Сентябрь 2008

Lead Generation Tips

Copyright (c) 2009 Drew Stevens PhD

The year has gotten off to a fast start and many sales managers and sales representatives are trying to get a jump on the year to offset losses from recessionary woes. Since the beginning of the year, my email has become inundated with questions about lead generation and cold calling techniques. Selling professionals are hitting stonewalls and getting nowhere.

The art of cold calling is serious business. Cold Calling requires patience, persistence and professionalism. The trick is to remain constantly positive and vigilant. More important, you must remember that cold calling is meant to generate leads… not business! Too many of you reading this believe that when you cold call you are to sell something, this is far from the truth. Whether stocks, insurance or any other product the concept behind cold calling is to generate a prospective lead that results in another appointment.

I want to give you some tips on generating leads and cold calling in this article. However, I want to get you in the proper framework so that before you pick up the telephone you remember the proper cold calling techniques. The comedian Jeff Foxworthy uses a moniker with every joke that states, «You might be a redneck if». Before you read each of the ten tips say to yourself, «You might be a cold calling nuisance if…»

1. You pick up the telephone and have no idea who you are calling. Someone called me recently and asked for the proprietor. Know whom you are calling.

2. After hello you begin with chitchat. Speak with conviction and have a purpose for every call.

3. You call and have conversations with gatekeepers. Call only decision makers. Stop wasting time with gatekeepers that are paid to detain you. Research the person you want to reach before you pick up the phone.

4. You do not know anything about the business or industry you call. I had a gentleman call me this morning to sell me a copier without an iota of knowledge of my business. Imagine the shock when he discovered I was a sales trainer.

5. Start your call with information about your company. Begin your call with a purpose and a value proposition. If you cannot articulate the value to the recipient do not make the call.

6. Begin your calls with inane questions. Questions such as «How you doin'» is for Joey Tribiani from the series Friends. Unless you desire a data dump comparable of being in a therapist office, stop. If you want conversation then speak articulately.

7. Operate each call without a clear purpose. Use a checklist for each call and have a path. A call should have a beginning, middle and an end.

8. Get over the myth that you are calling to sell something. NO YOU ARE NOT. You are simply calling for an introduction and to gain an appointment, any other reason is a mistake on your part.

9. You fear rejection. Get over it. Lead Generation whether you conduct it for your business or other complex organization is about the rejection business. In order to be successful get out of your comfort zone and deal with it.

10. Commence from call to call. I know of an organization that requires representatives make over 50 calls per day. This is unrealistic. What should be measured is not the call volume but the calls that lead to appointments. Success is should be measured by quality over quantity.

Lead generation is not for the faint of heart but from time to time is required for business development. Success is achieved with patience and most of all a plan. Do not fret rejection, set goals, provide value and do not fall into the trap of selling anything but an introduction and a second meeting.

How to get double interest on your savings account

If you are the kind who leaves a lot of money idle in your savings accounts, this news is going to make you happier and richer!

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in Tuesday’s monetary policy, made the regular repo and reverse repo rate cut announcements. These cuts are expected to bring down lending rates soon.

However, another key announcement that it made was the change in method of calculation of interest on your savings account. This change is effective from April 1, 2010.

Currently, banks calculate interest on your savings account as follows:

3.5 per cent per annum or 0.29 per cent per month on the minimum balance in your savings account between the 10th of the month and the end of the month.

What is a little unfair here is that interest is paid on the minimum balance in your account between the 10th of the month and the end of the month. But how many of us are left with large bank balances at the end of the month anyway!

While the rate of interest has been maintained at 3.5 per cent per annum, the good news is, that from next year, interest will be calculated as follows:

3.5 per cent per annum or 0.0095 per cent per day on the daily balance in your savings account.

If you can’t make sense of these numbers, allow us to explain.

Suppose your bank statement in April reads like this:

Date
Deposit (Rs)
Withdrawal (Rs) Balance (Rs) 1 April
    5,000 2 April
30,000   35,000 3 April
  4,000 31,000 5 April
  4,000 27,000 10 April
  12,000 15,000 13 April
2,700   17,700 18 April
  4,500 13,200 25 April
  5,500 7,700 30 April
    7,700

Now:

Under the current method, you would get an interest of Rs 22.46 for April, that is 0.29 per cent on Rs 7,700 (the minimum balance in your account between the 10th and the 30th of April).

Next year:

Your interest would be a handsome Rs 48.82 for April. That is, 0.0095 per cent everyday on your balance of that day.

Easily, your idle money is going to make you far richer!

That doesn’t, however, give you an excuse to leave your money lying idle in the savings account.

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