A Story that Needs to be Read … to be Believed
Ryan Kauth never thought cold calling is “dead.” Like most people, he just didn’t have much luck with it.
His cold call success rate hovered around 6 or 7 percent. Actually, this is better than the national average of 2 percent. Sad, huh?
He even stopped leaving voicemails. Why bother, when none were returned?
Something wasn’t working. Maybe he needed a better cold call script. Perhaps a few more cold calling tips would help.
Ryan is no stranger to success. As Senior Vice-President of Lending for Greenleaf Bank, a family-owned institution in central Wisconsin, he has a broad network. He has no shortage of prospects, either.
Yet, he understood that opening doors via the natural market – referrals and upselling – would only go so far. A more proactive approach was needed. He needed to partner with an experienced sales trainer.
Ryan hired me for individualized cold call training. After getting to know him, his products and services, and his ideal clients, I customized a sales training program.
We got to work. Four intensive sessions ensued … and he became possibly my biggest cold call sales training success ever.
A key part of my sales training program is the Daily Call Log phase. Students make cold calls every day. They report the results. I’m their accountability partner. Together, we decide if their approach is working. If not, we adjust.
To use a baseball metaphor – the season just ended, after all – Ryan knocked the cover off the ball. He made 70 cold calls over two weeks, connecting with a decision-maker 33 times – just short of 50 percent!
Of those conversations, he scheduled 24 appointments – a jaw-dropping 72.7 percent success rate! His voicemail response rate grew exponentially to more than 14 percent (the average is less than 1 percent)!
Here’s the clincher: The sales cycle in banking typically runs long. Ryan closed a piece of business, with an organization he cold-called, just three weeks after our sales training program! The deal generated a positive ROI on his training investment several times over!
Think I’m joking? Making this up? I’ll connect you with Ryan. He’ll tell you himself. Just send a message and ask. Heck, I’m always glad to connect people with shared interests.
Or, if your sales outreach needs a serious shot in the arm, contact me and say so. Let’s start a conversation about creating a cold call sales training program for you. I work with individuals and groups. Let’s get you in front of the prospects you’re targeting, with a sales training method that gets results.
Cold calling dead? Hardly. It’s far more likely your approach just needs resuscitation. So call Dr. Paul … and let’s get to work!
Paul M. Neuberger is a globe-trotting inspirational keynote speaker and owner of four businesses, including The Cold Call Coach. Don’t miss his three-part webinar series, Paul’s Emergency Sales Kit, filled with timely instruction and advice for salespeople during a challenging period. Or, for an even deeper dive, try Cold Call University. Contact Paul at 414-313-8338 or via e-mail at paul@paulmneuberger.com.
