Networking is the “Cold Call” of the 21st Century

A mainstay in the sales toolbox, cold calling, just doesn’t work anymore. Three major social changes are the cause:

1) The High-Stress Lifestyle

We juggle work pressures, family responsibilities, and community commitments 24/7/365. In between, we fight the traffic, gobble fast food, and multi-task our days away. All this adds up to stress—89% of Americans report that they often experience high levels of stress.

In this type of atmosphere, how does the average business person look upon a cold call? At best as an interruption they can quash quickly; at worst, with anger. People don’t feel they can afford to be interrupted by people they don’t know. We just don’t have the time.

2) The High-Tech Barrier

Cell phones. Email. Myspace. Text messaging. All these technological innovations claim to help us keep in touch with other people. But do they? A recent study reported that the average American has just two close friends and 25% have none.

More and more, we use technology to keep people away from us. We screen our phone calls and filter our emails. “Cost-effective,” technology-based approaches just don’t work anymore. When the “Do Not Call” national registry was established it virtually eliminated cold calling to millions of consumers and remains wildly popular.

3) The High-Risk Economy

Americans have been buffeted by wave after wave of frightening news:

• 9/11 made people anxious for their personal safety and the latest headlines don’t indicate any slowdown in terrorist activity.

• The stock market meltdown made people worried about their financial security and stocks still don’t show signs of a roaring comeback.

• Job security is a concern—everyone knows someone who’s been let go. Many are afraid that if they make a mistake at work, they’ll be next.

• As we learned from Katrina, natural disasters can strike anytime and you can’t count on the government to help you.

• Many of the other societal institutions that we trusted, like businesses, churches, and charitable organizations, have been rocked by scandals and mismanagement.

The High-Trust Approach

So, how does a sales person overcome a high-stress, high-tech, high-risk environment? Only through high trust.

• Trust overcomes stress: I’ll make time for you because I know you.

• Trust overcomes technology: I’ll take your call because I like you.

• Trust overcomes risk: I’ll do business with you because I can depend on you.

The first step to high-trust relationships is getting to know people. Networking is how you meet them. Once they know and like you, they have reason to assume you might be able to help them and will grant you some of their precious time—time they won’t grant to strangers.

In today’s environment, personal relationships are the key to successful selling. Networking is the first step to a high-trust, relationship-based approach to selling. Forget cold-calling—it’s so last century.

Until Next Time…

Putting the Win Back In Your Sales-

Dan

DAN KREUTZER is an accomplished sales executive, sales trainer, author, speaker, and a Partner of Samurai Business Group, LLC. He has extensive expertise in business development, product and service marketing, and strategic leadership. Dan is a sharp and intuitive student of human behavior, and has fused his observations with a deep knowledge of sales culture to design the Samurai Sales Mastery™ programs. His book, “How to Put the WIN Back in Your SALES,” seeks to shatter the myths associated with traditional selling, and raise the level of professionalism in today’s salespeople.