I just did my first set of cold calls and I'm shaking
I've been to a country that's undergoing a revolution. I've traveled to warzones. I've even met a former President privately in the Oval Office. I'd like to say I don't easily get nervous.
Making my first ten cold calls for the startup I'm working on and man was I nervous.
It took me a couple tries to get into my groove and even then, I'd fumble a word or two. Some of the conversations went well and some just flat out failed. Most didn't go anywhere but I think the ones that did go somewhere will be incredibly helpful. I hope anyways. I still feel jittery even afterwards.
Here's to stepping away from the keyboard and getting out of the building. Let's do this, fellow indie hackers.
As an extreme introvert, just reading this post made me anxious. Nice job!
More power. Selling can push you far out of your comfort zone. But selling is an existential founder skill. Respect for doing something difficult today.
What was your conversion rate?
10% sadly. More details in response to @JulianSamarjiev's post.
10% is killer for your first calls. Might even be superlative depending on your industry. Like for e-commerce that would be AMAZING.
10% is amazing! I did my first set of cold calls in 2017 feeling exactly the same way. :S
I was only expecting 2% on cold calls as the industry average for my vertical.
PS Interestingly I found doing cold walk-ins easier than cold calls. Still crapping my pants every time but it was a 9 if cold calls was a 10. Don't know why
Doing sales for the last 6 years I must say => Congratulations!
It gets much easier the more you do it... but also if you have a product you believe can bring value it is going to get so easy you won't even blink...
I had an interesting experience this week. I've been avoiding making cold calls for my products, but at work I've had to reach out and ask for donations from some local business, and it was way WAY easier.
I guess because I have nothing to lose if they say no? Or I have nothing invested. Not completely sure but I definitely noticed a difference.
I've been toying with the idea of making a way (app, web/mobile) for people to pair up on cold calls and be able to listen in and give each other feedback and hold each other accountable. Seems like the kind of thing that would help me but I'm not sure if others would like it.
Brian I like that idea. I've been doing cold calls for over 30 years and I love it with a passion. Did 350 calls a day for many years. Drop me a line. No point in the blind leading the blind. For your idea to work there needs to be constructive advice given that will make a positive difference to the users. maybe pair-up/live education/online education/mentoring
How did you manage to make 350 calls per day? Did you use software to help you or was it all done manually? Either way, major kudos.
its a job like any other. Kinda like working on an assembly line. you become automated in your actions. However the key to being successful in cold calling is to sound "fresh" on each and every call. Even at the end of a shift, the last call needs to sound like the first. If the listener even gets a whiff of you sounding like you're scripted it becomes a wasted call.
Manish! Well done my friend.
Next time, try mapping out your calls on https://SalesWolf.io - I even included some templates that you can tailor to your market :)
@MVPhillips It's a good, useful piece of kit and I'm liking the recent update. I'll definitely use this next time I do some cold calls!
Glad you're enjoying it @sarwech - let me know how you go :)
Great job @dopeboy on doing the "1 thing that scares you a day" 👍
When are you expecting some feedback/results from the cold calling session?
Through the 10 I called and subsequently followed up with via email, 1 has become a solid "lead" and I put that in quotes because she's explaining her process and pointing out what's missing in my offering more than promising to use my product. Just as useful as a a proper lead, IMO.
10% is not bad at all, good job! Keep at it!
Best of luck 👍
After 3 years of being a nervous wreck with no idea why, I've also recently taken the plunge into cold calling! I agree that it certainly does not come naturally!
Good job guys and lady's! Let's kick it's butt!
Having never cold called anyone can you describe how you went about the process? How did you prepare for each call? Was each call different, scripted, bullet points? How did you know who to call?
Lots of questions, but genuinely interested, thanks!
I googled "cold calling scripts" and ran it by @bwallerstein who I was co-working with at the time. He swatted me down, hard, and said to sound less telemarket-y and more human. So I went back to my text editor and wrote some bullet points down.
Then, when it came time to call, I pretended I was talking to a stranger on the street and just went for it. By the fourth try, I had it down by heart.
Each call was mostly similar (a lot of people didn't pick up, sadly). I made sure to select people who live in the same region as me to establish a commonality. Because I'm targeting freelancers (for now, anyways), I went on Yelp and went after photographers first.
Great job Manish! It's definitely one of the most uncomfortable life experiences, right up there with public speaking. But the first few are always the worst and then it does get better, as you find your flow.
Plus, it helps to just be authentic. If you stumble, so what? It shows you're not some slick salesguy. That's pretty much how I did it too :)
Make sure you follow through and reach out to those people (if the conversations went well). Even those that didn't go well, reach out in a while. There's still a connection now and you can try them later on to have an updated conversation.
You should share some more insights on what exactly went well as well as any tips you might have for others :)
Congrats Manish! If you are offering real value with your product, you can think cold calling as not selling but helping others with your product.
Cold calling is incredibly hard, everyone has a story about how when they did cold calling rarara.....the truth is very few people have actually really done it. Respect to you Manish! I really hope it improves, the main thing is to not beat yourself up over any call that doesn't seem to go as planned and to really celebrate the small victories where you felt good and that you got your point across! Keep up the good work, good luck to you!
Good job! I used to talk to 50-60 strangers every day in my job, 6 days a week. Did it for a few years. Still was nerve racking every now and then. It always feel like an improv dance. Really have to rev up the senses to take in all the cue to know what to say and do next.
Great job, man!
I remember when I first did it for real estate CRM project (Spollow) it was totally nerve-wrecking. One hour straight on calls. Looking forward to hear more as you continue with your journey. :)
Thanks for sharing. I'm about to start my cold calling campaigns; I'm quite nervous. But it is a fear that only exists in my mind. I keep reminding myself that in order to have the things that I want, I got to do the things that others won't.
Cold calling sucks beyond belief. There's a time and place for it, but man... Inbound marketing is a much better jam.
I remember being yelled at, cursed out, and threatened when I had to cold call. Good on you for fighting the good fight.
Nice product, great attitude, keep it up and you will reach the stars soon!
Congratulations! Cold calling sucks, but if a little nervousness is all that stands between you and success then the choice is clear.
Congrats! I don't think cold calling comes naturally to anyone.
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Kai, I really respect this answer here and I was of the same mindset up until a couple months ago.
I disagree because a lot of people aren't like us. They like being listened to and talking with a human being. Also, cold calls are associated with telemarketers who read off a script. We don't have to make our calls that way. We can make them warm and engaging and still get something out of it.
Totally get you. Cold calling has a bad rep but it actually suits the indie hacker well.
If you do it right, then you're not just doing calls for the sake of short term targets, you're learning and trying to add value during these conversations. Especially because most people are happy to share knowledge and won't mind being contacted later on if they think you might be able to solve their problem.
@sarwech that's it! Great insight.