I'm doing outside sales and wow, is...

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I've hired 6 sales reps recently to work for me, and the official kickoff for them is in a week. We are doing the big sales meeting and all, but I thought it was wrong for me to demand something from them that I have no experience with in over 30 years, so I have been going out and cold calling businesses here in the area. Usually, when I meet with a prospective client, they have contacted me so the closing rate is very decent, but cold calling and generating your own leads offline is a different animal entirely. For the first 3 days, I didn't have a lot of time to dedicate to it (only 2-3 hours a day), but today I gathered my second wind and got my first hot lead. It is an insurance company that needs a website redone. It has been one heck of an experience for me to see the world through the lens of a salesman. I forgot so much in sales technique, but this is a good time to for me to grow I think and it gives me a new respect for a good sales person.
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Kudos to you for getting in the 'trenches'! Good luck with your project!! :cool:
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Thanks Gunsmoke, and it has been a good experience, but I have to say, my place if definitely behind a computer. :)
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User 2088758 Photo


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Hahaha yea Rod, I have had the same experience. I'll tell you one thing. I suck at cold calling :) If I was to go down this route again I would definitely hire someone to do it for me.

Good luck and all the best :)
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I started website design and building by making cold calls over the phone. This was in 1998, I think, and I didn't even have my own website back then. Coding in html was easy in those days, not too many tags to choose from, and I hadn't even heard of CSS. I got some 5 clients, of which one is still with me.
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User 244141 Photo


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@steve, I know if I keep at it, something is bound to happen, lol?

@inger, that gives me inspiration, but you probably are much better than I am at it. I just try to keep thinking "don't quit" unless I want the people working for me to quit. I will be out tomorrow morning for about two hours.

And to make it worse it is hotter than the fires of Hades here:

http://mylife.coffeecup.com/stream/?post=omaha-nebraska-during-the-summer-the-perfect-climate
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Rod, it is admirable that you are "walking the walk" yourself rather than ordering cannon fodder to march blindly into battle.

Try not to cold call, and don't expect much from your sales people who cold call. Figure out some way to call based on self-nominated prospect leads. This is called "marketing."

Consider Google vs. Facebook. Facebook has tons more traffic than Google, yet Google is a far better vehicle for advertisers. By their nature (though Facebook squirms to be more like Google), Facebook delivers ad impressions that are largely irrelevant, whereas Google delivers page rank that is highly relevant to active searchers. Many Google searchers are trying to buy something. They are quite warm, self-nominated prospects.

I don't like to be called cold. Do you? Does anyone? It's gotten so bad that I let incoming 'phone calls go to voicemail if I don't recognize the incoming caller ID.

But since you are cold-calling, Rod, be sure to ask your target prospects how they hear about new goods & services and what makes THEM pick up the 'phone to start the sales conversation. Let them tell you how to market to them.
halfnium -AT- alum.mit.edu
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Having managed many small businesses over the years, I can say from first-hand experience... Cold calls are a pain in the @$$. They're just about never at a convenient time, and who's going to make an on the spot decision about purchasing a website from someone they just met?

Rod, are you a member of any local organizations? The Chamber of Commerce, for instance. Make connections with business owners in your area. Go schmooze at meetings and events... keep biz cards on you at all times!
Consider hosting a casual 'meet & greet' event at a local coffee shop and do a presentation on web marketing, SEO, whatever...

Have you heard of this?
https://www.usps.com/business/every-doo … t-mail.htm
Pick your target area and send out some really slick over-size postcards (with an enticing offer).

You could also target a few really bad websites... Send a special offer postcard to a select few for a responsive site deal (just don't let them know it wasn't a general mailing!).

Work on generating some leads for your salespeople to follow up on.
Good luck with everything! :)

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@Halfnium and @paintbrush, thank you for your help, but I am not looking for leads (yet, there's always tomorrow). I wanted to go out from the world view of my sales personnel. The positive is that I did make a sale! I don't think what sales people do is bad. I get solicited at times, but when I am not a qualified customer, and then they don't quit, it can be very frustrating. I think the key for anyone selling is to qualify that customer as quickly as possible and move on. If they give permission to follow up then follow up. If done properly, who doesn't need some web work or advertising at some point?

@paintbrush, thank you for that website. I am planning on doing something with door hangers later in the year. I do belong to the Chamber per my signature, and a couple of other associations including a lead sharing group. We will be providing the leads that come from me or my associates to the sales staff.

I just want to hone my own sales skills so I don't seem like a dork in the field. :)

@Halfnium, I agree with you on Google. I made many sales from facebook in 2012, some in 2013, and only a few this year. The primary use of facebook ads is for me is to send a general message our to my friends and followers. For the price, ($6.99 for a friend, and friend of their friend) it is fairly reasonable. I also rarely spend over $10 for a post promotion.
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