Cold calls: Get on the damn phone!

Kevin Mitnick talked a lot on the phone, even though his motives were ulterior.

To paraphrase Rick Schwartz, if you’re a domainer, you’re also a salesman. Or a saleswoman, for that matter.

In order to be a successful sales-person, your selling skills must include being able to communicate efficiently, and not just through email.

The latter might seem easy, but the majority of domain investors can’t write their own copy to save their life. It often gets mistaken for spam, or it appears amateur and even childish in its context.

But I will return to that later.

Today’s mini lesson in domain investment, is about making cold calls.

Did your palms get all sweaty suddenly, at the mere mention of picking up the phone and calling someone?

There is hope, even for the most shy and timid among you.

Practice makes perfect, and the best way to practice is by getting on the phone, with a friend or associate to “roleplay” a domain-pitching scenario.

If you have no friends available, you can always practice in front of a mirror. It worked wonders for social engineering wizard, Kevin Mitnick.

The more you talk to others and socialize, the easier it will be to articulate an entire sales pitch. The worst that can happen, is to be told by the other party that they are not interested. They cannot physically assault you for offering them the opportunity to acquire your domain. Of course, they can swear at you – that’s where practice pays off.

Start off by stating your full name and the name of your company, if you own one, and inquire who is in charge; if you’re connected to a switchboard operator, seek to speak to the owner or the business development manager. If they are not available, get their full name and a time that you could call back.

Don’t leave a voicemail, if possible. The idea is to speak to them live, in person. That’s what a “cold call” is all about.

In time, you will be able to get the discussion to whichever direction you desire. You will be able to crack jokes and make the other party feel comfortable; that’s when you will be able to deliver your sales pitch.

While flirting is an option, don’t overdo it. You can definitely comment on someone’s pleasant voice, its familiarity or youthfulness – but keep that short and for the sake of receiving a short laugh from the other side. Remember, it’s about making a sale, not finding a date for Friday night.

If the conversation is not heading to the direction of your choice, offer the other person the opportunity to think about their options and always leave your contact information with them.

They will replay the conversation on their own, and most often you will receive a call back, even if it’s for courtesy purposes. If they don’t respond after a week, follow up with another call, to ensure they are still interested; if they are not, thank them for their time. You will be surprised how often you will get unexpected calls later on, from people that said they aren’t interested in what you’re offering to sell them.

Achieving domain sales via the cold call method can be very rewarding, especially when the domains that you offer have been researched well to match the particular person you are contacting.

So pick up the damn phone and get some domain sales going!