If I had a dollar for every time this happened to me, I’d be rich.
Ring ring!
Me: “Hello? This is Krista.”
Solicitor: Long pause from automated dialer... “Hello. May I please speak with Krista Moon?”
Me: Sigh...Didn’t I just say my name was Krista? “This is.”
Solicitor: “Hello, Ms. Moon. How are you today?”
SERIOUSLY?!
When someone who is cold-calling me asks me how I’m doing, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. It’s very uncomfortable. Why is a complete stranger calling me to ask me how I’m doing? I usually respond, “I’m busy.” It catches the cold caller off guard. They jump quickly into their pitch, and I promptly tell them I’m not interested.
Tip for Salespeople: Don’t say this!
If you’re calling on people who don’t know you, don’t start off with “How are you today?” It can be a hard habit to break, but you’ll get much better results if you just get straight to the point with something more like, “Hi. This so-and-so from XYZ Company. I’m calling because....”
The more personalized you can make the message, the more likely you’ll capture your prospect’s attention too. With the right tools and prospect intelligence, you can quickly gather a mountain of contextual data about your prospect before you pick up the phone. It’s much easier to cold call someone that has been on your website or engaged with your company online in some way vs. calling someone who has no idea who you are.
Either way, ixnay on the “How are you today?” question, please! It’s a waste of everyone’s time.
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