It looks so barren and desperate right now. Before you open your mouth, you get a “no”. You’ll get a “no” before you even open your mouth. What’s all the fuss about the land of opportunities?
Even if all you see is doom and gloom, you are missing a huge opportunity right now across the globe. The financial meltdown isn’t just affecting the United States, it’s affecting everyone around the globe. If you can use this information to your advantage, that’s great news.
You may still be cold calling, or you might have returned to cold calling because of financial crisis. You need to sell something today to your bank account. You pull out your script and buy a list. Or you ask your clients to refer you.
All those calls don’t result in appointments. Although you may get an appointment occasionally out of politeness and respect for the person who referred, they aren’t buying any time soon. You’re wasting a lot of resources that you don’t need to produce ANYTHING.
One thing is certain: if your current activity isn’t working, adding more to it won’t make it work. The reason your current strategy isn’t working is not the economic crisis, but the correct way to market yourself.
You can now call someone and say “Hi, Mr. Jones, this is Bob Smith from XYZ Insurance Ted Williams suggested that I give you a phone call.” The conversation ended with a dead-end. Mr. Jones thinks so what if Bob Smith? I don’t know Bob Smith. He is thinking about insurance. I don’t want you to talk to me or anyone else about insurance. He is thinking, “How can I get rid you without creating a problem for Ted?” Instead of yelling at the receiver or slamming him down, he said, “Gosh Bob! I appreciate your call, but I just had my insurance reviewed by my existing agent so I’ll give your a call as soon as I have a need for something.”
Because you don’t know what it takes to make yourself stand out, you ended your relationship with Mr. Jones. You would have started the conversation right where Mr. Jones is if you had. You would have known Mr. Jones was worried about losing his job. You would have known that Mr. Jones is concerned about losing his job if he doesn’t get a regular salary. You might have added, “Hi, Mr. Jones. This is Bob. I was wondering if you could help. Thank you, Mr. Jones. I called you today to ask if there were any ideas on how you could financially protect yourself in the event of your job being lost.
This conversation will help Mr. Jones let go of his defensiveness and ask for help. Next, you can talk to Mr. Jones about the things you know he is worried about: losing his job. You can also ask him if he is open to new ideas. Rarely will someone tell you that they don’t have any ideas. You are now ready to explore the possibility of Mr. Jones being a good fit for you. If there is a reason to meet up, Mr. Jones will gladly do so.
