Here are 10 very valid reasons why the average cold call has gone the way of the Maytag man:
- Caller ID. No exec is taking calls from a number he/she doesn’t recognize.
- Cell phones. Most execs use cell phones three times as often as they use their office phones, despite the fact their office phone is the primary contact number.
- Email. As of a year ago, email has officially eclipsed the telephone as the primary means by which executives prefer to do business.
- Text messaging. Most people don’t even use their cell phones to talk to their closest friends anymore, let alone an unknown salesperson.
- The Internet. Why do business over the phone when you can just go online and order what you like, without the hassle or high-pressure tactics some cold-call specialists employ.
- Web queries. The majority of prospects who are willing and able to buy these days do their research online, then make an online inquiry to have someone at the company contact them. These leads are extremely warm, which means they no longer qualify as cold calls.
- Quotas. Last year, nearly half of all salespeople nationwide failed to reach or exceed quota on a regular basis. Chances are, if salespeople have an opportunity to make quota by selling something that doesn’t involve cold calling, they’re going to take it.
- Do-not-call lists/regs. B2C salespeople have it harder than ever these days, as state and federal laws have severely limited their ability to contact the average consumer.
- Attention spans: As a result of the more-with-less marketplace, most execs have been forced to accomplish more in less time. As a result, they have little or no time to entertain unsolicited cold calls from salespeople.
- Automated attendants. You would think automated attendants would represent a great way for salespeople to bypass gatekeepers. But the reality is they’re time consuming, inaccurate and provide no real alternative if the contact information on a lead is outdated.