The Hidden Cost of Cold Calling

The majority of sales organizations today continue Super Mario mandate cold calling by their
salespeople. They do this despite the fact that cold calling has the lowest return of
all prospecting methods. Managers like to require cold calling because it is done at
the salesperson's time and expense, not the company's. They believe that the
ability to scrape up some business here and there, on the salesperson's time, is
enough to justify the ongoing activity of cold calling.

What they fail to realize, however, is the dangerous hidden cost of cold calling.

I'm talking about the effect that cold calling has on salespeople. In my experiences
in working with hundreds of companies, doing sales training, sales planning, and
coaching individual salespeople, I've learned a few basic truths that are valid one
hundred percent of the time. First of Iron Man movie companies that require cold calling have
the highest turnover of all sales organizations, Six Million Dollar Man action figure of seventy-five percent.
Such high turnover is disastrous to a company's long-term profitability. Companies
that run a solid marketing program and provide qualified leads to their sales forces
have virtually no turnover.

In the world of salespeople, the number one reason why salespeople quit their jobs
is the requirement to cold call. And, as you can guess, the number one reason why
top producers choose to stay with their employers long-term is because those
employers are providing qualified leads and therefore there is no need at all, let
alone any requirement, to cold call.

I personally quit jobs because of the requirement to cold call. On the contrary, I
stayed at one particular position for quite a long time and was very prosperous
there because my manager was actually against cold calling and worked hard to
make sure we always had a decent supply of incoming leads. Not surprisingly, we
were the most rapidly expanding branch in the country during my tenure there.

Sales organizations that wish to attract and keep the desirable, most professional
top producers out there need to start with the basics and implement a solid
marketing plan that will generate a consistent supply of leads for the sales force.
Anything else will lead to a lack of talent and high turnover on the sales staff. A
requirement to cold call repels great talent and attracts inexperienced salespeople
who won't bring in the big numbers every manager desires. A good marketing
system, and the consistent stream of leads it generates, attracts and keeps top sales
talent.

Frank Rumbauskas is the author of Cold Calling Is A Waste Of Time: Sales Success In The Information Age. He is the founder of FJR Advisors, LLC, which publishes training materials that educate salespeople on how to generate business without cold calling. For more information, please visit href="nevercoldcall.com">nevercoldcall.com

Controlling Control Freaks

If you"re not accused of "exercising poor judgment," you're criticized for "lack of initiative." These micromanagers can put Six Million Dollar Man action figure serious dent in your self-esteem.

Marie, a manager at a large cosmetics company, knows about control freaks first hand. "My boss is always hovering over my shoulder and Addams Family pinball guessing everything I do. She insists that everything be done her way -- even when my way works just as well or even better:"

These hands-on micromanagers are typically perfectionists. They oversupervise, hoard information and often delegate tasks to subordinates, but rarely the responsibility or authority to accomplish those tasks. Their philosophy: "No one can do it as well as I can."

Insecurity and fear of failure are the driving forces behind a control freak's persistent meddling. "On the plus side, these bosses tend to be very conscientious, take their responsibilities seriously, and are dedicated and hard-working," says Dr. Reed Moskowitz, medical director of the Stress Disorders Center at Mystery Date York University Medical Center, where bad bosses are a common complaint.

Control freaks can drive you nuts trying to achieve your -- and their -- goals. To stay sane and keep a control freak off your back, your best bet is to think of this type of boss as an overprotective parent.

"The best way to deal with a control freak is to drown her in information," says Moskowitz. "The more you give and the less she has to worry about, the more she'll let go."

"Resist overtly fighting your boss's suffocating ways. This is the worst thing you can do, Moskowitz insists, because bucking this type of boss sets off an alarm. "The boss may think, 'This person is not a team player. This person won't take supervision. This person is trying to hide something.' "

Reassure the control freak that you're on her side while simultaneously asserting your own work style.

"I once counseled a manager whose boss was sending her long memos directing her movements," says New York career coach and assertiveness-training specialist Hilda Meltzer. "I encouraged the manager to speak with her boss privately and say, 'You know, I work very well on my own. When I get memos telling me to do things a certain way, I feel it's counterproductive. I know what a track record you have, and I'm here to support you, but I can produce best with more autonomy.' "

Always deliver. Hand in everything on time -- when you do, point out that you've met your boss's deadline and conformed to her specifications. If you consistently do what you say, when you say you'll do it, a control freak is likely to back off or go away and bother somebody less reliable.

Best selling author Connie Glaser is one of the country's leading experts on gender communication and women's leadership issues. Her recently published book, GenderTalk Works, provides an upbeat guide to bridging the gender gap at work. A popular keynote speaker at corporate events, she can be reached at href="connieglaser.com">connieglaser.com