Hey Vendors… ever feel like you are talking to the wind? Making calls that get you nowhere? Finding people on the other end of the line that will not entertain your desire for a discussion?
I have worked from the sales side of technology and making “Cold Calls” was part of my job. They are tough to do. No one would argue with that. Who wants to call someone they do not know and try to start a conversation not knowing what might be happening on the other end of the phone? They may be having a bad day, are swamped with work, have no interpersonal skills or whatever. Not a fun thing to do.
All that being said, there are several things that “turn me off” when someone calls me and interrupts my workflow. Avoiding these and the likelihood of getting me to talk longer is greater.
Note: most vendors do not do these things. Most of them are very good about respecting me and my time.
Tips for Vendors making Cold Calls:
Know what my Organization does. Please do not ask me what my firm does. Nor should you not have any clue what my organization is all about. Just a quick look at our website might give you enough info to not offer solutions that are not even close to my needs.
Don’t call too often. Don’t make repeated calls and leave multiple voice messages. I do check my messages and if I wanted to call you I would. You can try to call me again, but if you go to voice mail – just hang up. Do not call me back if we just got off the phone because you forgot to tell me something (I have actually had a vendor do that).
Don’t talk to fast. I get a lot of calls where the person runs so fast past their name and who they work for that I do not even hear what they may have said. Slow down and make sure you give me useful info slowly. Start with your firm and what services you provide. Ask me if this is a good time to talk about XYZ.
Don’t act like you know me. Please do not treat me like your friend. We do not know each other. Be cordial and informal, but not on the “buddy” level. Do not ask me non-work related questions or be overly chummy.
Don’t ask me what I am working on. Or at least do not expect me to answer. I may or may not want to share what my initiatives are. I rarely will do it prior to knowing what products and services you provide.
Don’t ask me what my budget is. Like the previous item, I am not going to share my spending framework.
Don’t ask me for a face to face meeting. I may not want to be on the phone, let alone invite someone into my office for a chat who has a product that I may not be interested in.
Don’t call around to find me. If you do not know who I am – what my name is – do not just call my organization and ask for the “IT Guy”. This rarely gets a good lead. When someone transfers a call to me, it just tells me that they person does not have a clue about who I am.
Don’t ask me if I know anyone else that might need your services. I am not going to offer up my associates. I do not even have a relationship with you or your product, there is no way I am going to send you to someone else.
Don’t expect me to return your call. I apologize, but I rarely will call someone back that I do not know. Some may think me rude, but I just don’t do it.
Wow – a long list, but there are ways to catch my attention and connect… more on that later.
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