No Cold Calling! - When Are Warm Leads Really Cold? - Part 1
Cold calling. No one wants to do it, so as salespeople you search for a position that doesn’t involve calling unsuspecting people. We’ve all seen the ads touting sales jobs that don’t require you to cold call. They tell you that people contact them, not the other way around.
So you check out the job, get on the phone only to find out that the so-called warm leads are in fact as cold as ice. It’s the old “bait and switch.”
What Is A Warm Lead?
Many companies use the lure of warm leads to attract salespeople because they know that no one wants to cold call. The term “warm lead” is a matter of interpretation. Any lead that has been contacted more than a few months ago may be defined as a “warm lead,” but you may as well be cold calling.
People have short attention spans and even a lead that is only a few weeks old, will be cooling off. And a lead that is older than two weeks old has about hit the limit on responsiveness, depending on what you’re selling.
The Most Important Questions To Ask
It’s not enough for an employer to say they have warm leads. You want to ask three very important questions:
1 - HOW are the leads generated?
The answer to this question is critical. If the leads are not generated through some sort of direct response method, i.e. running ads or commercials, sending email blasts or using a similar method to get the phone to ring
Ask to see a copy or sample of the advertising they run. If they can’t produce something or direct you someplace where you can see an advertisement, that’s a warning sign. Once you see it, ask yourself if you would respond.
2 - When were the leads generated?
Many companies who tout warm leads leave out this very important bit of information. A warm lead is a prospect who has recently contacted the company to get more information and/or to have someone contact them. Anything less is not a warm lead. The operative word is RECENT. If the contact isn’t recent, it’s not a warm lead.
Someone who contacted a company two years ago or six months is not a recent lead. Ask outright if the leads are over two or three months old. Don’t accept any excuse they may give as to why a six month old lead is still considered a warm lead - it isn’t! And most importantly if the leads are recent, find out if you will be able to call on them right away, or are they reserved exclusively for salespeople who’ve been there longer than you.
Be sure to read Part 2 of “No Cold Calling! - When Are Warm Leads Really Cold?” at http://www.getprospectstocallyou.com/Warm-Leads-pt2.html where I reveal the final question to ask and a tip that reveals the absolute best way to get prospects.
Brought to you by C. Monroe Alexander, sales and lead generation coach.
Tags: C. Monroe Alexander, cold calling, lead generation, salespeople, warm leads
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