Leland Bobbe - Neo Burlesque Portraits featured in Time Out

Leland Bobbe's burlesque portraits featured in Time Out New York.

Inspirations...

Character consists of what you do on the third and forth tries.
– James Michener


Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
– George S. Patton

Inspirations...

Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore, avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.
– Socrates

Braving obstacles and hardships is braver than retreat to tranquility.
– Kahlil Gibran

Inspirations...

There’s as much risk in doing nothing as in doing something. –Trammell Crow

Cold Calling 101

Cold Calling Is Still An Effective Sales Tactic If Done Right. These cold calling tips won't eliminate your fear, but they will help you make cold calling a more successful experience.

1. Prepare
A crucial step before making cold calls is setting clear goals. Your main objectives are to make a good first impression and to secure an appointment. Beginners tend to think that cold calling is about making the sale. It's not. It's about getting the chance to make the sale. Specifically, the purpose of a cold call is to set an appointment to make the pitch.
Use the following tips to help you further focus before making your calls:

• Consider what percentage of your revenue you expect cold calling to produce. If you have a realistic estimate in mind, say 25 percent, then you have a clear goal. Having this goal will help keep you motivated, even when you make a few dead-end calls.

• Research & Target your prospect. Work hard to ensure all the people on your call list are potentially interested in your product or service. Avoid making an unwanted phone call, and you will be less likely to waste your time. Find out as much as you possibly can about the company or individual you're going to cold call in advance. This gives you the huge advantage of being able to talk about their business and their needs when you call them.

2. Prepare an opening statement for your cold call.
This lets you organize your thoughts before cold calling, and helps you avoid common mistakes in the cold call opening that would give the person you're calling the chance to terminate the conversation.

• For instance, you should never ask, "Is this a good time to talk?" or "How are you today?" Don't read your opening statement into the phone, but use it as a framework to get the conversation off to a good start.

• Prepare a script for the rest of your cold call. Lay out the benefits of your product or service and the reasons your prospect should buy. Write out possible objections and your answer to them. Without a script, it's too easy to leave something out or meander. Once again, it's not that you'll be reading your script word for word when you call, but that you've prepared the framework of the cold call in advance.

• Implement a schedule for making calls, but remain flexible. Remember that you are initiating a relationship with a potential customer. While it is important to be productive with your time, it is equally important for your potential customers to feel your calls are productive for them.

3. Be Innovative
Offer your prospects what others within your field may be neglecting.
These examples can further inspire you:

• Develop a survey to find out what your prospects want and need. In addition to helping you hone your selling technique and product, a survey can help break the ice on a cold call.

• Write your prospects a letter before making the call. Introduce yourself and outline your services or products. This way, when you call, you can be following up on the information in the letter.

• Smooth the way for your cold call by sending prospects a small, unique promotional item. This helps break the ice and makes your business stand out from the crowd. It's amazing. When you call, they say, "Oh yeah....you were the one that sent me that..."

3. Cold-Calling Techniques
When it comes time to make the call, follow this advice:

• Make certain you are in a quiet area before you make your calls.

• Stand up while you're on the phone, as this allows the blood to flow through your body and may accentuate a tone of authority.

• When leaving a message, follow instructions. For instance, if the person on the recording asks you to leave a brief message, avoid leaving a long message. Speak clearly, and mention your name and phone number at least twice.

• When leaving a message with a receptionist, ask for a specific time your prospect will be available to speak with you and be sure to call at that time. Learn the receptionist's name, and address him/her by name every time you call the prospect. Remember to be courteous to everyone you speak to, as each person is a gatekeeper to your prospect.

• Remember that gatekeepers are your allies not your foes. Be pleasant to whoever picks up the phone or is guarding the inner sanctum when cold calling.

• Develop strategies to get the gatekeeper on your side. Sometimes asking, "I wonder if you could help me?" will help you get the information you need, such as the name of the right person to talk to or when the best time to contact the prospect is. Learning the names of gatekeepers and being friendly when cold calling helps, too.

• When talking to your prospect, make sure you are of assistance; don't leave her feeling that she was giving you her time, but rather with the impression that you may help her solve a problem. Research their client list - thoroughly.

• Befriend your potential customer. Do not attempt to immediately sell your art/skills/product; remember that to the person on the phone, you are a faceless stranger and people are naturally skeptical. Your reasoning for making the call is to make contact, not acquire a job/sale.

• Do your cold calling early in the morning, if possible. That's the best time to reach a decision maker directly, and for most people, the time that they're most energized.

• Be persistent when cold calling. "Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of sales people give up after the second call" (AllBusiness.com).

Closing the Call
When your prospective client begins to ask questions, you can start closing the call by setting up an appointment. The following are examples you can use to secure your next meeting:

• “I am going to be in your area this afternoon around 3:15 or 4:30. Which time is best for you?  I can drop off my portfolio if your not available to say hello.”

• “I realize you're concerned about price/quality/my portfolio/art; most of my clients were as well. I have an opening this afternoon to meet with you to discuss this further. How about 5:15 or 5:45?”

• "Would Wednesday at 11 a.m. be a good time to meet?" instead of saying, "Can I meet with you to discuss this next week?"

And above all, practice, practice, practice. While cold calling may never be much fun for you, you can get better at it, and the more you practice cold calling, the more effective a sales tactic it will be. So get your script and your call list together and reach for the phone. The people who want to do business with you are out there - but you have to let them know about you first.

There are plenty of resources out there that address cold calling strategies and techniques. A gentleman I recommend is Jeffrey Gitomer, whose Web site is www.gitomer.com. I know he has resources that address cold-calling strategies that are very, very good.

Pricing

Yet another timely post from Seth Godin about pricing, perception and attitude.  Check it out.

Attitude

Another great post by Seth Godin about attitude, how we approach our work and our individual responsibility to create and increase the energy in our work.

Inspirations...

To be a champion you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.
– Sugar Ray Robinson
Don’t give up at half time. Concentrate on winning the second half.
– Paul “Bear” Bryant