Cold Calling On the Up…

It may not be the most glamorous part of sales, but ‘cold calling’ is being put firmly back on the selling agenda. Indeed, our Live Telephone Selling course – which includes live calls to real prospects – has seen a huge increase in demand over the past few months.

The reason for this is simple – in the current climate businesses need sales from all sources. It is no longer enough just to rely on existing contacts – all sales people need to be focused on generating new business leads from existing and new markets both in the UK and abroad.

Cold calling was for a long time seen as the ‘embarassing relative’ of the sales industry, but in truth it is integral to sales success. Generating those business leads and having the skills to speak to new contacts and win meetings is key – now more than ever.

The problem is that for many sales people telephone selling has fallen by the wayside over the last 10 years, with many thinking they are above making sales calls. As a result, even when they do try to take the initiative and pick up the phone, their tired and unstructured techniques mean they aren’t bringing in new business.

If you are going to survive the current recession and come out if it stronger why not take another look at cold calling and the skills needed to succeed. There is a lot that can be learnt.

Tell us about your experiences of cold calling….

Don’t Get Left Out in the Cold

With 2009 getting off to a chilly start – both in terms of weather and the economy – many businesses are re-assessing their business strategy and approach to sales.

While the autumn saw some companies cutting back on their sales and marketing investment, December and January are seeing an upturn in demand for well-trained graduates who can really make a difference to sales performance.

We are seeing more and more businesses refusing to give in to economic gloom, and they are now fighting back, looking at new products and new markets – both in the UK and overseas. For many, the weak pound is helping them take the first step into Europe, while for others the credit crunch is encouraging them to think smarter about their products and sales activity.

It is these businesses – who are being savvy about their business and open minded about sales – that will be in a stronger position for the future.

Well-trained graduates have a key part to play in this – they have the fresh enthusiasm to really make a difference. Pareto’s proven training programme equips them with all of the sales skills they need, helping develop them into high performing individuals that can support your business.

With regular reports of falling sales and job losses, don’t let your business be left out in the cold. Instead, find new opportunities to support your performance and the future will look warmer.