No More Cold Calling

JULY 13, 2021

A referral is the best way to get a meeting with the decision maker. There are two parts to the sales process: Part One: Getting meetings with decision makers. Part Two: Everything that happens after that. Referrals help you ace Part One and set you up for success in Part Two. That’s an over-simplification, I know, but it’s the easiest way for people to understand the power of a referral introduction.

Decision Maker 401

Decision Maker Referrals Sales Qualified Lead Marketing Qualified Lead 401

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 30, 2021

Plus, what you might have missed from No More Cold Calling. I learned a lot more about gratitude after recently celebrating the 25th anniversary of No More Cold Calling. People told me how much I impacted their lives and businesses. Colleagues I’d known for years and years expressed their appreciation for my work. One person even said that referral selling changed the trajectory of his business.

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Referrals Sales Qualified Lead Lead Gen Ideal Customer Profile 257

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 10, 2021

Why I made referral selling my life’s work. The year was 1996. I was working for a global consulting and training firm. The economy was booming, and my colleagues encouraged me to go out on my own. I had no name for my company, but I knew my focus. I would work with small companies to develop their sales strategy, sales process, and sales goals, and incorporate these into their business plan.

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Referrals Cold Calling Webinar Metrics Outbound 385

No More Cold Calling

MARCH 31, 2021

Here’s what you might have missed this year from No More Cold Calling. If you were asked last year how your day was, your answer would have been: “It’s 2020.” That said it all—at least for businesses that were negatively affected by the pandemic. Their clients weren’t returning calls, and budgets were constricted or put on hold. They freaked out. Too many companies accelerated what they knew—send more and more emails—knowing that strategy was never really successful, even in the best of times.

Referrals 371

Referrals Cold Calling Sales Qualified Lead Call-back 371

No More Cold Calling

OCTOBER 1, 2020

Get the latest from No More Cold Calling. I used to think it was just sales newbies who struggled with referral reluctance. They simply hadn’t built their networks or their confidence. When seasoned salespeople started admitting they also felt uncomfortable asking for referrals, I was shocked. I wondered about those in non-traditional sales roles like customer success, CPAs, attorneys, architects, engineers, and consultants—who are now being asked to sell.

Referrals 373

Referrals Cold Calling Sales Qualified Lead Call-back 373

No More Cold Calling

JULY 27, 2020

Research shows cold calling scripts and tricks don’t work, but referrals do. When will sales leadership wake up? They still measure the number of dials and emails sent in a day, when the return on these sales activities is dismal. The last I heard, it took eight to 12 touches to reach a prospect—and that was before the world started working from home.

Sales Leadership 366

Sales Leadership Cold Calling Referrals Lead Qualification 366

No More Cold Calling

MAY 30, 2020

Find out what you missed from No More Cold Calling this month. Working remotely might be great for some, depending on their personality and the number of people quarantining in their homes. But it’s stressful for others and downright overwhelming for many. How can parents even focus with little kids running around? How do couples share workspaces? How are extroverts expected to keep their heads up when they’re isolated from friends and colleagues?

Referrals 156

Referrals Airlines Cold Calling Scale 156

No More Cold Calling

MAY 28, 2020

Please take care of yourself. “ The pendulum has swung too far in the direction of superficial online communications at a time people are hungry for true personal connection.” That’s my favorite quote from David Meerman Scott’s insightful article, “ The 2020s: From the Lonely Chaos of Digital to an Era of Humanity.”. You’ve heard the same message from me throughout this century: Salespeople have become overly reliant on technology to do their jobs.

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Social Media Referrals Cold Calling Social Selling 391

No More Cold Calling

APRIL 3, 2020

Don’t panic—here’s how to get your phones actually ringing again. It’s a very scary time, with lots of uncertainty as we stay shuttered in place. We see deals in our sales pipeline postponed or disappearing. So, what do you do? You take action. Sales leaders: Lead generation must be your primary focus. Companies that take action, win.

Pipeline 414

Pipeline Prospecting Ideal Customer Profile Referrals 414

No More Cold Calling

MARCH 31, 2020

Waiting could be your Achilles heel—plus, everything you missed from No More Cold Calling this month. When the economy slows, the pace of decision making must pick up. Ram Charan , author of 25 books and consultant to CEOs, said that many years ago, but it’s even more relevant now. We need to take action to build our business in these tenuous times.

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Referrals Cold Calling How To Call-back 326

No More Cold Calling

MARCH 1, 2020

Don’t ghost people. You’ll end up paying for it. A woman I know from my business group met me for coffee. She wanted to discuss having me speak to her team about referrals. We brainstormed the topic and discussed her investment. She made it clear that she wasn’t the final decision-maker and said she would follow up. I agreed to send her a topic outline and pricing.

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Follow-up Referrals Up-Sell Cold Calling 344

No More Cold Calling

JANUARY 29, 2020

If I can do it, you can do it. “You won’t get to second unless you take your foot off first.” That’s a saying in American baseball. The bases are 90 feet apart, and unless you’re standing on one of them, you can be tagged out. Successful players must get out of their comfort zones and risk being tagged out in order to win the game. I’m not looking forward to stepping out of my sales comfort zone this year, but I must.

Referrals 156

Referrals Gatekeeper Hiring Sales Qualified Lead 156

No More Cold Calling

JANUARY 23, 2020

Successful sales execution requires more than sales technology. “Joanne, the challenge is always in the execution.” That’s what a client told me more than 20 years ago, and I’ve never forgotten it. Companies today purchase the latest and greatest sales technology, provide minimal training, and then wonder why it’s not adopted across the board. Because it doesn’t actually help with sales execution.

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Guarantee Referrals Sales Qualified Lead Cold Calling 329

No More Cold Calling

JANUARY 9, 2020

Poor leadership will cost you $3.5 million per sales manager. “ Message to Management: Your job is to get the rocks out of the road for your salespeople so they can do what they were hired to do—sell!”. I wrote that 15 years ago in my first book, NO MORE COLD CALLING: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust. But I don’t think any sales manager listened, because more than half of reps are still missing quota.

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Sales Management Hiring Quota Cold Calling 390

No More Cold Calling

DECEMBER 29, 2019

With 2019 coming to a close, it was time for a new look. I cut my hair and added teal highlights. Why is this a big deal? Because I’ve never colored my hair in my entire life. (I love it!) It was time for some business changes as well. After years with the same clunky, ancient, unappealing website, I also gave my brand a modern look. Joshua Joscelyn and his team did an amazing job.

Referrals 207

Referrals Cold Calling Social Media Travel 207

No More Cold Calling

DECEMBER 26, 2019

I’m pointing fingers at technology … really. We all view business trust differently, but everyone knows that trust trumps price and that trustworthiness is a valuable trait for a salesperson. Yet, only 18 percent of salespeople are classified by buyers as trusted advisors whom they respect. That’s embarrassing, unforgivable, and downright scary. Much of the mistrust goes to salespeople who pitch products , don’t listen, don’t know how to have conversations, and only focus on making their quota.

Pharmaceuticals 207

Pharmaceuticals Referrals Cold Calling Sales Qualified Lead 207

No More Cold Calling

DECEMBER 6, 2019

Repeat After Me: I Will Not Cold Call. I want to scream every time I read articles about cold calling—the ones where “expert” cold callers explain how to capture a prospect’s attention in 10 seconds, craft a message to reach the decision-maker, navigate through gatekeepers, overcome sales resistance, create voicemail messages that will actually get your calls returned, and build a sales pipeline that can’t be beat.

Cold Calling 365

Cold Calling Social Media Telemarketing Referrals 365

No More Cold Calling

NOVEMBER 30, 2019

Even the CIA didn’t believe the truth when it was right in front of them. How could the CIA miss signals and overlook deception from a long-time work colleague—someone they believed had integrity? A person they knew to be upright, truthful, and who “played by the rules?” And if the best human lie detectors in the world can be fooled, how can any of us laypeople know when someone is telling the truth?

Referrals 257

Referrals Loyalty Cold Calling Fashion 257

No More Cold Calling

NOVEMBER 28, 2019

What jaw-dropping moments have you had this year? Our blackout lasted for three (obviously stressful) days. We left the dark house each morning and returned late at night to sleep. When I pulled into our driveway one night, I got out of the car and looked up at the sky. I was in awe. The stars were peppered across the sky—more than I’d ever seen before.

Cold Calling 259

Cold Calling Sales Leadership Sales 259

No More Cold Calling

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Use Black Friday code 50OFFJB. My colleagues at Vengreso created an amazing online course on Selling with LinkedIn for Individuals. I’ve taken it. (Well, most of it.) It’s dynamic and highly detailed, and I’ve learned a ton. (A caveat: We differ about asking for referrals. They say yes to asking for referrals on LinkedIn. I say no way, ever.). Vengreso is celebrating Black Friday by offering 50% off the Selling with LinkedIn for Individuals training course.

LinkedIn 209

LinkedIn Referrals Cold Calling Inbound 209

No More Cold Calling

OCTOBER 24, 2019

Have you ever been confused about your company’s vision? I have. I’m not surprised that communication is the #1 driver of exceptional leadership. It’s common sense. It’s also becoming a common problem, considering effective communication is in increasingly short supply. We see lack of communication in our companies, when we travel, when we shop, and at home.

Travel 207

Travel Cold Calling Call-back Motivation 207

No More Cold Calling

SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

Your blood alcohol level endangers everyone around you. Our global team won a huge deal. We got emails and voicemails raving about how the team worked together, pulled all-nighters, and managed to get everything in sync for the big bake-off. The win was the largest in the company’s history. Wasn’t that fantastic? Sure, from a revenue standpoint. But here’s the rub.

Cold Calling 244

Cold Calling Promotion Research Revenue 244

No More Cold Calling

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

I challenged seasoned pro, Mario Martinez, Jr., on how he asks for referrals. I never pass up the chance to chat about referrals. So, I was thrilled when Mario Martinez, Jr.—CEO of Vengreso and a top expert on social selling for lead generation—invited me to be on his “ Selling with Social ” podcast. (This was his 126th episode. I waited until he got it right to be his guest.).

Lead Generation 267

Lead Generation Referrals Sales Qualified Lead Leads 267

No More Cold Calling

SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

When you prospect by referral, you treat all customers like gold. I’d had it. I threw my three bananas, ketchup, and plastic mustard bottle on the counter and stomped out of the store. I’ve never had a good customer experience at that market, but this was over the top. I was in the express checkout line at Safeway. Despite the 15-item limit, the man ahead of me had more than 20 items.

Referrals 189

Referrals Customer How To Airlines 189

No More Cold Calling

AUGUST 21, 2019

Unless you’re a doctor on call, that text message can wait. Did you know that some cities are projecting red and green lights on sidewalks? Yes, we’ve really come to that. Walk on any sidewalk, anywhere, and everyone is looking down at their phones—even when they’re crossing the street. That’s just plain dangerous. We live in a society ruled by the FOMO (fear of missing out).

Referrals 35

Referrals Social Media Cold Calling Survey 35

No More Cold Calling

AUGUST 1, 2019

Referral makers don’t want your money. They want to know you’re trustworthy. You’re going to pay me how much for referral business? No thanks! When I refer you, I put my reputation on the line, so I need to trust that you’ll take care of my connection as I would. You won’t pitch, you’ll share best practices, and you’ll follow up. You’ll let me know if this was a good referral for you.

Referrals 289

Referrals System Cold Calling Social Media 289

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 13, 2019

Do you really need to sleep with your phone? Call or text me anytime. You won’t disturb me. My phone and smartwatch are turned off when I’m sleeping. They’re nowhere near me. They’re in the kitchen charging. There’s nothing so urgent in my business that my sleep needs to be disturbed. We still have a landline, just in case our kids or grandkids need to reach us.

Wireless 120

Wireless Face-to-face Social Media Cold Calling 120

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 23, 2019

This is a truthful and proven guide for how to ask for referrals. You won’t read that referrals are easy or that all you have to do is ask. What you will read are lessons and insights that I have gleaned from working my referral system with clients for the past 23 years. I’m not braggadocious, but I know what works. I also know there’s a lot of bad advice that’s proffered about referrals.

Referrals 228

Referrals Scale How To Lead Rank 228

No More Cold Calling

JULY 4, 2019

My visit to Normandy on the 75th anniversary of D-Day gave me a lot to think about this July 4. I hadn’t been to France since I was 22, and last month I visited Paris and Normandy. Paris is still a gorgeous city with a rich history. Normandy was beyond anything I’d experienced. Some of you know my sister and I travel together every year. This was our 17th year.

Scale 136

Scale Travel Film Hotels 136

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 27, 2019

Connections and relationships are what count. Should I accept every LinkedIn invitation? I’m frequently asked that question. It’s a personal choice. Some people do. Some people only connect with people they know in real life. Others screen every invitation; they write to people first and ask why they want to connect. I’m in-between. I view every invitation.

LinkedIn 307

LinkedIn Social Media Networking Cold Calling 307

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 9, 2019

Have you forgotten that selling is social? “Turn off your computer. You’re actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around. Vintage telephone on old table sepia photo. us.” That’s what Eric Schmidt, then chairman and CEO of Google, told the graduating class of the University of Pennsylvania in May 2009. Ten years later, his advice is even more relevant than it was back then—for college graduates starting their careers, and for salespeople looking to get B2B le

Sales Qualified Lead 269

Sales Qualified Lead B2B Lead Rank Lead Scoring 269

No More Cold Calling

MAY 22, 2019

Stop talking about referrals. Why would I tell you to stop talking about referrals, especially considering I’ve spent decades spreading that gospel? The answer’s simple. Everyone raves that referrals are their best source of new business, but few salespeople actually raise their hand and commit to referral selling. That’s why I decided to host summer sales training courses this year.

Referrals 47

Referrals Course Training Hiring 47

No More Cold Calling

MAY 2, 2019

Hiding behind technology doesn’t drive sales—THIS WILL. Next week is National Small Business Week in the United States. For more than 50 years, the U.S. president has issued a proclamation that dedicates the first full week in May to celebrating America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. There’s plenty to celebrate. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and those companies create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year, according to the

Small Business 316

Small Business Small Business Referrals Hiring 316

No More Cold Calling

APRIL 29, 2019

Do your clients want more from you? Would you be surprised to learn that prospects want the same buying experience in their business lives as in their personal lives? I’m not. We all want a stellar customer experience, and we’re pissed when we don’t get it. B2B customers are just louder about it. Everyone complains about their cell phone providers, their utilities companies, and their myriad of unpleasant shopping experiences.

Referrals 261

Referrals B2B Sales Qualified Lead Cold Calling 261

No More Cold Calling

APRIL 18, 2019

Are you creating an experience that drives revenue and referrals? “How much did you say that cost?” I asked the barista. I knew I heard him correctly, but I still couldn’t believe it was $5.50 for a cup of coffee—not a mocha, not a latte, not a cappuccino, just coffee. He told me that with a straight face—no smile, no welcome. In fact, he was rather rude.

Airlines 332

Airlines Customer Referrals SalesForce 332

No More Cold Calling

MARCH 31, 2019

Does age really matter in sales? “Explain it so your grandmother would understand.”. That’s exactly what the CMO of a tech company said about how to explain your mission statement. I was listening to his podcast at 7:00 on a Monday morning, and I was ready to kick butt. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard the grandmother reference. I’ve heard it for mothers, as well, but never for fathers or grandfathers.

Referrals 240

Referrals Hiring Decision Maker Cold Calling 240

No More Cold Calling

MARCH 29, 2019

Women in sales have a natural advantage. When you think about salespeople, you probably picture men. History and Hollywood have made sure of that. Yet, many saleswomen outperform their male colleagues, and many men have admitted that to me when the other guys were out of earshot. Women in sales understand that relationships are built on trust, and we have the savvy and patience to foster strong personal and business relationships.

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Referrals Cold Calling Networking Call-back 312