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Listening - The Key to Your Success with Cold Calls

By Adam Price

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 22Sep2008 Word count: 674 Viewed: 208 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Do you make your cold calls with the goal of listening to the other person? Probably not, because very few people do. But it's one of the most important skills you can have in cold calling.

In the old cold calling approach, you don't really listen. You speak. You talk about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.

And long before your introduction is done, you've probably "lost" the other person. Within the first few seconds, they've put up a wall. Most people aren't interested in being "sold," and they don't like sales pressure.

What do you think would happen if you make your cold calls with the idea of listening to the other person? Some remarkable things start to shift. Instead of talking about yourself, you're listening to the other person. You're inviting them to share the truth of their world.

Truth Comes Through Listening

A great way to do that is by starting your call differently. If you say something like, "Hi, I'm Joe from XYZ company, and we provide a wide array of electronic filing systems," you're not listening to the other person. And very quickly, your prospect pegs you as just another caller out to make a commission.

Why? Well, to be frank, you're coming across as somewhat self-absorbed. That's a hard thing to say - but think about it. People know you're a "salesperson" (in a negative way) because the verbal tone you've created is all about you and what you have to offer.

A better way to begin your cold calls is with a question around the other person's problems and issues. Focus on what's important to them. Isn't that the best way to start any new conversation anyway?

For example, you can say something like, "Hi... maybe you could help me out for a minute? I'm just calling to see if you're experiencing lost revenue due to manual invoicing filing systems?"

Now you're focusing on the other person's world and what matters to them. You're sincere with your question, and you're inviting the truth.

This isn't just another sales technique. ruthfully, it's not about sales at all. It's about listening to discover whether you can help someone.

You Can't Hear If You Have an Agenda

Haven't you had the experience of talking with someone who's already made up their mind about something? Maybe you didn't know it right away. But eventually it becomes clear that you aren't having a real conversation. You're only being invited to hear what the other person has to say.

And so it goes in the old way of cold calling. In the old mindset, you've already formed an opinion before you pick up the phone. You believe - really believe - that the other person should buy what you have to offer. You're enthusiastic, persuasive, and focused on your goal.

But you can't truly listen when you're in this place. If you have an agenda, you're not really open to what's important to the other person. And they can always sense that.

So you won't be regarded as someone who's concerned about your prospect's well being. They'll feel they have to protect themselves, because they sense you're only out to make a sale.

What makes this new cold calling mindset so different is that you let go - entirely - of the desire to get a sale. You're not hiding a sales agenda. You're not even interested in shaping a sales event. Rather, you're listening to discover whether you can help someone.

As listening becomes more and more important in your cold calling, you'll be regarded as someone who's trustworthy. It's a profound shift. You'll be surprised at how easily prospects welcome you into their world and share the truth of where they stand.

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