Ebook Cold Calling Is Dead Linkedin PDF

COLD CALLING IS DEAD,
Thanks to LinkedIn
Ken Krogue
President & Founder
InsideSales.com
Steve Richard
Co-Founder
Vorsight
Page 2
Introduction
It’s amazing how powerful a simple idea use LinkedIn the right way, so they would
can be. Ken Krogue, president and founder never have to cold call again.
of InsideSales.com, and Steve Richard,
co-founder of Vorsight, created a webi- Then Krogue invited VonSosen to partici-
nar called “The Science of Using LinkedIn, pate in a Google Hangout that followed the
Technology, & Social Selling for Cold Call- webinar. VonSosen jumped at the chance
ing.” The two well-known sales leaders to share LinkedIn’s perspective on this
teamed up to share little-known tips that important topic.
are generating big results right now.
It turned out to be the most successful
Before the webinar went live, it sparked webinar InsideSales.com and Vorsight have
some unexpected controversy. UK-based ever done. A total of 5,648 people reg- Ralf VonSosen
journalist Steve Masters published an istered to learn how to use LinkedIn and Head of Marketing for
article on the Business 2 Community web- technology for sales. Sales Solutions
LinkedIn
site titled “No, LinkedIn Is Not a Source
for Your Cold Calling.” He got hung up on Krogue later wrote an article about the
the term “cold calling” and just couldn’t webinar that quickly climbed to No. 1 on
see past it. He hadn’t even seen the Forbes.com, racking up 66,749 views.
webinar yet.
The concept created so much buzz in the
LinkedIn’s Head of Marketing for Sales sales community that we decided to turn
Solutions, Ralf VonSosen, caught wind of it into this ebook. We’re pleased to pres-
this criticism and contacted InsideSales. ent these tips to help you make smarter
com. Krogue told him that the webinar sales calls.
was going to show salespeople how to
InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Table of Contents
Page 3
Introduction��2 Published by InsidesSales.com

About the Authors�� 5 34 East 1700 South
Provo, Utah 84606
Pre-Call Research�� 6 877-798-9633
The Power of TeamLink��7
Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved
Set More Appointments With LinkedIn Groups�� 8
The Right Call-to-Action�� 9
Double Dial Technique�� 10
Get Direct Lines for Senior-Level Execs�� 10
Specialist and Generalist Model�� 11
Making the Most of Your Calls and Emails�� 12
CLOSER Model�� 13

Table of Contents
Page 4
The 7 Keys to Achieving Better Contact Rates�� 14

Key #1: Immediacy�� 15
Key #2: Persistency�� 16
Key #3: Optimize Calls�� 17
Key #4: Time of Day�� 18
Key #5: Day of Week�� 19
Key #6: Direct-Dial Numbers�� 20
Key #7: Leverage Dialer Technology�� 21
Traditional Cold Calling is Dead…�� 23
Free Resources for Sales Pros�� 23
Summary & Credits�� 23

About the Authors
Page 5
Ken Krogue Steve Richard

President and Founder Co-Founder
InsideSales.com Vorsight
— —
www.kenkrogue.com www.vorsight.com
Ken Krogue, president and founder of Steve Richard, co-founder of Vorsight, has
InsideSales.com, is a results-driven sales been featured in The Harvard Business
leader and visionary for the inside sales Review, The Washington Business Journal,
industry. The research and data-driven The Washington Post, CNN/Money and CNBC.
approach he uses has led to best prac- Vorsight has been recognized as the Sales
tices for contacting and closing leads. He Training Provider of the Year four years in a
pioneered the powerful sales automation row by the American Association of Inside
PowerDialer™, a tool that increases the Sales Professionals.
effectiveness and efficiency of inside sales
professionals. Ken is also a regular contribu- Connect with Steve on LinkedIn, Google+ and
tor to Forbes.com. Twitter. Find out more about his sales training
services at Vorsight.com.
Connect with Ken on LinkedIn, Google+ and
Twitter. Find out more about how to wring
the most value out of your leads by visiting
InsideSales.com.

Page 6
Pre-Call Research
Use LinkedIn What you really have to do now is warm up Neither of these approaches is ideal.
the conversation with research. You want your sales reps to do some
for Pre-Call Research quick and dirty research and then dial
LinkedIn is the single most powerful tool like the wind.
The original definition of cold calling was on the planet for doing effective pre-call
reaching out to somebody you don’t know research and for tapping into your exist- Find three pieces of relevant information
anything about and trying to sell them ing relationships. about your prospect in three minutes.
something. Anybody who does that these That’s why it’s called 3x3 Research.
days is an idiot. One technique Vorsight teaches is called
3x3 Research*. It’s based on the concept Here are some things to look for:
But you’d also be a fool to stop making that you need to wake up your prospect’s
unexpected sales calls. DisoverOrg sur- brain. You do that by learning something • Online content that features
veyed more than 1,000 senior executives about your prospect before the call. your prospect.
and found that 75 percent have taken an • Previous employers.
appointment or attended an event based But there’s a fine line between doing too • Competitors your prospect is
on an unexpected sales call or email. much research and not doing enough. currently using.
There are two types of sales reps: librar-
The key difference between making unex- ians and cowboys. Librarians spend all Vorsight dug into the data. They discov-
pected sales calls and cold calling is that day researching and they don’t make ered that when the sales rep has access
when you’re making unexpected sales calls, enough calls. Cowboys are so gung ho to 3x3 Research, the conversion rate
you actually know something about your about dialing for dollars that they never do from initial prospects to appointments
prospect and can clearly demonstrate how any research. increases 16.7 percent.
you’re bringing value to the conversation.
* 3x3 Research is a Vorsight term

Page 7
The Power of TeamLink
Use TeamLink to Mine Second-Degree

LinkedIn Connections
Sales Navigator
Vorsight found that if a salesperson contacts someone who is not
at least a second-degree LinkedIn connection, it converts into an
appointment 32 percent of the time.
If you have a second-degree connection, the conversion rate

rises to 50 percent.
TeamLink
Fill your pipeline with the best prospects
Use TeamLink, one of LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s features, to
identify hidden work connections in your 3rd degree network.
TeamLink instantaneously connects users with their co-workers.

Any time you do a search, you will see if that person is connected
to you or to anyone at your company.
Rather than contacting the prospect, contact your co-worker who

is connected to your prospect on LinkedIn.
Your co-worker can introduce you to the prospect, eliminating

the need for cold calling.

Set More Appointments
Page 8
With LinkedIn Groups
Leverage LinkedIn
Groups to Set More Inside Sales Professionals 8,015 members Join
Appointments
LinkedIn groups are a wonderful venue to Created: April 3, 2009 Owner: Larry Reevers
engage in meaningful conversations with Type: Professional Group About: Group profile
those who have similar interests. Groups
Members: 7,969 Group Statistics
allow professionals to understand what the
hot topics are in their area, socialize with
colleagues, ask questions and give help-
ful answers.
There are many groups for sales pros. For

example, the Inside Sales Experts, Sales A test was conducted at a call center WARNING: Do NOT join groups just to
2.0 Best Practices and Salesforce Chatter in Tampa, Florida. The researchers first spam them and share your content. You
groups all serve specific communities. used a typical cold call strategy on 1,000 have to be engaged in the dialogue.
numbers. On the second 1,000 dials, they
You are 70 percent more likely to started the conversation with, “I under-
get an appointment with someone on stand we share a common LinkedIn group.”
an “unexpected sales call” if you are Just using that simple statement increased
in a common LinkedIn group than if the number of appointments set by
you aren’t. 70 percent.

Page 9
The Right Call-to-Action
Are You Using the Right Meet our CEO at the trade show. Sales Acceleration
Executives at other companies might jump Technology Summit
Calls-to-Action? at the chance to meet your CEO at a trade
Free Virtual Event
show, especially if you’re growing fast and
Salespeople can steal a page from the doing innovative things. This is a better
marketer’s playbook by using effective call-to-action than saying, “Come meet
calls-to-action. Asking for a meeting right with me, the salesperson.”
off the bat isn’t always the best approach. 11 Powerful New
Attend a webinar or a live event.
Point me to the right person. If you go straight for the appointment, you Technologies to
Email the CEO or a very senior person
in the company. Use the call-to-action:
might get shot down. But that same pros-
pect might bite on an educational offer.
Accelerate Your Sales
“Send me to the right person.” When that Webinars and live events work really well.
email is forwarded internally, you have a
much higher likelihood that the person For example, more than 15,000 sales pros Join industry experts and discover how
you can accelerate revenue with new
will respond because it comes from the registered for the Inside Sales Virtual technology for sales teams.
boss. If you see something coming from Summit. InsideSales.com brought together
your boss, you’re much more likely to take 62 of the top minds in sales to speak on
action on it. the same day. It was a blast.
Register Free
Brought to you by:

Page 10
Double Dial Technique
Double Down on the Double Dial Get Direct Lines for

Have you ever called a prospect and had him not pick up? Senior-Level Execs
Of course you have. That’s just part of being in sales. Vorsight studied how long it takes to reach an execu-
tive through a switchboard versus direct dialing. What
Here’s a little trick called the double dial. Call a prospect. If she doesn’t pick they found was fascinating.
up, immediately call her back. The second time the phone rings, it will pique
her curiosity. “This must be important. They’re calling back.” If you dial a list of switchboard numbers, it will take
you 22.2 minutes to get a VP level executive on the
This tactic works even better if you’re using LocalPresence. LocalPresence is phone. However, if you dial through a similar list of
a feature of InsideSales.com’s software that allows you to show up as a local direct lines, it will only take 5.5 minutes.
number on the other person’s CallerID, even when you’re calling from a dif-
ferent state. You are 46 percent more likely to reach somebody
at the director level if you call a direct line. And
If you double dial, you will reach 18 percent more of your list, according to your chances are 147 percent better at the VP level.
Vorsight’s research.
KEY TAKEAWAY: If you’re calling senior-level execu-
CAUTION: Double dialing takes longer. So, don’t double dial if you must tives, it doesn’t make sense to use switchboard
quickly plow through a huge list. The best time to double dial is when you numbers. You’ll be far better off with direct-
have a shorter list of key targets. dial numbers.

Page 11
Specialist and Generalist Model
Specialist Model Outsells If you specialize, you can do more pre-call InsideSales.com has experienced incred-
research so you don’t have to cold call. ible success using the specialist model
the Generalist Model The specialist model also provides a 7-point and recommends it for other sales
bump above a generalist model. organizations.
The Kellogg Survey that was done by Dr.
James Oldroyd in 2007 showed a higher
close rate for companies that break their GENERALIST MODEL SPECIALIST MODEL
sales model into specialties.
The generalist sales model makes sales Combined Appointment Setters,

Dedicated Appointment Setters
Closers, and Account Managers
reps responsible for the entire end-to-end
sales process: finding leads, qualifying
leads, closing sales.
Dedicated Closers
The specialist sales model allows different
teams to focus on different stages of the
sales process. So, for example, you might
have a team of business development reps
who qualify leads and set appointments for Dedicated Account Managers
your closers.
Dedicated Lead Researcher

Making the Most of
Page 12
Your Calls and Emails
Sales leaders across the country often ask InsideSales.com three cru-
cial questions:
1. How many calls should I make?

2. How many voicemails should I leave?
3. How many emails should I send?
Well, this is the model. It has been validated by research.
• You should call each person on your list about six times. That’s about
what it takes to reach a busy decision-maker.
• On your 1st call, send a voicemail and an email.
• Don’t leave voicemails or emails on calls 2 and 3.
• On your 4th call, send a voicemail and email.
• And on your last call, send a voicemail and email.
PRO TIP: Right between two and three voicemails is where it’s obvious that
leaving more voicemails becomes a negative -- and, at that point, you’re
becoming a pest.

Page 13
CLOSER Model
CLOSER
Improve Your Sales
Process With the Campaign = Test Strategy
CLOSER Model
InsideSales.com has discovered six vari-
List/Leads = Test Sources
ables you need to test to improve your
sales process in a scientific, systematic
way. We call it the CLOSER Model. Offer = Test Offers
Skill = Test Approaches
Effort = Test Contact Rates
Reporting = Test Results

The 7 Keys to
Page 14
Achieving Better Contact Rates
InsideSales.com provides technology based on research and best

practices to help inside sales teams dramatically improve their results.
We’ve developed seven strategies that are proven to boost contact
rates. It’s our secret sauce.
We shared it with our good friends at Marketo, and the first thing
they said was, “What did you guys do? Everybody’s answering
our calls.”
And now we’re sharing these seven insanely effective

strategies with you.

Page 15
Key #1: Immediacy
Research shows that a lead called within CONTACTS MADE FROM FIRST DIALS
5 minutes is 100 times more likely to be
contacted than a lead called in 30 minutes, WITHIN 5 MINUTES
CONTACTED / QUALIFIED LEADS

and 21 times more likely to become a
qualified lead.
100 X Higher chance of contacting
21 X Higher chance of qualifying
AFTER 5 MINUTES
Chance of contacting
drops significantly
Leads That Become:
Qualified Contacted
5 MIN 10 MIN 15 MIN 20 MIN 25 MIN 30 MIN
RESPONSE TIME

Page 16
Key #2: Persistency
The average sales rep only makes 1.3

phone calls per lead before giving up. If
% OF SALES BY CALL ATTEMPT
you only call a lead once, you wring 37
percent of the value from your lead. Ide-
100%
ally, sales reps should be calling each lead
six times. With six calls, you get 90 percent
91% 92% 93%
of the value from your leads. 80% 90%
82% 85%
73%
60%
61%
40%
37%
20%
0%
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH 8TH 9TH
NUMBER OF CALLS

Page 17
Key #3: Optimize Calls
As a best practice, ask your leads when First Name:

is the best time to contact them. This can
save sales reps a lot of wasted time. If a
lead wants to be contacted, that lead will Last Name:
tell you when is most convenient.
Email:
Phone:
Ext.
When is the best time to call you?

8:00am - 12:00pm 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Submit

Page 18
Key #4: Time of Day
The best times to contact a lead are

between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. or 4 p.m. and 5 CONTACTS MADE FROM FIRST DIALS
p.m. The worst time of day to attempt con-
tact is during the lunch hour. Make sure
your sales reps are being most productive 3,500
during these times.
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
7-8 8-9 9-10 10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Best Times to Contact 8-9 AM and 4-5 PM

Page 19
Key #5: Day of Week
Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best

days of the week for contacting leads.
CONTACTS MADE FROM FIRST DIALS
Tuesdays are the worst. When should
you hold sales meetings? Tuesdays
during lunchtime. 2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
M T W TH F

Page 20
Key #6: Direct-Dial Numbers
Vorsight’s research that appears earlier in AVERAGE MEETINGS PER % DIRECT LINES ON CON-
this ebook confirms that reps who gather REPRESENTATIVE
direct-dial numbers schedule dramatically
MONTH (LAST 3) TACT LIST
more appointments. It seems obvious, but
many sales reps still aren’t doing this.
1 11 51%
2 13 45%
3 20 76%
4 22 74%
5 29 87%
6 33 97.6%
Source Vorsight

Key #7:
Page 21
Leverage Dialer Technology
57.8%
Technology has dramatically increased the BEST
effectiveness of sales teams. One feature
of InsideSales.com’s technology is called
LocalPresence. If you’re calling a lead in
New York from San Jose, LocalPresence
MORE LIKELY TO
will display a New York area code on your
lead’s CallerID. InsideSales.com’s research
has shown that displaying a local number
increases the odds of getting your calls
answered by 57.8 percent. ANSWER PHONE
FROM A LOCAL NUMBER
TOLL
TOLL FREE
BLOCKED
WORST

Communications Gamiﬁcation Prediction Data Visualization
Sales Acceleration Technology

Improve sales through science with InsideSales.com.
• Contact the right prospects, in the right • Motivate your sales team by making the
way, at the right time. sales process visual, competitive, and fun.
• Work smarter by predicting which leads • Bring your sales data to the forefront by
you are most likely to contact, qualify, making it visual, meaningful,
and close. and actionable.
Demo Now
Summary & Credits
Page 23
Traditional Cold Calling is Dead… CONTENT

Ken Krogue |
Traditional cold calling is dead, thanks to tools such as LinkedIn. kenkrogue.com
However, contacting people you don’t already know is still
essential to sales. Steve Richard |
vorsight.com/blog
Fortunately, the initial connection doesn’t have to be cold anymore.
Use social selling tools to make a connection before the call. Make WRITERS/COPY EDITORS
sure your product would actually benefit your prospect. Have Leo Dirr |
someone introduce you. Doing this changes the sales process. It Brittany Griffin |
takes the cold out of cold calling.
DESIGNER
Free Resources for Sales Pros Scott Humphries |
Grab these valuable sales resources.

They’ll help you sell more — and they’re free.
27 LinkedIn Tips: LinkedIn Best Practices For Entrepreneurs

31 LinkedIn Tips — How to Use LinkedIn Best Practices for B2B
Prospecting
42 LinkedIn Inside Sales Tips — Ebook
Quick Question Voicemail
Power Player Voicemail
5 Steps to Building a Team of Rock Star Sales Hunters

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COLD CALLING IS DEAD,

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

The 7 Keys to Achieving Better Contact Rates���������������������������������� 14

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Ken Krogue Steve Richard

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

* 3x3 Research is a Vorsight term

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

The Power of TeamLink

Use TeamLink to Mine Second-Degree

If you have a second-degree connection, the conversion rate

TeamLink instantaneously connects users with their co-workers.

Rather than contacting the prospect, contact your co-worker who

Your co-worker can introduce you to the prospect, eliminating

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

With LinkedIn Groups

There are many groups for sales pros. For

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

The Right Call-to-Action

Brought to you by:

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Double Dial Technique

Double Down on the Double Dial Get Direct Lines for

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Specialist and Generalist Model

The generalist sales model makes sales Combined Appointment Setters,

Dedicated Lead Researcher

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Your Calls and Emails

1. How many calls should I make?

Well, this is the model. It has been validated by research.

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Achieving Better Contact Rates

InsideSales.com provides technology based on research and best

And now we’re sharing these seven insanely effective

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Key #1: Immediacy

CONTACTED / QUALIFIED LEADS

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Key #2: Persistency

The average sales rep only makes 1.3

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Key #3: Optimize Calls

As a best practice, ask your leads when First Name:

When is the best time to call you?

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Key #4: Time of Day

The best times to contact a lead are

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Key #5: Day of Week

Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Key #6: Direct-Dial Numbers

InsideSales.com | Vorsight Share this eBook:

Leverage Dialer Technology

The 7 Keys to Achieving Better Contact Rates�� 14