http://www.salescoachinglive.com/blog/category/lead-generation/ Blog categories... http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/six-times-more-initial-appointments-thru-cold-calling/ A case study of a 600% increase in appointments set in less than three months!

We just completed a Prospector’s Academy™ for one of our customers in ...]]> A case study of a 600% increase in appointments set in less than three months!

We just completed a Prospector’s Academy™ for one of our customers in which a team of 22 outside sales people increased their Initial Appointments set from 25 in the first two weeks of the Academy to 149 in weeks eleven and twelve.

I do submit to you that what they were doing before we ran the Academy was not very good, but it is not unusual. Many of our customers tell us that their sales team is spending all of their new business prospecting time responding to the few leads that come in door. The rest of their selling time is spent calling on existing customers trying to upsell and cross sell instead of finding new customers. It is not that they don’t want them to do that, but in all instances, these sales professionals also had responsibility for finding new customers as well as growing the installed base—and they weren’t doing a very good job of that at all.

If you’d like to read a case study on how they were able to accomplish that (and pay for the entire program within one buying cycle), send me an email at bcaponi@caponipg.com. Although a 600% increase may not be typical, 200% or more certainly is, and paying for our program within one buying cycle absolutely is.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/six-times-more-initial-appointments-thru-cold-calling/ Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:41:39 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/new-books-are-now-available/
Here's the detail. The books, Contrary to Popular Belief, Cold Calling DOES Work! come in two volumes.

Volume I - Effectiveness, the ART of Appoinemtn Making
Volume II - Efficiency, the SCIENCE of Appointment Making

Both are now available for order through the following link. This link will also give you a good view into what is in each and if either one, or both, might benefit you and your challenges.

http://caponipg.com/books.php]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/new-books-are-now-available/ Sun, 03 Jul 2011 17:03:57 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/when-do-we-cross-the-line-when-asking-for-an-appointment/ Where do we draw the line between persistency and pest?

This past week, I answered a question on the LinkedIn Group, Best Practices for Telephone Pro...]]> Where do we draw the line between persistency and pest?

This past week, I answered a question on the LinkedIn Group, Best Practices for Telephone Prospecting/Cold Calling. (By the way, this is a very good group. Lots of good discussions.) The question I answered was, “When do you give up on a call?” What the questioner meant was, when is asking for the appointment one more time, too many? Here’s how I answered that.

I make up my mind of how aggressive to be with an individual target based on a few criteria:

1. How aggressive am I as a sales professional? How comfortable am I asking three, four or more times? (Two is the minimum because the first one is almost always a conditioned knee jerk reaction designed to get us off the phone with little thought given to whether the value proposition is of potential interest or not.)

2. How many targets do I have in my universe? The more I have, the less aggressive I have to be. Consequently, the fewer potential targets I have, the more aggressive I must be. As a matter of fact, if I have a relatively few targets to choose from, I will also research them more before calling to make sure I understand how to approach a particular company, or even, person. I can’t afford to miss these opportunities, so I’ll be more aggressive in my belief that I can be of service.

3. I also have a long term view of my prospecting, so I will always end (if I don’t get the appointment) by asking for permission to call back in the future. This will impact when I quit asking for the appointment this time, because I don’t want to burn the bridge to future attempts on this call.

4. As I’ve discussed in other blogs, we use a technique we call Bridge Questions™, to help us get into an open minded conversation after hearing a no. By doing so, we come across as very professional, non-confrontational, and knowledgeable. This actually allows us to ask for the appointment, at least, another couple of times without sounding pushy or too aggressive. It comes across as conversational.

Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called Coldcalling101™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations—the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 817 224-9900 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/when-do-we-cross-the-line-when-asking-for-an-appointment/ Sat, 14 May 2011 17:30:48 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-to-cure-the-fear-of-cold-calling/ Why are we afraid to pick up the phone and cold call someone—and what can we do about it?

Remember the old TV show, Family Feud? And the audience sai...]]> Why are we afraid to pick up the phone and cold call someone—and what can we do about it?

Remember the old TV show, Family Feud? And the audience said, fear of public speaking! It’s probably one of the most commonly known facts in America: the number one fear of Americans is the fear of public speaking. The number two fear is death. But, here’s one that you might not know. The number three fear is death from public speaking. Just kidding, but thanks to my good friend, Sean Sturrock, for that bit of humor!

As a member of the National Speakers Association, I’ve heard many people talk about how one gets over the fear of public speaking. It all boils down to three simple things: preparation, process and practice.

Let’s take those one at a time and dissect them as they apply to cold calling. These same factors are at play here when we consider picking up the phone and ‘public speaking’ to just one stranger at a time.

1. Preparation. Toastmasters has an exercise that requires its members to get up in front of the group and speak extemporaneously for just one minute. That’s harder than one might imagine, as anyone who has been a member can attest. However, we all do it many times each day. Someone asks us a question, or we talk about the news of the day with our friends, family, and colleagues.

So, what’s the difference? In my opinion, it’s the stakes and the setting: the audience, the goal and topic. When we pick up the phone to call someone for an appointment, there is a very specific objective on the table—an appointment is at stake—not to mention our livelihood. We also know that this will most likely not be a friendly setting—at least at the beginning. So not only do we need to know what we’re going to say to start the conversation, but we’ll also need to be prepared to handle the common types of responses we receive. If we don’t, most of us feel foolish and embarrassed, even though the person can’t see us.


2. Process. When we deliver a speech, we know we have to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You might be familiar with the old adage of tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. An appointment making call also has a process.

There are actually twelve steps in the process of making an appointment setting call, and only one of them is actually placing the call. Many of us get lost in the process because we don’t even understand the entire process, let alone have the right tools to keep us efficiently organized and on pace. For instance, as we get ready to call a target that we’ve called before, and we can’t remember what we said to them last time, how many times we’ve called before, or just as importantly, what they said back to us, we will get a bit apprehensive. Why? Because we don’t want to sound foolish and unprofessional if the person we’re calling happens to remember those things.

Therefore, having a process to follow, and tools to keep track of the process will make us fear making calls.

3. Practice. How we deliver our message is far more important than what we actually say according to a UCLA study on effective communications. See blog called What are the key elements in effective communication - link is below. That’s not to say that what we say is not important at all. The key here, though, is for what we say to become so second nature that we can concentrate on how we deliver it, and on what our target says back to us.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news here, but there is only one way to accomplish this: practice, practice, and then practice some more. Practice until it sounds more natural and conversational than the ‘wing it’ manner you’re using now. And here’s one more hint for you. Even the best public speakers will rehearse their opening lines to their speech right before walking on stage, so practice your opening out loud (or with a calling buddy—see blog called Five tips to help make that first call of the day) - see link below.

To be successful cold calling, one must be prepared, have a process and practice, practice, practice.

Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called Coldcalling101™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations—the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 817 224-9900 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.

Link to first blog: http://coldcalling101.com/what-are-the-key-elements-in-effective-communication-as-they-apply-to-cold-calling/

Link to second blog: http://coldcalling101.com/five-tips-to-help-make-that-first-cold-call-of-the-day/]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-to-cure-the-fear-of-cold-calling/ Wed, 11 May 2011 14:03:06 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/why-don-t-ales-professionals-set-enough-initial-appointments/ Who should be making the appointment setting calls in your organization?

Is the sales force one that cannot, will not, or should not be setting appoi...]]> Who should be making the appointment setting calls in your organization?

Is the sales force one that cannot, will not, or should not be setting appointments their own appointments?

We are many times asked, “When should I outsource our appointment setting requirement for the outside sales team?” This question comes up when managers aren’t consistently seeing enough Initial Appointments being set by their sales team.

If we can answer the following question, we’ve got our answer. Is the reason enough appointments are not being set because the sales team cannot, will not, or should not be setting appointments? Now that I’ve settled that topic…just kidding. Let’s explore that a little more deeply.

Let’s look at the last qualifier first, because if the answer is no for that one, then the first two qualifiers are moot. “Should our outside sales team be setting their own appointments?” In a sales environment where the buying cycles are long and complex, the average sized sale is big, and the competitive landscape is tough, our sales professionals are usually very highly paid. In those situations, suggest we, at least, look at having someone else set appointments for them.

The reason for that is that setting our own appointments takes time, and a lower cost resource can set appointments. If I’ve got a team of highly qualified subject matter experts, for instance, who have heavy time commitments in the buying cycles to qualify, present, and close, it does beg the question. Perhaps we are better off letting those sales people concentrate on what only they can do, and hire someone else to set appointments for them.

The trade-offs here are how much subject matter training is required to make the appointment setters competent to set qualified appointments, can we deliver that training, and can we supply reasonably targeted lists. Those are questions you’ll have to answer yourself.

However, let’s assume for a moment that we’ve decided that our team should be setting their own appointments. The next question we need to ask ourselves is, “Are they failing because they cannot, or will not set their own appointments?” If they will not, perhaps it is because the task is arduous, too time consuming, and painful. If we have addressed those issues and they just won’t do it, we need to find those sales professionals something else to do.

If it is because they cannot (or we’re not sure if it still might be will not), we do have remedies for that. Four areas may be addressed to help them become more effective and efficient at this task. They are; better lists of targets to call, a better set of best practices (pre-set business rules for the process), a better set of tools to take the pain out of the process and make them more efficient, and better skills to handle the objections they encounter when attempting to set the appointment.

Do not fall into the trap of; if a sales professional knows how to close, they know how to set appointments. It is a totally different process, requiring a different set of skills, tools and processes. Too many, this is a surprise. So much so, that I dedicated an entire section to this topic in both of my books, Contrary to Popular Opinion, Cold Calling Does Work! Volume I: Effectiveness, the Art of Appointment Making, and Volume II: Efficiency, the Science of Appointment Making. You can also find some of that explanation in the blog entitled, The skills that are necessary in the pipeline phase of selling are not the same as those required in appointment setting Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

If you believe that your team needs to be setting some, if not all, of their own Initial Appointments, then make sure they’ve got the proper set of skills, tools and processes to make them both effective and efficient—or you’ll continue to struggle with an anemic pipeline.

Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called Coldcalling101™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations—the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 817 224-9900 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/why-don-t-ales-professionals-set-enough-initial-appointments/ Wed, 04 May 2011 16:00:19 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/a-tip-to-be-i-b-on-b-i-when-you-make-that-first-dial-of-the-day/ Even the best of us can verbally stumble on that first call of the day. Here’s a tip to reduce the risk of that happening.

We encourage everyone to p...]]> Even the best of us can verbally stumble on that first call of the day. Here’s a tip to reduce the risk of that happening.

We encourage everyone to practice aloud before making the first call of a call block. Specifically, and especially when first beginning to use a new set of scripts, counters, Bridge Questions™, etc., we suggest going through the opening script and each of the counters to the expected negative responses aloud before making that first call. In the beginning, it may even take a few attempts before the words roll off the tongue fluently and conversationally—without having to look at the words. After a while, it may take one or two passes before that happens. Don’t worry, it becomes second nature fairly quickly when we’re making calls consistently.

Here’s the specific tip, though. Years ago, when I first started our sales training and consulting business, all of our business came through cold calling. We made calls virtually every day. At the time, my brother, Todd Caponi, was also in the sales training business. Here’s the tip that we used before we made that first call; and one we encourage all that go through our Prospector’s Academies to use. Pair up with someone, even if they’re not even at your company. When you’re ready to make that first call, place a call to your buddy and just pretend it’s a cold call. Your buddy should immediately understand what you’re doing when you just launch into your opening script. (No need to tell your buddy, what you’re doing.) They should respond with a typical negative response, just like a target would. You should then handle it, just like you would on a call. You might then want to have them give you another negative response or two before you’re ready, but it shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.

If you’d like four other tips (I cover this one there as well), check out my blog entitled, Five tips to help make that first cold call of the day.
/http://coldcalling101.com/five-tips-to-help-make-that-first-cold-call-of-the-day/]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/a-tip-to-be-i-b-on-b-i-when-you-make-that-first-dial-of-the-day/ Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:14:56 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/schlackman/blog/3-reasons-prospects-will-meet/ You call a prospect for the first time and ask to meet. Little do you realize that you are the 10th call they received that very day for the same reas...
Let’s explore 3 reasons that can make a difference when asking your prospect to say yes to an initial meeting.

1. Mutuality - it is so much easier to turn a cold call into a warm one when you have a mutual relationship. It’s naturally easier to start a conversation out with someone by saying “John my name is Stu Schlackman with Competitive Excellence and Jack Reynolds suggested I contact you in regards to….” The probability of John accepting the invitation to a meeting is much higher. After all, John might be letting down his friend if he didn’t agree to meet. It’s natural for people you know to help you - that’s what relationships are all about.

2. Commonality – though similar to mutuality, the difference here is that both you and your prospect might have something in common that reaches beyond that of a mutual contact. It can be an organization, a hobby, an interest in a business topic or friends whether business or social. One example our team experienced several years ago was getting with an executive at a large firm in North Dallas. We were trying to see if this person had anything in common with members of our team. Come to find out the person was in an article of a major magazine and it talked about his hobby of being a triathlete. Since I had completed several in the past, I called leading with the following statement and question “John my name is Stu Schlackman with ….. and I saw your article in …. magazine last month. Besides being interested in the issues you mentioned about IT technology priorities for this year, I was impressed to see that you too competed in the Capital of Texas Triathlon. I participated in the same one 2 years ago and wanted to see if you enjoyed the experience as much as I did”. What do you think happened then? You got it – we met and struck up a friendly and productive relationship. You can do this too – a little research will help you discover what you have in common.

3. Credibility - your reputation in the market is critical to your success and prospects value credibility. Having mutual contacts and being referred by them adds to your credibility. Having something in common like running a triathlon or receiving the same award from an organization also contributes to your reputation which increases the likelihood of getting the meeting. The goal is to connect with the prospect in a way that gets them to be open to who you are and the company you represent. Prospects also like to talk about their successes. Prospects are more likely to open up when you lead with their expertise in the market. The conversation can open in the following way. “John we understand that in the area of inventory control, you are one of the top experts in the industry. Our company has a practice in the very same area and we would enjoy the opportunity to visit with you to get your insight on the challenges the industry is facing. Would you have time next week to visit”? People enjoy sharing their knowledge. Notice that the objective of the meeting is to learn and build trust, NOT to sell.

Mutuality, commonality and credibility are excellent ways to make prospecting more warm than cold. Part of the reason that social media like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are so successful is that they provide opportunities for warm introductions. They make it much easier to research and find out more about the people you want to meet.

As you create your sales plan for the new month, consider how you can utilize mutual relationships, your hobbies and interests to help you build credibility. You are certainly more likely to find a warm response!

Good prospecting!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/schlackman/blog/3-reasons-prospects-will-meet/ Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:20:52 +0000 Stu Schlackman http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions-2/ http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions-2/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:10:28 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions/ http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:09:51 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/soneil/blog/the-10-types-of-closers-which-one-are-you-let-s-talk-b2b-sales/ We wrote a blog a few weeks back (blog.venderepartners.com around which type of closer are you. I wanted to share it with the group. A bit comical but...
1. Jack Rabbit Closer

* Talks a mile a minute
* Neverending enthusiasm and excitement, which rubs off on sales prospects
* Knows what makes himself tick
* Always on the go

2. Turtle Closer

* "Good old boy" attitude
* Air of honesty, integrity, and good intention
* Acts like an old friend of the prospect
* Credible
* Moves in slow, deliberate motions that lull the prospect to sleep - and into a sale

3. Positive Closer

* Acts like everything is great
* Crisp and sharp
* Sees the "good" in a person or situation
* Builds the prospect up so they have an "I can't lose with this guy" attitude
* Can make others feel happy by radiating good thoughts and positive attitude

4. Negative Closer

* He's a sleeper type
* Maintains an "I don't care" manner
* Master of the "takeaway" with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude
* Often gets the sale because the prospect perceives that he is holding back on some secret deal
* Allows prospect to play mind games with themselves
* Classic "country fox" type

5. Jolly-Golly Closer

* The clown of the bunch
* Happy-go-lucky and quick with a joke
* Gets customers placid and off-guard so they never know when he's going to close
* Prospects love him
* Prospects never realize he is selling them at all

6. Magic Man Closer

* Consummate showman
* Keeps prospects off-balance and not knowing what to expect
* Always says engaging and amazing things, with antics and an occasional play-on-words
* Keeps prospects fascinated, almost spellbound with his personality
* Uses lots of impactful sayings and buzzwords

7. Razzle-Dazzle Closer

* Always has the "special deal," the backroom deal no one knows about
* Can put together a "package deal" in no time at all
* Outwits other salesmen
* Switching, maneuvering, and confusing until no one can really pin down where he stands on a subject
* Master of words, double-talk
* Intellectual

8. Psychological/Methodical Closer

* Thinker/problem-solver type
* Logic is his tool of choice
* Knows his prospect inside and out and can dissect their mind in a matter of minutes
* Can play mind games on prospect objections
* Deftly overrules prospect's thinking
* Analyzes the situation before making his move
* Versatile, intelligent, often serious
* Works well closing professionals

9. High-Roller Closer

* Quick to show how he got to the top and the fruits of his labor
* Flashy
* Master of intimidation
* Uses props and knows his business well
* Prospects buy from him because the psychology is such that they feel equal to him when they buy
* May end up burning someone if they don't see things his way

10. College Joe Closer

* "Lost son" type
* Consciously, he looks the part
* Uses honesty, sincerity, and innocence to close
* Looks like he wouldn't try to sell anything to anyone unless it was indeed a fantastic deal
* Seems too "clean" to be a mean old sales-y type
* Well-mannered and polite, which keeps prospects at ease]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/soneil/blog/the-10-types-of-closers-which-one-are-you-let-s-talk-b2b-sales/ Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:12:44 +0000 http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/opinions-everyone-has-one-at-least-one/ I have often heard that opinions are like anal orifices, everyone has one! The fact is that just like parts of our own body, we not only have opinions...
Our ownership of opinions is absolute regardless of the facts!! Two plus two always equals four. New York City is the largest city in the United States. San Francisco is on the west coast. These are objective facts.
Red is better than blue. Chicago is a more dynamic city than LA. The Packers should win over Minnesota (said before the season begins). These are ALL opinions and their truth lies solely in the eye of the beholder.

Before we enter in a discussion about what is “Better” for someone we care about, we need to take a minute and review what their opinions and beliefs are. That review can take many forms. Here is one possible way to begin the evaluation.

1. What is their underlining belief system?
2. What in their background could influence the critical viewpoint or decision?
3. Who else will influence this discussion / decision?
4. Why am I involved in this discussion / decision?
5. What impact will this have on their resources - mental, physical, financial
6. What do I KNOW about their opinions that will come into play?
7. What are the facts? Are these truly facts or MY opinions of the facts?

These are first steps. Remember that a person’s opinions are critically important to them and they will defend them to the death! If you think this is a bit of an exaggeration then look to the Middle East, the Middle Ages, witch hunts, the Hatfield verses McCoy feud, Democrats verses Republicans, USC verses UCLA and High School Football in Texas!!

Treat people’s opinions as if they are as precious as their children. They might have had them longer!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/opinions-everyone-has-one-at-least-one/ Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:13:59 +0000 Ben Farmer http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/passion/
Without passion, there is no fun!!

One of our best friends is p...]]>
Without passion, there is no fun!!

One of our best friends is passionate about abandoned St. Bernard dogs. This became a mission that has lead to the rescuing of hundreds of these beautiful animals.

Passion is the reason Jonas Salk invented the Polio vaccine and when asked why he did not patent it stated when asked by famed reporter Edward R. Murrow “Who owns this patent?", Salk replied, "No one. Could you patent the sun?"

Here are a couple of key ways to know what you are passionate about:

1. Does your voice get stronger when you are talking to others about building a house?
2. When someone asks your advice on a finding new customers do you find yourself giving them all sorts of advice?
3. Do you find yourself going on and on about Golden Retrievers?
4. Do bridal dresses give you goose bumps?
5. When you are tired and you get a call to go do something that involves a subject does your exhaustion disappear?

If this happens than more than likely you are passionate about these particular items.

When someone asks me about helping others be successful, I have to hold myself back. When someone mentions a golf game, I am there.

Now translate this to business. What about your business turns you on? Is it that your office is a great place to work? Do your clients send you thank you notes? Are you award winners in your industry? Do you make a difference in your clients lives? How do you fulfill their wants and needs? How do you make communication better in the office, with your sales force, with your clients? Are you passionate about adding value to you clients lives? If so, how?

Be passionate and make a DIFFERENCE!!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/passion/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:48:14 +0000 Ben Farmer http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/joseph-t-charles-mentor-program/ While I was an alumnus with Lambda Chi Alpha, I had the opportunity to chair what I felt was the single most important aspect of post-college life tha...
A generous alumnus member named Joseph T. Charles, who owns Charles Industry, funded this program. His vision was for alumni brothers to be paired up with undergraduate members for the purpose of job shadowing, internships, help with resumes and help prepare members for job interviews. He also felt other alumni members could connect with each other to network through this program. He felt since the organization has over 300,000 living members that we should take advantage of it. I felt the same way, but I didn’t have the over $300,000 that he had which he donated to start the program. It was Joseph T. Charles vision and money that kick started this great program that still exists today.

I was the person who put Joseph T. Charles vision into reality with the help of a great committee. Before I joined the committee, the program did not know what they wanted to do. What we did was give it an identity and start a marketing program to try to enlist members to participate. One way was to distribute awards to chapters who had the most alumni members involved and undergraduate members involved. Awards are an important part to undergraduate chapter life...so this helped us put some focus on the program at that level. We had plenty of alumni involved, we just need more undergraduates.

We also changed it from a matching system to a database search system. What I mean by this is we would let the members select a search criteria and then alumni who fit that criteria would pop up and the undergraduate would be able to contact them directly. This way the undergraduate initiated the contact and started the relationship. We had a lot more success with this approach than the last one. Plus it did not frustrate the alumni as they were contacted instead of waiting to hear from an undergraduate who was paired with them. The program grew tremendously and gained a lot of respect within its members.

I am sure some of the organizations you have been involved with have a program like this. If they do, I encourage you to get involved. A mentor program is a great way to give back and create new connections that help build your personal sphere of influence. The more contacts you can add to your personal sphere the better it will be for you. In my next entry I am going to discuss other types of organizations that you can be involved with that will help you find new contacts and new revenue for your career.

Copyright © 2011 Kevin T. Piket]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/joseph-t-charles-mentor-program/ Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:52:41 +0000 Kevin Piket http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/don-t-forget-about-your-college-roots/ As I continue with my discussion on how to build your personal sphere of influence, I want to focus this entry on after college and what activities I ...
As a member of Lambda Chi Alpha International Fraternity, I had the opportunity to volunteer as an alumnus in various roles. I was elected President of my chapter’s Alumni Board in the spring of 1997 and served in that capacity until 2005. Through that role I was able to reach out to many other alumni members within my fraternity who graduated before I did and the other alumni members of the fraternities and sororities at Eastern Illinois University. That helped me meet new people and create new connections. Some of those connections I still actively talk with today and do business with.

I also had an opportunity to become the Chapter Advisor for a newly formed chapter at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. This opportunity opened the doors for me as I met several people affiliated with Northwestern University who knew a lot more people than I did. I was able to leverage those relationships into many new ones for myself.

So to say the least, my fraternity life did not end when I graduated, the networking only began for me. I have told many undergraduates that I have worked with over the years that when you are talking to potential new members about why to join our fraternity make sure you discuss the networking potential after college for them. At the time they might not care, but in the long run they will as eventually most people graduate from college and leave, but after graduation having doors open when looking for a new job is a better way to go.

Being involved as an alumnus with Lambda Chi Alpha was just one activity I have been participating in since graduating college that has paid off for me personally. If you were a member of fraternity, sorority or another activity while in college, now is the time to re-connect with the various people from those activities, it might just pay off for you. It is never too late as I am sure those activities are always looking for talented alumni to volunteer their time.

I also had an opportunity to chair a committee at the International level with Lambda Chi Alpha which dealt directly with networking. It was called the Joseph T. Charles Mentor Program and I helped take that program to the next level. I will go into more details in my next entry on what this program was and how it operated. I am sure you will find it interesting.

Copyright © 2011 Kevin T. Piket]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/don-t-forget-about-your-college-roots/ Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:13:12 +0000 Kevin Piket http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/8220do-i-know-you-8221/ People are reluctant to open up to a stranger on the phone.

Saw the author of Power of Who, Bob Beudine, a little a few weeks ago and he hit on a poi...]]> People are reluctant to open up to a stranger on the phone.

Saw the author of Power of Who, Bob Beudine, a little a few weeks ago and he hit on a point that we’ve all heard before, but is worth repeating. People buy from people: people that they know, like and trust. Selling on a cold call takes advantage of none of those. By the way, Power of Who is a GREAT book on how to leverage those that we already know. A very compelling work.

The moral of the story is that unless it is absolutely necessary to sell over the phone (and I know that some of us must), establishing the relationship that precedes a sale is best done face-to-face. Think about it, if someone calls you on the phone out of the blue, and wants you to ‘spill your guts’ on what’s going on in your life (whether it be business oriented or personal), it’s hard to do without knowing the person at all. We all are reluctant to do that unless it is a commodity type of sale.

If you must sell over the phone, services like ooVoo and Skype are now making video calling very simple and it doesn’t cost a thing. You might start asking your targets whether they’ve got that capability.

Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called The Prospector’s Academy™ under the brand name Coldcalling101. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations – the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 214 483-5800 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/8220do-i-know-you-8221/ Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:37:51 +0000 Barry D. Caponi