About the Episode:
Odile Faludi educates us today on the undying art of cold calling. Learn how Odile teaches hundreds of people how to grasp a new prospect’s attention with the first call, by selling an idea instead of a product.
About Odile:
Odile’s competitive Cold Calling Edge, she understands what works and what doesn’t work as she is calling prospects every day, and displaying her skills. Other trainers teach the skills but don’t actually do cold calling themselves. Odile feels this is her differentiator in the marketplace for coaching.
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We’re going to have amazing intriguing conversations today before we go into that. I’m going to ask you to share this out with three people today, I always ask this because I asked for your help. Can you help me please? Imagine if we impacted more people what would be possible for you if you were able to share this out with three people that need to hear this today, it’s just amazing. So today I have a guest on who is a cold calling expert, really she calls herself a starting customer conversation specialist, but she’s a keynote speaker on this too, which is an incredible facilitator trainer accountability coach, we’re gonna have a fun conversation about this because a lot of people feel like they don’t like to cold call but Odile Faludi. Hello welcome, let’s teach people different ways, and bring them into 2022 with cold calling, sound good?
Yeah. I’m so excited to help as many people as possible and I’m really delighted because the first word you said was, help, and help, is the most powerful word in the English language, 99% of the population actually wanting to help another human being. The 1% that don’t, you don’t want to do business with.
I was gonna say, skip them, screw them you know just who cares about that 1% Right.That’s interesting. Yeah, in order to be the 1% don’t mess with the 1% we’re talking about two different 1% Right there. Right. That’s pretty awesome. Yes, but no, you’re right, I truly believe that to that there’s really a lot of good and most people just just they’re born with it you know and I don’t know if there’s necessarily really evil people that exist but you know they’ve been through traumas and just horrible things in life that have made them the way that they are, and we’re not going to dive into that in this show because today we’re talking about sales baby, but that 1% Yes, because the 99% should have some kind of love for a conversation with other people, right, because they want to help other people in whatever they’re doing, but that’s conversation, that’s a way to do that’s
That’s your entry point Rick, when people always say to me, how do I start the conversation? It’s as simple as “Hi Mary. My name is Rick, and I’m hoping you can help me.”
That’s awesome. In the messages we’re going to talk about today. And this is super cool because I’ve done my share of cold calling. I pick up the phone and call people it doesn’t matter but cold calling is typically a business term right but you know what, hey, the same principles apply in dating, picking up
Yes, it’s exactly like dating and the thing is, you wouldn’t go from zero to ten on your first five minutes of meeting your girl, and mating success you, you actually have to build rapport, build connection, get some feel familiarity before you go in for the kiss.
Most of the time.
Most of the time unless you’ve both had a lot to drink.
Well done. Unless you’re Odile because everybody just flat falls all over you.
The same is with business, this multiple touchpoints, and it’s building that trust because there’s no trust there’s no sale.
Yep. Right on. So, I love the comparison between those two also because and nowadays, I’d love to talk about this a little bit too, you know, as we get into this but let’s start with where you want to start with cold calling because there’s other methods that I would love to examine as we go through the show too because I’m holding on my phone here, and I love when it comes to sales yeah right on, well that’s everybody hold up the phones. I love text messages. So if I have somebody’s mobile phone and I’m cold calling, I will never ever ever leave a voicemail, this is just me and I’d love to hear your take on this too, I will never leave and I haven’t for decades before it used to be, I would send an email after I would make the phone call and be “Hey, I just called you,” it was never “Oh did you get my call?” Did you see that I caught no it was never a question it was the follow up, follow up was, “Hey, I just called you, and here’s why I was calling. Can you give me a call back?” You know, it was it was just that simple short, sweet, and now it’s a text message for me, for at following that cold call, but let’s start where you want to start because we’re gonna have a lovely conversation today I feel, I just
I want to go back to the voice message so three years ago, I would tell people in my training, I want you to leave a voice message of “Hi, it’s Rick, love to speak to you today. Call me back.” That’s all. And then the guy “Who’s Rick? Is that the cute guy who I met on Saturday night?” Who is he?” because it piques curiosity. Now no one listens to the voice message, they don’t even listen to it.
I have 11 new messages on my phone right now and 12 new voicemails on my phone right now and they go back over 45 days.
You’re 100% right, you leave a text message. Okay, so when we start in this conversation with you. So the caller. The initiator. It all starts with you. Everybody thinks the customers have that problem. Actually the problem is you.
This is the same with dating too. It really is.
Yeah it is, you have to feel your love tech first before you can share with anyone what you’re doing. So the sales process happens twice. You actually bought something. So you might have an idea. You might have an idea for a new show and you immerse yourself in it, you get it becomes your baby, you become passionate about it, you work on it and it becomes your dream, and that you understand how it can help so many other people. So then you want to go out and talk about it. You’re not selling the show, you are selling an idea that’s all you’re selling a concept. When your love tank is full, and you are just so excited about what you are doing, you go out into the world. It’s contagious and people go, “Oh God, this guy’s so excited about it and he’s loving what he’s doing,” they feel your heart, and when someone feels that, that’s when you pull them in, it is much like dating and then at the end of the conversation you’re always engaging someone’s interest. So you would say before you hang up. If one was maybe, and five was a yes, how do you feel about this idea 1-5 and then you can gauge how much more work you have to do.
Oh, interesting. So when you pick up the phone and you cold call somebody because I’ve never looked at it from that perspective before like between one and five one being the maybe five being the yes, that’s a, you’re trying to close them of course and this is key to when we’ll go into the techniques here in a bit but I’m sure in that process somewhere you ask for the order right and or you maybe even continuously, you’re saying no to me right. So, if you want them to say yes. What are they saying yes to?
No. So, if you call someone and expect to make an order on the first call, you’re going to be very disappointed. So you need to build rapport connection trust, like the day. There are building blocks. Now, unless you call in about charity, where they are, You can make a sale then and there. In most cases you don’t make a sale on the first call.
Sure. What do you want them to say to them on that first call?
Next step, so what’s the next stage would you like me to send you an email, would you like can we catch up for coffee. How about a meal together. How about zoom. Let me send you something in the mail. What is the next step? You only sell the next step and you want to get an idea of how open they are to receiving that next step. One is a maybe five is a yes.
Oh intriguing, that these are, when you talk about obviously charity is a one pretty much a one column done right and if you think of like the old school teleseminars and those kinds of things you know for, for those types of scenarios that makes sense that you’re really getting into more like complex and higher ticket sales with what you’re talking about, right, because those are multi step processes multiple conversations and very typically unless there’s a fire and I’ve said this too because I agree with you, you, you know, most of the time 99% of the time you won’t sell on the first call, and you actually don’t want to sell on that first call either because you’re gonna find people that are in a crisis mode, if that’s the case if they’re willing to say yes right then in there with actually without actually going through the process, they’re probably not the right type of customer for you anyways.
They’re going to be the customer from hell because they’re going to that next day so they want a refund and it becomes a whole ordeal. It’s not the way to do business we’re talking specifically, business to business course
Yeah, right on.
We really need to clarify that.
For sure. I like that. Yeah. Here’s a question around cold calling because with the, with the advent of social media, right, and direct messaging and all these other things because, believe me I invest in this stuff too and direct messaging with LinkedIn especially to find prospects, it’s, it’s a good way to establish those connections. I’ve heard people say that cold calling is on its way out. How do you feel like that, and let me preface it, I’m not saying that I’ve just heard people say that and what would you say to them when they say you know, “Cold calls dead or dying.”
For an elite athlete who’s on the phone and knows what they’re doing. They are making bucket loads of money, they’re building up their networks, the leveraging of other people’s networks, they’re getting into places that no one gets into, why no quicker way can you establish rapport. By hearing another voice. Hmm, no you get a sense of what is that, what’s that person, what’s the vibe of a cool are they are they energize I mean conversation is a transfer of energy. Oh yeah, Deniz, immersed in dialogue, untrained in crucial conversations and you can have the most powerful exchange in three minutes, or someone can siphon your blood in three minutes.
Whoa, wow, that’s intriguing. So you get to the first call right and I’m sure you’ve seen this across the board should a salesperson, How do you feel about scripts like a word for word script or based on or versus a guideline, per se.
That is a really important question and I think it should be like vision. So you just want to have keywords that keep you on track so you don’t go down a rabbit hole, there’s a process and I always say, I always use this example because I think they’re so clever, think of McDonald’s. McDonald’s has 36,000 restaurants across 116 countries. The average age of the employee is a 17-18 year old teenager, the business is turning over millions and millions and millions. Rick, I don’t know your status but do you know any teenagers 17 year old that you would leave in charge of a multi million dollar business.
So, McDonald’s has their whole business based on the teenage workforce.
Yeah, right on.
They do it really well, why, because there’s a simple process in place that anyone can follow. So we know by the laws of process that everything is driven in the world by a process, and 85% of businesses that have a good process in place, are making more money than those that don’t. So what I’m saying is cold calling is no different to any other system. It’s a process in reference to the script. You have an outline. It’s like your GPS so it keeps you on your destination with the end in mind, what do I want to get out of this call? You’ve thought about that before you started, do I want a meeting? Do I want a submission, I don’t want to send a proposal, do I just want an email, or do I just want to warm it up for something else. You have a guideline. Something that you tick off as you go through the process.
That makes sense and you were also talking about a transference of energy to, it’s a it’s a little bit more difficult that it’s something that I think has to take more practice in order to have that transference of energy if you’re following a word for word script, because how do you feel about doing it exactly the way that that process says, and also trying to make it your own inject your own personality into that.
That has to be authentic, has to be genuine and has to show who you are as a human being, I deal with millennials right, I’m 59. So, the way a millennial speaks differently, to me, who’s a baby boomer, the platform, I, you, the first question is what is the preferred platform, you want to communicate on going forward. If you speak to a millennial, they’ll do a messy business transaction or through text.
Yeah, right.
So they’ll be with a realtor, a real estate agent, and they’ll do the whole transaction, through text message. The whole purchase. That freaks me out. I need a pen and paper, I need to have, you know, proper face to face conversation. So that’s why it has to be authentic, and it has to be relevant to the age group you’re talking to because each age demographic sees and feels things differently and needs different things.
No doubt my BMW that I bought about eight months ago was done almost completely over text message with somebody who I’d never met. I did end up having a phone conversation with him but that was just a clear up because I could tell that we were getting a little bit on a different page with one of the specs on a vehicle or something like that so I just, it was a quick phone call and said hey, here’s the deal, but then I also sent an audio message to just so he could hear my voice. At one point, but 95% of the transaction was done completely over text message, and then even when I mean even like sending a driver’s license and all of that stuff over encrypted messaging you know using signal.
That was the same thing. It’s cool, I know, but it was a little different. I was the initiator, I wasn’t being, I could see that maybe being different, because I was not called by him. I was the one who reached out to him, and submitted a form to say hey this is what I’m looking for and then he did call me. I missed this call, but I figured he was calling from a cell phone from his mobile so I just texted back and said “Hey I’m busy right now but this is exactly what I’m looking for, do you have this?” Now I’m a little bit different of a buyer to, you know, because I know exactly what I want. I wish I had already been prepped I prepared myself for the conversation and for the sale, I had done my research and just wanted him to pretty much guide me through the transaction at that point, you know, he was an amazing guy, but I was already primed and ready to go, it almost like he was a figurehead and that’s where I can see, you know, it might be a little different because where you need that conversation is to establish the report first, he was able to do that over a text message with me. But beyond that, I do like phone conversations. I love them, but that was the first time I ever did a complete transaction, and it took maybe a total of about eight minutes for me to buy my BMW over a text message thread.
Okay but there’s certain things he had to do. So he had those text messages. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Okay, so if he didn’t give you the right answers, you may have not proceeded through that, but he knew when you were talking about specifics. His response was matched. Yep, you got it, it always comes down to, credibility,
For sure. Now, let me ask you this question because you always and I agree with you, you always want to move to that conversation, you know, I mean, a two way voice conversation with people, especially when you’re doing high ticket sales you know closing big business deals. In my example, because I will try to phone somebody first and then, if I don’t reach them I don’t leave a voicemail, and I will send a text message, sometimes they’ll text back right and I’m pretty good at this. I’m curious how you learn how to move from that email or text message communication you’ve had to that first phone call, and is that a cold call at that point.
Is completely warmed up by them and you’ve used the text as your platform, which is great. I would do exactly what she did. You wanted up with the text and then you just took it to the next stage. Back to the girl and it’s back to the date again.
That’s awesome. It is back to the date I like. You think that cold calling, with the advent of all these new technologies do you think it’s eventually going to die out. Not today, maybe not in a decade, but do you think it’ll go away at some point.
I call it cold calling, even though I am a cold calling expert I put that so people know, it’s really bad starting conversation. I think that more now than ever. Through COVID, the one thing that it’s highlighted is the need for people to talk to another human being. No time in history, or in the last little while, have people experienced this level of loneliness and isolation. Sure. And I think as human beings, we still like to actually talk to another person.
I would agree with that wholeheartedly, and I feel you know, if you take an extension of that as well just to put my own opinion on this too. I believe that the bigger deals are going to end up being closed at some point now by those that are willing to go back to the sales call in person, because that is going to end up being a differentiator at some points, you know, just like how I can see a cold call could be a differentiator versus an email. I know that as with the sales process because they’re there. You probably receive these all day long. Right. It’s the equivalent of a cold call, but it’s via email. I freaking hate them.
Yeah, there’s so I mean talk a cold call is a cold call right see the temperature wise but these emails are frigid, you know, to where there’s no emotion in them whatsoever, they’re copied and pasted there’s no, there’s no personality of the individual that really I see goes into those because it was just something given in scripted to them and they just might be list handlers, that’s about it to try to get that conversation rolling, but the email side of it you know I hate those things when it comes in and it’s like the cold call version or the email version of a cold call, you know, just, I would rather than phone me, I would rather than pick up the phone and give me a phone call, that way I can actually have a conversation with them and I have fun with those two, it’s just, it’s being on the receiving side.
I think also, the phone is, is going to go back to what it was designed for
It’s not interesting anymore.
Well, I think people get up in the morning. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know which app to look at first, there’s messages flooding out of WhatsApp the messenger the Instagram the LinkedIn. I like text, it’s like, it’s like vomit everywhere and I think people are very tired of the noise and you can have a five minute conversation with someone, and totally get the answers you need. This messaging can go on, sometimes for days, and you’re still no smarter to understand what the heck is needed to get the deal closed.
Sure, You talked about building rapport to what’s the fastest way to build rapport, on a call similarity.
So I always tell people to go on their LinkedIn profile. Go on their newsfeed, be a bit of a detective, see what they like, what they come in on, and what they follow. Who are they connected with this, they might be connected to your brother and your sister and you don’t even know, see what they’re passionate about. See what’s important to them. Seeing if your core values align with their core values, nice core values is an amazing entry point. So what do I mean by that, they might be pro environment. They might be very big on sport, they might be very big on a particular charity, that’s very important to you and you can use that as an entry point. Look, I noticed on LinkedIn. Now I wasn’t stalking but I noticed that you’re, you did the seven bridge run last weekend, which supports X Y, Z. I’m actually an ambassador with that charity. Thank you for being part of our community, a beautiful entry point.
That’s awesome. What if you have nothing in common with them?
go on their website, look. Are they building a business, Are they decreasing. What do I mean by that, are they taking on stuff. Are they moving with a hit hard by COVID Did they just win? Did they win an award? Is there something you can compliment that person on? So I would go on to someone’s website and say, I just noticed you won a big deal you’re working with Company X, Y, and Z. Wow, that’s fantastic. Congratulations. All the reverse. I went on your website and I’ve noticed that you’ve revamped it, great. you’re your digital guys fantastic congratulations you. Yeah, you could say something nice about anything, it’s about being observant and the devil is in the detail.
Right on. I appreciate that perspective. Yeah, so when you, when you’re a keynote speaker, what’s a typical talk that you’ll give to help people with these conversations,
10 ways to get 10 appointments demystifying cold calling. I mean there’s so many,
I love it. I love that first one as we close out here give me, give me a couple of your 10 ways to get an appointment, let’s give people some tips here because this, they struggle right. I think one. The first one is picking up the damn phone, right. That’s, that’s the Jordan one step to getting an appointment, do
You research in relevance.
That really is one of your 10 ways to pick up the phone. It’s as simple as your stupid fear, okay just pick up the phone, have a conversation anyways. Yes. Okay, give me some more. What are some of your other ones?
Get into the customer’s head so we’re so busy this pop up is driving me mad I got some pop up on my screen I don’t know how to get rid of an app
That is on the computer that works.
That’s it, you need to get out of your head and get into your customers head so we pick up the phone rake. But then we do the next step. They’re probably busy. I won’t call now because the last time I spoke to them, they weren’t interested. He was really short with me. No, I didn’t like the model or the color that I had on offer last time I won’t be. We basically, we bring up all the objections, why we should call them and we don’t. So we create phone reluctance.
That’s so true, especially the time of day oh it’s not there, I’m sure it’s not the right time for him. It’s always the right time. If you’ve got to.
Yeah, that comes down to your self belief, your love tank isn’t full enough and your self belief is wavering, your confidence is wavering.
Right on. You are so sweet, I would just love to tell you that and I can tell that you’ve been doing this for a long time, meaning that you’ve honed your skills, but even more importantly, you truly believe in what you do, which is amazing you know and just having those conversations, it One last thing before we go here. We were talking a little bit ago about cold calling can really really be fun, you know, and I think about those individuals that are tasked with making, you know, hundreds of calls per day. If it’s telemarketing, if it’s an inside sales role or an outbound sales role, whatever. How do you inject the fun back in a cold calling?
First of all, you should have a theme song that you play that keeps you energized because it’s all about energy. Secondly, you have to ring the bell, every time you get a win ring the bell. Applaud the little wins, even if it’s just someone picking up the phone and having a lovely conversation with you. That’s a win. Be kind to yourself, we’re not very, we’re not good friends to ourselves. We’ve forgotten how to be friendly to us and say, It’s okay, I had a shitty day tomorrow be better.
Awesome. Odile, thank you for coming out. Everyone can find you at Odile Faludi. Am I saying your last name right?
Faludi married Hungary 34 years ago and so I do for moody.com.au and I’m on, I’m on the Udemy platform if you’ve ever heard of that. You can download micro size courses with really nice audios just while you do your walk, you can listen.
Yeah and if you’re thinking right now it’s like oh you know what I know everything there is know about cold calling you know I make 100 calls and I get 100 appointments whatever you know what you’re not doing it right. So check out Odile because you should have a failure percentage too, when it comes to this, this type of thing. That’s my last tip but the only way you’re going to get better, is by continuously coaching yourself and Odile is a good place to start. Thank you for coming on Odile.
Thank you for having me. It’s an honor.
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