Friday Poll: Cold Call Etiquette

    • 1373 posts
    July 1, 2010 11:10 PM PDT
    Happy Friday, everyone!

    I've read and heard different answers to this week's poll question, but I would like to know what your opinions are:

    When making cold calls, either in person or by phone, is it better for a sales rep to address the prospect by title and surname (Mr. Jones, Ms. Smith) or to call them by their first name? 

    Please explain the reasoning behind your answers.  Thank you!
    • 21 posts
    July 2, 2010 4:17 AM PDT
    When in doubt go with formality the client will give you permission to call him Jim or she Sue. One other tip when dealing with husband and wife always talk to the wife first! She will tell you talk to JIm (this is especially true when dealing with latinos). By the way even if they are your clients talk to the wife first always just to say hello because she has all the power if she says you are out your out!
  • July 2, 2010 5:04 AM PDT
    It depends. I lean to the formal until I know the client well enough. However, lets say we have a prospect who signs all his correspondence and his ads with his nickname. In that case I'll go with that (sometimes). Its a case of what I sense and I can't recall it being a problem in all these years.
    • 5 posts
    July 2, 2010 5:16 AM PDT
    I still use both. But you start off sounding like a salesperson when you're too formal. I always try to do as much background intel on the person I'm calling first to know how to address them. If they've been in the business for quite some time, I might use the formal. If I realize they are younger than me, I may call them by their first name. First name feels more personable to me.
  • July 2, 2010 5:23 AM PDT
    I always use the prospects first name with whomever answers the phone to get to the prospect, and once I get them on the phone I switch to title and surname to show respect, untill the prospect requests me to use their first name.
    • 3 posts
    July 2, 2010 6:06 AM PDT
    Formal is the way I go initially. I hope to earn the client's confidence and respect...and then earn the right to use their first name. I let THEM tell me to call them by their first name. I learned that from my dad and he learned it from his dad.

    Good selling skill,
  • July 2, 2010 7:34 AM PDT
    How about two answers? I work in very small market radio and spent many years at the last market. I knew almost everyone, so if a new business opened, I probably knew them or knew of them already. In that case I always used their first name. In January, I moved to a new small market where I don't know anybody. If I was introduced to the prospect, I will use the name they were introduced by. If it is a true cold call, title and last name until they tell me to use their first name. That doesn't happen very often. I am not a big believer in true cold calls. What I mean by "true cold call" is this. You walk into a business you have never been in before, ask for the manager or owner and work from there. If I can, I like to have a little more information when I walk in, and probably already know who to ask for and what they prefer to be called.
  • July 2, 2010 7:38 AM PDT
    One word (or seven if you are Aretha Frankling) R E S P E C T: I find that being too familiar at any point in the process is poor. The most sure fire ways to kill a working relationship are to get too close. WE don't go on family vacations with them... invite them for a swim... and we don't start the relationship as "hey Chip". Cold call "Hello Mr. Jones, I'm Chris Rolando, Salesman from the Radio Station and before you hang up on me I have onse sentenece I'd like to say to you....Pause... There is nothing you buy in your business that you don't know your markup on and what to expect from it, except your advertising. I create up with advertising for people AND show them exactly what to expect from it by showing you how to calculate the ROI. Now, is that worth 5 minutes of your time Mr. Jones? Oh, and I don't mind coming in early, late or on the weekends. I work around your schedule".
    PS: I STAY formal even after the sale. I am remembered for being respectful. I am not going to act like a friend. I am a top level BUSINESS ASSOCIATE. Last thing to think about...

    You get an audience will Bill Gates.... do you walk in and say "Hey Bill"? On the second, thrid or twentieth call are you geting to say "How ya doin Bill?" Then why would you treat ANY other prospect any differently?
    • 73 posts
    July 2, 2010 8:08 AM PDT
    This is a multi-faceted answer. A lot depends on how well you've back grounded yourself before making the call. Common courtesy demands that you use a person's name and/or title until you have been told "call me _____". This can be a bit tricky when the business contains the person's name such as "Del's Hardware".

    A lot of your work can be undone if you start calling your client by their first name before your relationship is more informal. However, you can be making a cold call on someone you know in another capacity. At that point it's foolish to call them Mr./Mrs, etc.

    However, the sooner you can reach that comfort point in the relationship the easier the visit becomes when you can call each other by your first names.
    • 58 posts
    July 2, 2010 8:26 AM PDT
    It wouldn't offend anyone to be called by their surname.Why not show respect,one doesn't cold call in beach attire,what's the old saying, you only have one chance to make a first impression.In the South, custom dictates,formality with strangers.I find young decision makers seem to crave this respect especially from a old geezer like me. After all,it's all about them. It's part of my sales persona to always show respect.Ego is always part of the sales process,stroking their ego should offend you.
    • 112 posts
    July 2, 2010 8:53 AM PDT
    I don't like to use their name in the conversation at all until I get a cue from the client or the other associates in the room. I think it sounds a little stilted and "salesy" to start off a conversation with "Hello, Mr. ......... " That's not how I talk to people in real life and my clients are my real life. In a phone call, after being directed to the right person, I might start out with Hello, Sir, or Hi, I'm Lynn from...... I can usually tell from the first few words whether they are a formal or in-formal type person.
    • 35 posts
    July 2, 2010 9:29 AM PDT
    When in person, I try to take a quick read of the client before deciding. If in doubt, it's always safer to default to using title and surname until they correct you and you get to know them better. Don't worry about being guility of being "too polite" or having good manners. It also sets the tone for your future meetings indicating that you will respect them and conduct business in a professional manner.
    • 21 posts
    July 2, 2010 10:03 AM PDT
    ditto!
    • 34 posts
    July 3, 2010 10:53 PM PDT
    Really never thought about it until now. I refer to all of my female clients by their first name. With the men, “Mister” is dictated by age. The only time the “Mister” thing became an issue is when James Brown ("Soul Brother Number One," "the Godfather of Soul," "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Mr. Dynamite") unexpectedly stepped into the room and I called him Mr. Brown. Another person referred to him as James, and he quickly set the fellow straight. . .”It’s Mister Brown.” I suppose the moral there is, you cannot go wrong with “Mister.”

    • 1373 posts
    July 6, 2010 11:41 AM PDT
    Fran, neat story!!! And I'm glad you brought up the gender issue; I tend to go the same way as you.
  • July 6, 2010 11:53 AM PDT
    I am suspicious and sometimes even offended if someone I don't know addresses me by my first name. It's never offputting to be called Mr or Ms (Last Name).

    Mileage may vary.