Why Do You Call?

Alright ya' couillons,

I got off the phone with a prospect a couple of minutes ago, who heard me say "look I'm gonna be honest this is a cold-call" and was abruptly told "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS DON'T CALL ME AGAIN" and hung up.

It stung a little bit. It stung a lot, actually. I thought to myself, "why am I doing this" and the honest truth is, I didn't have an answer. I thought at first, "well because it's my job" but that didn't sit well with me. I went deeper: "because this is going to help the company and I will grow in character and continue to learn how this all works." Still didn't sit well. "Well surely, it's because I want to perfect this craft so I can be the best prospector that GDS has ever seen." Okay that's a little true, but still didn't sit well. Frustrated, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, and sat silently. Then it hit me.

To help.

The reality of that answer hit me like shotgun pellets hittin' a wood duck on a crisp fall morning- all at once. Had I been calling to HELP? I can honestly say no. I'd been calling to set meetings, to hit my numbers so that I wouldn't get chewed out. Yesterday, I had recorded myself going through my normal pitch to see what I sounded like, and I couldn't put a finger on what I was feeling while listening to myself, but it wasn't good. Now I know.

I sounded DESPERATE.

More thoughts continued to swirl around my head: "have I sounded desperate this whole time?" "am I cut out for prospecting?" "why do we call them prospects" and once again, it hit me; but this time like ma' momma when I was 10 years old and told her to leave me alone- right upside ma' head.

I shouldn't be calling prospects for approval, and I don't call prospects- I call people.

Sheesh, I'm getting there. Chill, Swanson.

With this momentum I went and looked at the next PERSON on my list and said to myself "I want to help you, Bill. If you don't need help, that's great because that means you are doing well. But if you do, I can help you out. And if you get mad, that's fine, because this role isn't my identity. " I gave Bill a call and the conversation went ten times smoother than any other I've had. I talked slower, I listened more, I respected his time and showed him appreciation. In a way, I talked to him like a friend. At the end I didn't get a chance to help, but that's because no help was needed. I did hang up the phone, however feeling much better than the call before, because I went into the conversation with the intent to help, period.

The picture in this article was purposefully picked. It shows one man reaching to help another up, while being held by a group of others. Here at GDS, we rely on the help of others. We could not function without those people holding us from falling off the mountain. Therefor, it is our duty to help that person climbing upwards to reach the top.

So, after reading this, what's your answer to "why do you call"?