Making Phone Calls“My phones stopped ringing! Leads aren’t coming in!”

 ***If you don’t read anything else, read the P.S. at the bottom! Best hint!***

In many businesses there are periods of busy times and periods of slow times. Fortunately, even though the phones may slow down, there are certain things that can be done to keep the stream of business coming in. This morning I was an attendee on a webinar regarding this topic, and then this afternoon I ran across an article regarding this, and thought that you would maybe benefit from the information, too.

Getting steady leads is important for a thriving and successful business. Unfortunately, that does not just happen by chance. There are certain steps any business will need to take in order to maintain some regularity of leads; however, one size does not fit all, and almost always more than one step is required. It’s just like the wheel, with the hub being the request being made for your services and the spokes being the different ways leads are generated.

Johnathan Grzybowski at DUCT TAPE MARKETING explained the steps necessary to increase your leads, including creating partnerships with your (gasp) rivals:

“Although this might take a big bite out of your ego, it’s always nice to settle your differences and realize that there is a ton of money out there. You may find out that your competition isn’t competition after all. All businesses specialize and your competition is no different. Find synergy, make introductions, and send business each others way.”

Johnathan also talked about  promoting your business right in your actual physical location. Sure, there are plenty of people in other locales that you can use your services, but for now when you’re trying to really focus on getting leads, start local. Once you have that accomplished, you can expand your boundaries.

Nowadays we have the great benefit of the internet and social media where you can not only put your name out there, but you can search for other industries that you’d especially like to target. Gather information. Get their names, email addresses and phone numbers and start getting in contact with them.

Pick up the phone and call them!

Whoever said that cold calling is dead obviously has not tried cold calling. You’re probably not going to make a sale on the first call, but at this point, you’re going for a meeting. Challenge yourself to make the calls until you set a meeting or two. From my own experience, I did this just yesterday, and within the first five calls, four of them wanted more information, emails were exchanged and names of the “powers-that-may-be” were given. Within the first five calls, that was four more that I never would have gotten had I not done the cold calling. Initial contact and introductions have been made, emails and more information has been exchanged, names have been added to the drip campaigns, and the sales cycle has begun.

Landing the Prospect Meeting

Another question that should be posed every time you meet with a prospective customer after you’ve given your presentation is, “Do you know anyone else who might be interested in my services?” People are generally nice, and will often say, yes, and give a name or two. There you go. Already the call you make to that person is a little warmer lead than the one that was cold-called, because someone familiar to them referred you to them. Your chances at a sale just increased.

It really just becomes a numbers game. Once you start calling, you’ll start to see that it averages out to a certain number of calls for a certain number of meetings. The game begins. For each rejection you’re one call closer to an acceptance.

So in conclusion, yes, your leads run dry at times. That happens to all of us. Luckily it doesn’t have to stay that way. Pick up the phone!

P.S. If you want a quick list of people to start calling, look back in your database for leads that did not close 12-18 months ago. Start calling them, and I guarantee you will find new opportunities for sales within those leads. Try it, and let me know if I was wrong.  See video.

CLICK HERE to read Johnathan’s complete blog post that was summarized above.

As always, Winners Know Their Numbers!

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