Tuesday, September 28

The art of cold calling



Maybe I'm not THAT thick-skin after all.

I just did some "crazy" challenges over the weekends with some of my newfound friends.

First, we randomly called people and tried to hold a conversation for 2 minutes. I failed the challenge miserably, the typical Singaporean probably thought I was trying to scam. The longest I can hold? 1 minute. And my friends could stay 3 minutes or more, and was talking to the same sex some more.

After which, we started making calls to "rival" companies, pass off as customers, and tried to fish more information about the company. At least this time round I know I won't get rejected, because those customer service people have to mind their manners. =p

It's crazy embarrassing doing all these. But after the first few times, subsequent tries got much easier.

Have you guys ever tried cold calling? Did you get a better response?

About the Author: Shingo T knows of a guy who cold calls random people and ended up making a girlfriend out of one of them. Kewl!

12 comments:

TG said...

In 1996/97 my sisters and I used to call random people and pranked them, but not with some crazy voices, we talked nonsense. This was one of my fav: Q: Hello, is Angela there? A: No, no Angela here, wrong number. I call 5min later: Can I get Angela, plz? A: I already told you, no Angela here. I don't know any Angela. I call 10min later and say: I know Angela is hiding there at your place, why don't you let me speak with her? A: Here is no Angela!!! (shouting) Stop calling already!!!

Then after few hours my sister would call and say: Hi, Angela here, did anyone call me? :P

Oh, we were wild teens, haha. But at that time nobody could track your number. To do this now is impossible.

Wenny said...

I've done sales before and had to make cold calls. Some turned out to be successful sales but most zilch! It's all about telephone skills actually.

To MKL, you were a very naughty boy ... tsk tsk tsk!!!

Anonymous said...

What is cold calling? Sounds like a sales or marketing term.

Twilight Man said...

I rate myself as a brave and thick skinned being. Making calls is sap-sap water and I even fooled agents to allow me to view a very posh penthouse on the pretex of selecting a unit for a Hong Kong tycoon. After getting royalty treatment, I cooly asked to snap the panoramic 360 degree view to show my boss. They happily obliged.

Later, I went back to my advertising agency happier to use the aerial view photos to pitch for a shopping mall's advertising project tender.

We won the job!

Lily Riani said...

i've done it before during those days in my sales line but now... it got rusty. but u are right, after a few attempts, it gets easier.

The Bimbo said...

This sounds like it's from a CSI episode I just watched.. Very interesting! I wanna try too lol

dolce la robyn said...

uncle!!!

:D nope. i'm too nice ahaha.

but whenever i got phone calls from strangers and they started to mention names i've never heard of, i'd be like: wrong number!

despite the fact that i might not understand whatever the person at the end of the line was saying - happened few times already HAHA!

iamthewitch said...

No I haven't done cold calling before but that's because I never had the need to do so. but I think I will fail quite miserably as I'm quite shy with strangers and also I don't have the patience! LOL!

Roxy. said...

DId it in my line of work. Have to tweak and learn to know what you know will make them listen and sit up and respond to your products. It's truly an art of learning, and if im not wrong, it's also part of business strategy that i learned.

Shingo T said...

Nino:
Haha, playing pranks are an integral part of a normal childhood. I haven't had time to make prank calls, sure wished I did before caller ID was invented.

Mei Teng:
Cold Calling is just calling someone you do not know. =p

Twilight:
Wow, that was a GREAT accomplishment for ya. You reap what you sow in cold calling.

lizzy:
Nah, those people are just trying to stalk ya. Everyone loves a yummy looking doctor.

Roxy:
Cold calling is a great skill that can be applied in many areas many years down the road. Practise more when you have the chance! =p

Netster23 said...

Cold calling in my nature of business hahahahaha

but I don't cheat people :) Nowonder these day i have a bit of hard time getting customers... see what Nino is doing?

ummmm

foongpc said...

Yes I have done it before but I just hate it! Although, I realised that the more you call, the more successful you'll become : )

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