Cold Calling and getting to the right person

[mcmm]

I am starting a business which is in a new niche market (Business to Business), I am providing a product/service which is more than twice as effective as my nearest competition, I am applying innovative and new technology to this market and at the same price as my competition and yet I cannot seem to even get to speak to the person I need to speak to. If I am lucky I will get an actual number to which I leave a voicemail or actual email address of the decision maker to which I send an introduction email but on the whole I get a generic [email protected] email address.

The market has huge potential with millions being spent by businesses every year, there is a demand for this product/service as I see it every day. I know with independent empirical evidence that my product is far better at the same price. This new product/service is very successful in the US. I have a little wiggle room in pricing to provide the psychological boost of £4.99 instead of £5.00 (not my actual pricing)

I cannot get seem to get past the gatekeepers to actually speak to the person I need to.

I appreciate people are resistant to change and they will still walk around in expensive but tatty slippers because that’s what they are used to (excuse the analogy) but I know I have a better product/service.

Is it just a matter of dogged persistence and expecting to get a 10% or less conversion or am I missing something?

Does it matter that I am not getting the actual email address of [email protected] in the relevant department and just getting a generic [email protected]

All constructive thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TotalWebSolutions]

Have you tried LinkedIn for sourcing the best person to speak to at each company (will often list position in the company of each person) ?

 

[lpbusiness]

Additionally, peruse the sites of the firms you're talking about. They usually have personal, business contact details for senior management. Don't simply go straight to 'Contact Us'.

 

[NickGrogan]

Getting through to the right person shouldn't be hard, if I'm calling companies I expect to get through to the right person or at least get the direct email 95/100 times.

This applies in all sectors I've worked in energy, recruitment, software development, games, fashion and construction.

What are you saying when you call?

pm me if you'd prefer.

 

[NiceCat]

Have you tried LinkedIn for sourcing the best person to speak to at each company (will often list position in the company of each person) ?

This does help!

 

[TheGaffer]

I am starting a business which is in a new niche market (Business to Business), I am providing a product/service which is more than twice as effective as my nearest competition, I am applying innovative and new technology to this market and at the same price as my competition and yet I cannot seem to even get to speak to the person I need to speak to. If I am lucky I will get an actual number to which I leave a voicemail or actual email address of the decision maker to which I send an introduction email but on the whole I get a generic [email protected] email address.

The market has huge potential with millions being spent by businesses every year, there is a demand for this product/service as I see it every day. I know with independent empirical evidence that my product is far better at the same price. This new product/service is very successful in the US. I have a little wiggle room in pricing to provide the psychological boost of £4.99 instead of £5.00 (not my actual pricing)

I cannot get seem to get past the gatekeepers to actually speak to the person I need to.

I appreciate people are resistant to change and they will still walk around in expensive but tatty slippers because that’s what they are used to (excuse the analogy) but I know I have a better product/service.

Is it just a matter of dogged persistence and expecting to get a 10% or less conversion or am I missing something?

Does it matter that I am not getting the actual email address of [email protected] in the relevant department and just getting a generic [email protected]

All constructive thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

It is a case of dogged persistence. All cold calling is. As mentioned, definitely try LinkedIn, it can work wonders if used correctly.

Can I ask what industry you are targeting. I have a diverse contact list across multiple industries, so if you want to PM me what the product as the industry you're targeting, I may be able to help you.

 

[Dean B]

Keep going i have cold called for 6 years i use to love it persistance is key and remember its not what you say but how you say it tone is everything stand up when you make the call this will help good luck

Dean

 

[Clinton]

I cannot get seem to get past the gatekeepers to actually speak to the person I need to.

Have you considered that this person maybe, just maybe, doesn't want to speak with you?

Other cold callers will encourage you to keep cold calling. They'll claim there's nothing wrong with cold calling. That the secret is persistence. Or finding the right time. Or the right line.

I would urge you to consider a different route to getting customers.

 

[RobertN]

Talking about your service - do people really need it?
> Are you able to present your service over the phone very well?
> Does your product looks interesting to person at the other line?

If you think you've made a good job by approaching and introducing your service if you think you get a warm answer and your introduction was appreciated even info@ emails is fine. It is common that companies use info domains and internally forwards your email without exposing decision makers contact - however, your offer still goes to a decision maker.

But if you feel they gave you info@ just to finish the call - then you can do more research why did that happen whether is you or your service or "lazy people". Lots of sales approaches don't go thru because it is labelled as "sales call". I guarantee you can meet someone who will refuse to accept free gold it is not in customer service representative capabilities to judge what you're selling and if that's the case you need to find other ways to approach decision maker.

If it is just a 5 pound worth of service you're selling - decision makers won't even bother taking a look sometimes and different marketing opportunities should be used to approach decision makers for example targeted advertisement campaigns.

I mean talking about it is easy - but I need to look into what exactly you're selling for further and more accurate advice.

 

[fisicx]

The market has huge potential with millions being spent by businesses every year, there is a demand for this product/service as I see it every day

This just means they are already buying from established suppliers with whom they have an account and can get it delivered whenever they need it.

They won't be interested in your product unless you can offer the same sort of deals they already get.

So you need to go to trade shoes, visit wholesalers, advertise in magazines, give out loads of freebies/samples and generally be visible wherever your potential customers look.

 

[Mark T Jones]

So many potential answers to this.

cold calling can be highly effective, but I would treat it as just one prong of your marketing approach, or one step in the journey to a sale.

What are you 'selling' when you call? The product? A meeting?

What is your pre-call approach? What is the next step post call?

Quality customers seldom come on the back of a single sales approach, you need to build trust and empathy.

 

[mcmm]

It is refreshing to be conversing on a forum which is both friendly and professional.

I am doing the whole LinkedIn stalking with mixed success. Some larger companies have separate email to protect decision makers from cold calls.

There are a couple of trade shows I will be attending which will get more exposure.

No one can just present me a list of all desired personnel in these companies so it just a matter of slogging through it.

I think cold calling amongst other avenues gives direct exposure for your product/service. I don’t really see a field of dreams scenario whereby I build it and they will come. I know in the future word and mouth in my market area will help greatly here.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement

 

[godoit]

To quote a certain fish "just keep swimming"

It's hard. I remember one receptionist, took about 3 months to get through. We were on first name term's having a joke (oh its you again) and got some of the sales guys asking if they could buy off of me. Took about 6 months in total to get the big guy to sign off on a few test orders (1 of which the couriers nearly killed) but managed to get a few opportunities to quote and when I left to do my own thing we had about 40k pcm.

if the product/service is good (and of use) and the price is fair then people will give you an opportunity eventually.

Sounds like your doing the right things. good luck

 

[Diesel]

I never respond with glee to an unknown person on a cold call - we get a lot of musicians flogging their wares in particular! Never ever made a purchase as there is a huge trust issue on any unsolicited call. A less intrusive approach will surely work far better on most people - especially if they are actively trying to protect their contact details to avoid being hassled? Its a clue! Also are you considering TPS opt out requirements?

One composer we use sent a CD with a track that was free to use the once. Far cleverer and we use him now and again