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Second, tell him what is unique about your firm. This sales person could have said something like “Our business takes the headache out of financial management for companies by being the sole outsource provider of employee investment progr

Yesterday I received a call from a financial planner named Richard doing a cold call. My policy is to always return those calls which help me to understand why I would personally benefit from doing business with a sales person. This one didn’t, so it ended up getting deleted.

This is what he said.

“Hello, Scott. My name is Richard ______ and I’m with ABC Financial in Phoenix, Arizona. We do 401K’s for employers. My number is 480-555-1212. Please call me back.”

That was it. Nothing compelling. No benefit for me in there somewhere. Nothing to incite me to return the call.

The next time you are making a cold call and leaving a message for a prospect, consider these four steps in the call.

First, state your name and your phone number first. The prospect usually has a pen in his or her hand when checking voice mail, so if you start with your phone number at least you’ll get on the list of people whose calls might get returned.

Second, tell him what is unique about your firm. This sales person could have said something like “Our business takes the headache out of financial management for companies by being the sole outsource provider of employee investment progr

t, so it ended up getting deleted.

This is what he said.

“Hello, Scott. My name is Richard ______ and I’m with ABC Financial in Phoenix, Arizona. We do 401K’s for employers. My number is 480-555-1212. Please call me back.”

That was it. Nothing compelling. No benefit for me in there somewhere. Nothing to incite me to return the call.

The next time you are making a cold call and leaving a message for a prospect, consider these four steps in the call.

First, state your name and your phone number first. The prospect usually has a pen in his or her hand when checking voice mail, so if you start with your phone number at least you’ll get on the list of people whose calls might get returned.

Second, tell him what is unique about your firm. This sales person could have said something like “Our business takes the headache out of financial management for companies by being the sole outsource provider of employee investment progr

That was it. Nothing compelling. No benefit for me in there somewhere. Nothing to incite me to return the call.

The next time you are making a cold call and leaving a message for a prospect, consider these four steps in the call.

First, state your name and your phone number first. The prospect usually has a pen in his or her hand when checking voice mail, so if you start with your phone number at least you’ll get on the list of people whose calls might get returned.

Second, tell him what is unique about your firm. This sales person could have said something like “Our business takes the headache out of financial management for companies by being the sole outsource provider of employee investment progr

>First, state your name and your phone number first. The prospect usually has a pen in his or her hand when checking voice mail, so if you start with your phone number at least you’ll get on the list of people whose calls might get returned.

Second, tell him what is unique about your firm. This sales person could have said something like “Our business takes the headache out of financial management for companies by being the sole outsource provider of employee investment progr

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Second, tell him what is unique about your firm. This sales person could have said something like “Our business takes the headache out of financial management for companies by being the sole outsource provider of employee investment programs. In other words, we do all the work, and make you look like a hero with your employees.” Within your unique selling proposition, or elevator speech, there must be a personal benefit for the end user. For example, when I leave a message for a sales manager for my sales training, I say “I improve sales performance of organizations by showing sales reps how to become more disciplined, more focused, and how to sell from the heart.” The focus of my USP is on them, not me. I start with their benefit, and then tell them how I do it. The personal benefit of your features is more important than your features, and nobody cares what you do, only how that benefits them.

Third, drop a name or two. Use Robert Cialdini’s principle of social proof in getting your calls returned. In his book Influence: Science and Practice, Dr. Cialdini explains the six reasons why people are influenced and puts them in the form of malleable principles. (For a free special repo