cold calling five more pitfalls to avoid

In another eZine article, I wrote about five pitfalls to avoid when making cold calls. Here are five more.1. The too-slick sales personalities. I realize cold calling is something most people don't enjoy doing, so it takes a certain type of personality to do it. Unfortunately, a lot of those personalities seem to be people who talk too fast, care too little about me, and the excitement they have for their product seems too fake, as though their stimulation comes from the caffeine they are drinking rather than a real respect for their product. Stereotypes are dangerous, so I doubt this is a very accurate description. All I know is that's how the person on the other end of the phone soundso me. So when I hear someone that doesn't sound at all like that, I actually pay attention.2. Talking too fast. I guess all cold callers realize their probability of rejection is high, so they start to expect it and go into each new call anticipating rejection. Somehow they think the faster they talk, the more information they'll get through before getting shot down, and the more information given will somehow translate into the recipient ultimately realizing their folly, remembering what was said, and giving the product a second look. If I'm going to give a caller some of my time, that means I'm willing to hear what they have to say for a few minutes. But they need to be aware of not overdoing it, though, which takes me to my next point.3. Don't show me respect. At some point during the call, I need to make a decision to continue learning about the product or service. I can do that either by answering questions I get asked, or by jumping into the conversation. However I do that, I don't mind getting a little resistance if I decide to stop the conversation, but I quickly change my attitude if it seems like I can't get off the phone. I appreciate it when people allow me to make my own decisions.4. Don't show me the benefits. Do I need the product or service? Maybe, but if I can't easily see the benefits, I'm not going to wait long enough to find out. And if I do decide I need it, that doesn't do anyone any good unless they realize I need it. So they should follow up with questions to ascertain my level of interest.5. Either no script, or nothing but script. If people act like they don't know what they are doing, I wonder why they are wasting my time. A lack of confidence on their end is easily discerned on my end. But on the other hand, people that are clearly reading straight from a script don't give off the impression that they are capable of listening to any responses I may come up with. So the people that resonate best with me are the ones in the middle. They confidently cover all the points they need to, while demonstrating a genuineness that I can respect, and which tells me they respect my time and input.

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