Dean Myrick
lead generators/cold calling
Posted 12:20 PM on 07/25/08 -
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I'm using lead generators for my cold calling. To be honest, I am having very little success with them. Can anybody give me some good pointers? I am relatively new to life insurance sales.
Me
Lead Generation
Posted 2:54 PM on 08/27/08 -
Reply to this postI find that most of the leads that I get from lead generators are outdated, or have been called on by everyone and their brother, sister, and cousin-in-law. Most of my best business comes from rural areas where I dig up leads from out of the woodwork. Grab a phone book, use whitepages.com, or knock on doors. If you call on businesses, Windows Live Search works great as well because it comes up with places that aren't listed in the phone book.
However, in your field, nothing is better than a referral.
Anderson360
Advise on Follow-ups
Posted 11:52 AM on 07/25/08 -
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I sell mainly home and auto insurance. Alot of communication with prospects is done over the phone and e-mail. Any suggestions on how to get away from the old follow-up line "hey this is 'so-and-so'. I just wanted to follow up with you. Did you get a chance to look over the quote is sent you?"
Seems like too much pressure is put on the prospect and all they have to do is say "no".
brad
follow-ups
Posted 11:07 AM on 07/27/08 -
Reply to this postHey Anderson just a thought maybe you could start out by saying. Hey so and so Did I got to thinking about it, "did I put rental on your policy, the last thing I would want to happen is see you out of a vehicle and having to call me for a ride to work. Which I would do. If they have read or not they will tell you. Follow up with you know I design so many policies for folks and they all want different things. I just wanted to check and see if I designed yours to your needs.
PatrickLim
Breaking Apart
Posted 1:02 PM on 07/23/08 -
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I work as a direct sales in a photocopier/multifunction products. The current productivity of the whole department (divided into Corporate accounts and general accounts) are doing very badly compared to previous year. From the achievement of 80% monthly to barely 20%. This started to happen as the new management has taken it's position 6 months ago. I've gathered the senior staff to discuss this issue, and to work it out as a team, but most of them are already out looking for another job and are no more confident with the new management. What should I do?
Bryan
Selling while also holding a full-time J.O.B.
Posted 10:17 AM on 07/23/08 -
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I'm involved in a network marketing business and need help. The company I work for has a great product that I'm passionate about. I use the product myself. I've been involved with this business for about a year and have only recently (in the last month) attempted to make a go at it. I have zero sales experience so I do what I always do when I try something new - I set out to educate myself. I began reading books, watching videos, and listening to CDs and podcasts. This I picked up The Little Red Book of Selling. I've learned quite a bit in the last month and it paid off last week when I recruited my first agent who will also be selling the product. That was a great confidence boost for me. Recruiting additional sellers is important but I want to make personal sales so I can see the benefits ($450-$1500 per sale). Who's my target market? Almost anybody but the product is geared towards two main groups of people - those who have a mortgage and those who don’t. There are some other factors but the mortgage is the big group split. My product is marketable to both groups but the two groups would get a different version (one version costs less than the other). It's marketable to anyone looking to pay off their home, car, boat, student loan, or debts in general, faster. It can be done without re-financing, with no increase in mortgage payments, and little to no change in lifestyle. The program works and has good credentials. The need is there.
Now that I've gone on for too long, here's my problem: I work a full time job during the day and need recommendations/ideas on how to meet people to market my product to. Aside from my co-workers I don't see many people during the day and even less in the evenings. I'm not prepared to market to my co-workers yet because of possible business relationship ramifications. I've tried to brainstorm some places I could meet people to talk to but haven't come up with many ideas. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
rich
selling while holding down a full time job
Posted 12:38 PM on 07/26/08 -
Reply to this postThe first problem I see. You have two major groups. Both cover all people. When you have everyone listed as a client you have no one targeted. Narrow down target group.
TG
New job's cold call requirement woes...
Posted 8:02 PM on 07/22/08 -
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Anyone have advice for large amounts of "required" cold calling?
Long story short... I took a new job where we are required to make 50+ cold calls a day. I am not a cold call salesperson, so I am having a bit of an issue with this. It isn't that I "can't" cold call, it's more that it is just something I loathe because I feel it is entirely too much of a headache for the end results.
In my previous position, I would cold call 5-10 people a day in person, and maybe 5-10 on the phone. The rest was spent strengthening my existing relationships and networking. All in all, it worked out well, but I was also granted the freedom to do this by my boss so long as I brought in results. I did, he gave me the freedom, joy spread across the world...
Well, there is no such freedom in my current position. We are required to be in the office if we aren't on an appointment, and we are required to be calling. We have to fill out your typical call sheet with business name, phone number, contact, blah, blah, blah...
It is honestly killing me. Like I said, I have no problem with a little bit of cold calling, but on this level, it is rough. The potential income at this place is killer however, and I want to give it my best because the rewards are worth it, but I am not sure the best way to acclimate myself to this. The sale itself isn't where I struggle, it has always been the phone, and that is where I am going to be spending most of my time. Put me in a face to face cold call and I am fine. Put me on the phone and half of my abilities are stripped because I am not right there with the person.
Anyone have any tips to help a non-phone-cold-caller adjust and make the best of it?
Brad
jobs luv them or get out I say
Posted 8:00 AM on 07/24/08 -
Reply to this postIt is not always about the money. If you love your job then the money will come however, If you don't the money will stay in the companies account. A far the phone calling when you hit 65 and you have a cauliflower ear on the right side of your face. Just remember the money was Killer.
rich
new job's cold call reguirement woes
Posted 12:47 PM on 07/26/08 -
Reply to this postYou like the face to face meetings. Why, you have the personal touch. You like the body language, facial expressions eye to eye contact. When your doing phone calls these are missing. How to get this back into the equation may sound simple and silly but it works. I use it when I have to sell over the phone. I look into a mirror I have with me. This allows me to see all of my tools working. I get the same feel as if face to face.
Glen
coldcall requirements
Posted 11:06 AM on 07/29/08 -
Reply to this postI was in a similar situation as yourself. What I did was make a few coldcalls around each appointment I had. Then, I followed those up on the phone to book the appointment - assuming I hadn't already done that in person. Now, on any given day, I'll typically have two appointments with prospective buyer and two to three with existing customers. I still coldcall - about 5 to 10 around each. Go through the numbers & you'll get the results you're looking for. Just act like rhino; Don't look up until the dust settles.
HBK
RE: New job cold call woes
Posted 7:47 AM on 08/26/08 -
Reply to this postYour way of doing things in your previous position was the right way to build sales and bring in results and you proved that. Maybe you should rethink the current position if they are tactic and process driven instead of results driven. Are you persuasive enough to plead your case using your results from your previous position to convinve them to change their policy? Why didn't you adress in detail their expectations of you and their complete sales process during your interview process?
ScubaFla
Technology and Data Base Management
Posted 3:44 PM on 07/21/08 -
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Have any of you used QuoteWerks for your sales quoting? If so, how do you like it and what are the pros and cons of it? I am looking to link it to GoldMine and possibly salesforce.com if we move to them for a web based CRM.
Milind
Team Management & sales
Posted 10:20 AM on 07/21/08 -
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I work as a direct sales manager. My team and I are into photocopier / multifunction products. Our productivity is too low and the morale of the team is also low compared to what it used to be. I have become friends with them -- more than a manager -- and I spend weekends sometimes with them. But still I do not see any change their attitude to get more business. I do support them on calls too, but they seldom prefer to take me with them. I am stuck and don't know how to push further... please, any suggestions???
