OK... -- Geoffrey James, Sales Machine's comment on "Never Cold Call Again"

TalkbackShare your ideas and expertise on this topic

Never Cold Call Again

mltt01/14/08 Report as spam
1

Survey responses!

* Taking a Sales Training Class
* Meeting with Customers
* Using Your CRM System
* Making Cold Calls
* Getting Coached by your Manager
mtate01/14/08 Report as spam
2

RE: Never Cold Call Again

Meeting with Customers
Taking a Sales Training Class
Getting Coached by your Manager
Using Your CRM System
Making Cold Calls
frumbauskas01/14/08 Report as spam
3

RE: Never Cold Call Again

I am the author of the book "Never Cold Call Again" and own the registered
trademark of the same name. Please delete the phrase "Never Cold Call Again"
from this article immediately as I did not authorize its use.

Thank you,
Frank Rumbauskas
FJR Advisors, LLC
Geoffrey James, Sales Machine01/14/08 Report as spam
4

OK...

...if that's the way you want to play the game.
Sid Herron01/14/08 Report as spam
5

Note to other Sales/Marketing professionals...

This is a perfect example of how not to market your product. I understand that the owner of a trademark has a certain amount of responsibility to defend it to avoid setting a precedent that could make it more difficut to defend in the future, but it appears to me that Mr. Rumbauskas forgot another important principle: "You never have a second chance to make a first impression."
Geoffrey James, Sales Machine01/16/08 Report as spam
6

For Frank Rumbauskas

Yo! Frank!

Here's a more detailed response to your nice little note:

http://blogs.bnet.com/salesmachine/?p=213
mkreppein01/14/08 Report as spam
7

RE: Never Cold Call Again

I must have come late to this post as I'm not sure what Frank is complaining about - I have Joanne's wonderful book on my office bookshelf and it's titled "No More Cold Calling"

Anyway, I agree with your comments about "...Referral selling is the ultimate inside track...." As a 20 year veteran of front-line selling, mostly to new customers while working for small companies, I can assure your readers that cold calling is more ineffective than ever in these days of caller-id.

Getting AND giving referrals is a very powerful way to build your business and Joanne's book is an excellent study on how to do it correctly.

As for your poll -

5 - Getting Coached by your Manager
4 - Making Cold Calls
1 - Meeting with Customers
3 - Taking a Sales Training Class
2 - Using Your CRM System
Geoffrey James, Sales Machine01/14/08 Report as spam
8

Title

I changed it, of course.
CarolBlaha01/15/08 Report as spam
9

RE: Never Cold Call Again

If I didn't make cold calls, I'd be living under a bridge. Sales call reluctance can be easily overcome by - knowing how to do it right and just doing it. If you want to blow past quotas, make those calls.
Aimee33301/15/08 Report as spam
10

Why not?

Cold calling is the base of all sales. If the base is gone the rest of your sales are weak!
Geoffrey James, Sales Machine01/15/08 Report as spam
11

Well...

...the idea is that cold-calling is an expensive and time consuming way to get new customers. That's the point of referral selling.

Although, it's true that if you're not doing something like referral selling, you'd better be doing cold calling if you want to grow your customer base.
LJSilber01/15/08 Report as spam
12

RE: Never Cold Call Again

We should distinguish between a "blind" cold call and an introductory call that was preceded by a well thought out personalized letter, or some other form of personalized communication (eMail, PDF, video file, (dare I say) brochure, etc,. The latter approach, which I like to think of as a "warm call" has secured a lot of appointments for me over the years, with a decent closing ratio. Yet, this approach is still very tough work. You really have to ???work the numbers??? as the ratio of appointments and closings is much lower than when you gained entre??? to a prospect through a personal referral. No one can argue with you that gaining appointments and closing business is much easier when the business relationship starts because of a personal referral. Yet, building a referral network takes time compared to some of the ???quick hits??? that you can generate through a ???warm call???. Like everything else in life, there is rarely one definitive answer or approach. I believe it comes down to time management so you can effectively build your network of referral sources, while you continue to pound away on the phone until you have so much business coming in with supporting referrals that you never have to make a cold or warm call again.
CarolBlaha01/16/08 Report as spam
13

RE: Never Cold Call Again

Goeffrey, The cold call is not expensive. It should not be your only source of leads, but it should be part of your selling program. Referrals are great and should be maximized. But while I'm leaving and I note a biz next door that looks interesting, I'm going to toodle in and start a conversation-- at zero cost.
Prakaithip01/16/08 Report as spam
14

Never Cold Call Again

Agreed, specifically if the company is a startup. I prefer sales positions that have a robust database of touches. Based on past conversations that may have included many rejections, it still gives me something to start with.

Taking a Sales Training Class (get to know the product/services)
Using Your CRM System
Meeting with Customers
Getting Coached by your Manager (managers should be available at all times for advice)
Making Cold Calls
aqaba0101/16/08 Report as spam
15

RE: Never Cold Call Again

Meeting with Customers
Getting Coached by your Manager
Taking a Sales Training Class
Using Your CRM System
Making Cold Calls
momer03/23/08 Report as spam
16

RE: Never Cold Call Again

ITS A GOOD WAY TO SPRAY WATER ON THE FIRE , SO SOMTIMES YOU MAKE THE COLD CALL WITH THE RIGHT SITUATION
momer03/23/08 Report as spam
17

RE: Never Cold Call Again

somtimes you spray water on fire as a strategy to close a deal
Floren2502/24/09 Report as spam
18

RE: Never Cold Call Again

how can I make a lot of calls then? I need to buy a machine or a software? i want to know more
johnthorley06/13/09 Report as spam
19

Is this for real?

It sounds like Geoffrey James is a major-league loser and
crybaby. He has a serious case of sour grapes against Frank
R. who apparently is making millions.
Geoffrey James, Sales Machine06/13/09 Report as spam
20

RE: Never Cold Call Again

Re: Note 19:
Yes, indeed. You've hit the nail on the head.

Even though I don't do sales training and have no interest in doing sales training, I'm eaten up with jealousy that Frank R. has a backwater sales training business that nobody in the field takes seriously and which -- alone of all sales training businesses about which I've written -- generates emails and comments from readers that he's ripped them off in some way.

Amazing how you've diagnosed the problem so completely.
Geoffrey James, Sales Machine06/13/09 Report as spam
21

RE: Never Cold Call Again

Re: Note 19 again:
You gotta wonder about a guy who posts the same kind of comment four months earlier, but this time pretends that he's just discovering the subject matter. See note 13 on post:

http://blogs.bnet.com/salesmachine/?p=213

Hmmm. My spider sense is whispering "sock puppet"....
Popkorn7865211/04/09 Report as spam
22

RE: Never Cold Call Again

Wow. I guess there are no attorneys here. The use of the term "Never Cold Call Again" in this context doesn't even come close to violating a trademark right. Just because one trademarks a term doesn't mean no one else in the world can ever use it.
johnthorley11/20/09 Report as spam
23

RE: Never Cold Call Again

Geoffrey James is a douche and a hack who makes no money
and takes out the anger for his failure on successful people.
Quite obvious, really.
Geoffrey James, Sales Machine11/21/09 Report as spam
24

RE: Never Cold Call Again

Re Note 23:
Frank... uh, I mean "John". I see it. I'm just ignoring you.