A recent article in INC Magazine promised to introduce the two words that the author considered the secret to future sales success. This immediately caught my attention, as I found myself searching for the “magic pill.”
When I began my selling career back in the late 70’s, a popular sales dictum relied heavily on making “cold calls.” This occurred when a salesperson popped into an enterprise unannounced hoping to gain a minute or two of meaningful face time. Believe it or not, this maneuver proved effective on more than a few occasions. This stunt, as a general rule, does not work today.
But as today’s article in INC Magazine suggests, success could very well come from meticulous adherence to the “Warm Call.” This is when you open an email, proposal, letter, phone call, or presentation with a familiar name of reference. Take note. This has proven time and again to be an effective way to initiate a meaningful dialogue. Allow me to share an example from my list of successful attempts.
Once upon a time a good friend of mine took a European River Cruise and could not have spoken more highly of the experience. I asked for a contact’s name and immediately drafted a letter of inquiry since I had always had river cruising on my bucket list.
Since I did not know the contact personally, I resorted to the “warm call.”
“Dear XYZ,
My good friend ABC recently disembarked from one of your ships after completing a cruise down the Danube and could not stop sharing his total and complete satisfaction with me. Since river cruising has always been on my list, I thought it time to write to you… blah, blah, blah.”
The fourth word in my unsolicited email (ABC) featured a familiar name followed by a glowing report. By the time the reader hits word number 21, I am betting my email will soon be filed in the “warm pile,” and not the “delete file.”
My message to you today has just been delivered, but just as an FYI, you might want to hear that this warm-call email was directly responsible in my taking eight (8) river cruises on five rivers over eight years along with a consulting contract with this particular cruise company. (Yes, sometimes things do work as hoped for.”
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club, mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Miked Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.
