that they offer networking opportunities that they cannot afford to miss. That time and money would be better spent on Cold Calling. Cold Calling IS networking!

When done correctly, Cold Calling provides all the benefits of networking at a much lower cost and in a shorter time frame.?

Cold Calling vs Networking

Here are some of the most important reasons to network professionally:

• To build and nurture your professional network?
• To stay visible and top of mind with your community
• To stay on top of industry news and advancements
• To help others and build good will

?Cold Calling provides the opportunity to do all of these, and more!

• Cold Calling helps build and nurture your professional network. When making Cold Calls,?you are introduced to new people and have the opportunity to touch base with older contacts. And since you are speaking with them, one on one over the phone, instead of across a table with numerous others - some of whom may be competitors - I would argue that the conversations you have during a Cold Call are more advantageous.?

But the key word there is 'CONVERSATIONS' - when done correctly, a Cold Call is a conversation!

• Cold Calling helps you stay visible and top of mind with your community. Again, when Cold Calling, you are 'touching' the prospect - even if it is only to leave a voicemail. These 'touches' help establish a sense of trust and by maintaining a regular delivery cadence, you will stay top of mind.
• Cold Calling helps you stay on top of industry news and advancements. While you may not be gaining information from your prospects, a good salesperson will be sure to stay on top of industry news in order to be able to provide that on calls if needed. Cold Calling incentivizes salespeople to be in the know!
• Cold Calls provide opportunities to help others and build good will. A good salesperson will be listening, on a Cold Call, for problems they can solve. If they cannot provide an appropriate solution, they will offer a referral. This not only helps the prospect but serves to build good will.

How much time should you spend networking??

According to Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI (Business Network International, which claims to be the largest business networking organization in the world) people should spend 8 - 10 hours per week networking. To achieve this by attending networking events, you need to then add the commute time, factor in the costs of the event and the lousy coffee and hope that your target audience will be there.

Yes, attending some live networking events can be helpful but I say, cut to the chase! Pick up the phone and make a call. And start thinking of your Cold Calling time as 'networking' - making and building new connections. I bet?this shift in mindset?will?you’re your calls?become more conversational and productive. Let me know how it goes!

Do you need help shifting your mindset out of 'selling' mode and into 'conversation' mode? Check out our Call Center in a Box?program where we train you and your team in our time-proven Conversational Selling technique. OUR?SALES TRAINING ?gets YOUR people delivering real results!