Are you creating relationships or bothering people?
Which would you rather do? Interrupt people during dinner or share a glass of wine with friends? In my past life working for a manufacturer, some of the managers swore cold calling was their most effective way to reach potential customers – until I presented them with engaged and growing communities on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube … and tripled online sales.
Cold calling is a crutch, an old school standard that never works consistently – but it’s an equation we understand. Knock on 100 doors, be ignored or have the door slammed on you at 48, dodge the dog at 27, avoid giving your pitch to the teenager who pretends he owns the house at 24 and get one person to tease you with an, “I’ll think about it.”
Great return on investment, right?
If online networking still feels a little “out there” to you, how about some face-to-face networking with like-minded professionals? Meeting people in similar or complimentary fields can help you in a multitude of ways, not to mention saving your fingers from the door slamming. And chances are, there will be people in your face-to-face group who understand social media and can help you take it to the next level. No cold calling required.
Just in case you’re curious why I’m mixing cold calling with networking – let’s go back to the glass of wine scenario. Who would you rather buy from – a friend or someone who interrupted your dinner?
I rest my case.
Networking groups in real life
Whether it’s speaking to a group of my peers or diving into the thick of the action, the groups that I join understand the importance of face-time. My twitter and Faceboook friends rock my world on a daily basis but nothing replaces the connection of meeting in real life.
My networking groups may not be right for you, but then again they might be. Read through my list and feel free to steal as much of it as you need – and don’t hesitate to ask me questions. I am nothing if not an evangelist for the friends and business colleagues who inspire me daily.
Withit
I joined WithIt in 2009 and it was the best thing I could have done for my career. Entering a new industry (furniture) meant a steep learning curve. WithIt provided a support network online and in person. This years annual educational conference in August brings 300 women together for 3 days of sharing and leading each other toward greatness – and it continues all year long until we meet again.
As I prepare to step into the WithIt presidency in 2012 I’m confident that leading this group of women will involve an awful lot of being led myself – and I’m excited about that. Find out more about WithIt on Twitter and WithIt on Facebook.
CanWit
A good friend of mine invited me to join the launch of CanWit in my community. Waterloo is the epi-center of technology in Canada and women play a significant role. The opportunities to lead and be led, to coach and be coached are endless.
At my first planning session, I stepped into the role of media liaison and began a local campaign that resulted in more than 200 women attending our launch party. I’m eager to see where the direction this group takes in 2011 as I step up to be the co-VP of Marketing and Communications. Find out more about CanWIT’s Waterloo Region Chapter on LinkedIn.
140 Conference
Jeff Pulver is a demi-god in my world and watching his 140 Conferences snake across the US is one of my favorite pastimes. When the opportunity arose to bring a 140 to Waterloo, Ontario, I knew I wanted to be on this planning committee.
This conference gives back to the community by bringing local experts together to share, much like the TEDx conferences do. Being part of the planning team allows me to share and learn with the best of the best.
Women In Biz Conference
Some groups gel instantaneously while others need time to percolate. The Women in Biz Network is one of those pre-perked groups – no waiting necessary. I spoke at their conference in Toronto and being part of the audience during the other presentations was like being on the tilt-a-whirl with all my best friends.
What’s more, I was finally able to meet Laura Galloway, who I know as @MomBizCoach68 – and she agreed to be a guest speaker for 140 Conference. It’s awesome when my worlds collide and networking happens.
She’s Connected
Do you know Canada produces an amazing amount of women entrepreneurs at a staggering rate? The She’s Connected Conference gives women a forum for connecting and sharing – something all entrepreneurs need more of. I’m proud to be a member of the Advisory Board for the She’s Connected Conference.
Got social media questions? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn – I’m always on.
I believe that for the best success rate you have to combine both cold calling and networking. The best sales organizations in the world still train their sales team to do effective cold calling but to also leverage their network. No one loves cold calling but I would say some of the best deals I have ever closed were a result of knocking on a door or calling someone i did not know. There is definitely a science to cold calling as well. You can’t just show up, you have to say something of value to be allowed to stay.
Hi Karen,
Nice to meet you here and on Twitter. I think cold calling is like public speaking for most people – extremely uncomfortable. I do love your last sentence though, “You can’t just show up, you have to say something of value to be allowed to stay.” The value of content (what we bring to the table) is and always be important, whether you’re networking or cold calling.
I think cold calling is much more effective when it’s targeted as well. Being selective who you reach out to is important. With our time so stretched, we have to be smart in how and where we reach out to potential customers, right?
Enjoy your day!
Julia
I write this comment with a caveat that I’m not in sales, and so I’m no expert! I tend to like the idea of networking generally to get things done. If you’re into cars, maybe you find a network of people at car shows, and if you’re into coffee, maybe you go to Starbucks. Even with twitter, you have find your community on twitter, and put yourself in the middle of it whether it is #Blogchat or something else.
When I think of cold calling, sometimes I think of those religious people who come knocking door to door hoping to find someone to ‘save.’ I occasionally wonder if that ever really works??
Just fyi, paragraph 3 is missing a “to” –
‘not mention saving your fingers’ – You must have been typing too fast and left out the “to” before the “mention.” 😉
~Melody
Hi Melody,
First thanks for the head’s up on the typo – the fingers don’t always move as fast as the brain 🙂
Second, I love your comment – find your community and put yourself in the middle of it. That is the best advice I’ve heard in a long time – simple but right on the money! Glad you enjoyed the post and am very grateful for your stopping by to read and comment.
Julia
Most human beings say they believe the Purpose of Life is to learn or to grow and to help others. Individual worldview may elaborate on the explaination of those terms, but those two purposes are what people say they wish to base their lives upon. Helping People—it’s as simple as that. Makes life worth living AND business worth doing.
A business that helps people (user, or customer, if you must)… a business that continually finds new and better ways to help people, profitably (for people and for the business)—will survive. And depending on the degree it succeeds in those purposes, can grow and can outperform the competition.
So. How helpful is a cold call? It’s extraordinarily difficult work, the cost is high, but a skilled hunter/gather might find a new customer after 20+ targeted calls. Helpful to the company, and hopefully to the new customer. Much respect for the road warrior who can accomplish this.
But a real life gathering of persons who Already Share interests, who have a need and are looking to fill it, who can be seen and touched and heard in nuance and understanding—that’s not cold. That’s warm. A warm call. In multiple. I say, let’s help people. Let’s be warm. As often as possible.
Learn, Grow, Lead, Encourage. That’s our rallying cry at WithIt, where I currently serve as chairman. I’m so happy to have met you Julia, through WithIt, so I thank the org for that. And I look forward to your extraordinarily warm and wise leadership as we all walk forward together. Always, together.
Stephanie,
I too am very thankful that we’ve met – especially at a time when I was able to watch and learn from your leadership of Withit. And as you continue to nurture the women in this organization I feel extraordinarily blessed to continue to learn from you. And truth be told, stepping into the presidency of WithIt in 2012 fills me with as much excitement as it does honor for the women I’ll be serving.
I love the idea of a “warm” call – brilliant analogy and the reason it works – reaching out to people who already know you and are willing to take that amazing leap of trust with you. And it is trust, isn’t it? Being a member of an organization brings trust and responsibility to honor that trust.
Thank for your kind – and very wise – words, my friend. Yes, always together.
Julia
Hi Julia,
I am not in sales but I would tend myself to buy easier from a friend… Even if I think this has some disadvantages depending on the buyer as he (or she) might tend to not report issues with the sale or product as the one who sold it was a friend… But still I would not make a significant purchase to someone I’ve never heard before. I can also report the case where things would work the other way around: after seing the great work done in another place, we signed a contract for a new kitchen and during the process of the design until the sale we became friends with the craftsman…
Hi Julia,
Great post! I totally agree with you. The majority of my lasting and most rewarding business relationships have come from networking efforts or thorough Centre of Influence relationships.
As a social society, I’m constantly amazed at the generosity of others in sharing information, insights and value.
As a neophyte to social media, I’ve learned a great deal in a short period of time and have been fortunate enough to turn some of my new SM connections into face2face contacts and new friends. Looking forward to meeting you and I’d like to thank you for your generosity in sharing best practises.
Stay well,
Gordon
Hi Gordon, thanks for stopping by and leaving such a thoughtful comment. I’m looking forward to meeting you as well – which will hopefully be soon. Maybe you’ll consider coming to KW for the first official tweet-up for the 140 Conference we’re bringing to KW. You can sign the guest list here: Tweet-Up Registration and you can follow us on Facebook here: 140conf on Facebook.
Enjoy your day!
Julia
Firstly, a good topic. I’d like to suggest, as others have, that there really needs to be a combination of methods used to reach the end goal – the sale.
Using targeted cold calling it can yield some good results, I’ve been involved in numerous cold call campaigns with results much higher than one sale/commitment for ever 100 calls – probably an average of six or seven.
Using networking circles takes the conversion process to another level, then you can add in the social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook). By using both forms of networks (traditional and online) it’s possible to ‘hear’ what people are looking for/ asking, and to respond with a way to assist them. It’s important though not to use either social network or traditional networks as another broadcast medium.
Cold calls will be with us for a few more yet. It’s how it’s done, what it is reinforced with that will be important.
Hey Julia!
I enjoyed reading your blog post. 🙂
You are a wonderful leader, and I enjoy learning from you constantly via Twitter.
We should, in my opinion, help one another and buy from folks we know, like, and trust. What is more satisfying then helping someone you care about? Making friends smile and laugh is what it’s all about!
Also, I think cold calling does have a time and place, say when you’ve just moved to a new town. As you get to know people, integrate them into your warm market, build some rapport, and grow from there.
Enjoy your day,
Suzanne
The biggest problem is that ‘sales’ still seems to be old school. In more traditional businesses the sales don’t ‘network’…they sell….so that is why they gravitate to cold calling and the old tried and true….Networking by the old school is seen as ‘being seen rubbing shoulders with the right people’ and NOT sales or even potential sales.
Sales departments are not connected enough to the marketing departments…they tend to not be aware of the branding that is going on. sales and marketing need to be the same thing in the ‘new world’….especially with how we network today.
Also…I think women do this better than men.