Social Media is the New Cold Call

Jeffery Gitomer says, “Business social media is the new cold call!”

Some things to think about if this is true.

1. Cold calls were never fun to make. (Have you ever made a cold call? I have, it was not a good time in my life.) Isn’t it nice to know that there is a virtual, faster, and a much more fun way to do this horrible job?

2. Cold calls were never very effective. So, I’ll be the first to admit that your Social Media results may not be as good as the referrals you are currently getting, but I had an agent tell me this week that it is his social media network that is providing him some of his best leads. Why not ask your clients for leads through a number of different methods? What is the harm of proving yourself a professional “online” as well as in your conference room? How much faster can you prove yourself as a competent professional to your social following (as opposed to one by one in a conference room)?

3. Cast a larger net. Cold calls simply filled the leads funnel. Social media does so much more. When your professional social network is rolling, it sets you apart as an industry professional providing value before, during, and after the sale. Clients and prospects will be able to point at something and prove you know your industry, your policies, and your competitors' policies. It provides another point of value. Again go to www.thetruthaboutinsurance.com. There is value there! That agent provides value. THAT IS HIS COLD CALL! And does it pay dividends? You bet! (Rick, please post a comment, telling us briefly the dividends it pays to your agency.)

4. Cold calls almost never work. You want to find a nugget of gold? Get a reference. Want more references, talk to larger audiences. The perfect example is my buddy writing the aforementioned website. On the first day he was not getting 300+ hits a day. He was not getting paid by advertisers to write. And yet now he has a great ball rolling. He has industry professionals reading his stuff and regurgitating it. His writings alone stand on their own two feet now.

Potential clients asks him, “Why should I choose you as my agent, you can’t save me any money?" Response, “Does your agent understand the industry like I do, go read my website. Does he provide you that added value?” Trust me, my friend is no genius (above average maybe, jk), however, due to his presence he comes off as an industry professional, he comes off as knowing more about insurance than Joe at Halfstate, Jack at State Ranch, or Jonnie at Rancher’s Insurance down the street.

Does your online presence do that for you?

5. Cold calls serviced questions one by one. You don’t have to do that anymore.

“Oh I like your radio advertising idea Mr. Radio Sales Rep. But tell me again, how many people listen to your radio station? And how many people will hear my commercial?”

Why answer the same question 8,000 times on 8,000 different cold calls? Answer it once to the whole group via social media. Better yet, let some of your clients answer the question for you.

Read the Facebook posting below for ideas on how to do that. Get them talking.