Cold "Care" Calling

As a marketing and business development expert, I'm in the solutions business. I make other people money (through sales & marketing consulting or agency selection.) Effective selling is solving a potential customer's problem.

So what really drives me crazy is when salespeople so poorly try to sell me. What's more frustrating than a terrible salesperson? As a busy person, it's irritating to hearing someone fumble on the phone and struggle to make their pitch, or to receive a long, detailed email that loses me after the first sentence. It’s either because I have a short attention span, or because I understand sales, but I feel bad as I know their calls and emails will be unproductive and a waste of everyone’s time.

It always amazes me how distanced salespeople are from the marketing, and how they may be alienating prospects. Every sales call, voicemail or email should be viewed as a direct marketing message. Cold calls should always be under 30 seconds, and email pitches shouldn’t exceed 5-7 sentences.

It’s challenging and takes a lot of work. Invest the time to perfect your sales team's pitch and you’ve got a better shot at solving a prospect’s problem—and not becoming one. Care about your contacts and respect their time; it will be a much better use of your team's time, too.

As Thomas Jefferson said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” Less is more effective.