Brutally Roasting our Cold Calls! - Trench Tips

0:00Zac Thompson, do you know who this guy is on the screen? I don't know him, but my God, is he handsome. Wow. This was you in the old office, and today is going to be a whirlwind, because we do roast my cold call, but we're going to be doing roast my cold call, and by my, I mean yours. Wow. You're going to be roasting me. We're going to be roasting you, but I think - Do we get to roast you? on the next episode if it goes well if people like it maybe we'll roast me too but I think you're the goat when it comes to selling, I've always said this I will be very complimentary behind your back but never to your face but I thought we could roast it because this was you then and this is you now, I'm sure that you'll even have a difference of opinion but listen less of the chit chat how long ago?

0:53I believe, I'm going to say this was probably two, three years ago. Wow. Okay. Let's see what I have. Let's see what you did. Let's see what you had. And we'll stop it. We'll put our arm up in the air and we'll have some fun with it. Let's go, Zach Thompson.

1:14Hello. Hello. I think you're going to hate me for this, but I'll be very honest. It's actually a sales call. So I don't know if you want to hang up on me immediately or let me have 30 seconds it's up to you okay i appreciate it um so we typically get invited in by ambitious businesses who are probably struggling a little bit on the new business front so there's either not enough meetings in the diary so it's kind of a volume issue or maybe there's not enough meetings with the right types of people so we feel like they're running around kissing frogs but not really dealing with the decision maker i've got a feeling This is where you tell me that neither one of those issues apply.

1:54Before we get into the weeds, what do you hear? What do you feel when you watch that back, Zachy T? I feel like my voice might sound different there. A younger man's voice. No, I think your tone has always been on it. You've said that script. I know there's been variations of it thousands of times, but that feels like the first time listening to it. In a good way or a bad way? No, in a great way. Like the way that you say it is like, I'm listening. I'm genuinely like intrigued to hear what you say next. We have so many people come for interviews with us. And part of the interview is you, you have to read that script or a variation of it.

2:33And people just dare, dare, dare, it's Jakarta. We are typically welcomed in, but you heard she laughed. People say the opener doesn't work. People laugh like that. That's always going to be a strong opener and tried and tested, but then like just delivering it, you're hitting over the problems upfront. I think it's, I think it's strong. I don't like saying those things about you but thanks mate there's a lot of people who are like oh I'm using that opener or a similar opener and it's not really London I'm not getting the laugh or whatever you do have to deliver it in a certain way deliver it with a bit of a smile on your face it's a punchline you know so deliver it like a punchline I think it's beautiful I think it's really beautiful why did you pause for so long then that was weird I was just thinking about it I was just thinking about whether it was a punchline Should we carry on?

3:20Because your attention span is not great.

3:25Well, we can always take on more clients. Okay. Is that a... Is it a volume issue or more of getting in front of the right types of people? I've got the first bit for Rosemary Culkin. I think knowing you now, I think you would have stepped back even more. I think you would have allowed even more silence there. Yeah, exactly. I would have allowed even more silence and then not have been as prescriptive with trying to get her in a box. I present these two problems and I want to put you neatly into that box. We could always do with more client isn't really anything, is it? No. What do you mean? Yeah.

4:03What do you mean? Or, okay, go on, tell me a bit more. And get her to open up and feel comfortable first in the therapist's chair. How, on a side note, one question. do you think you can teach curiosity because that's the as we have so many sales people come through the door and i'm thinking about this this bit of like i want you to be genuinely interested and some people are genuinely interested and they have great results and some people aren't and you can see it that curiosity muscle what what what can you think of any low stakes things techniques that they can do to kind of enhance that? I think just if you're going to maybe a family party or meeting a friend or whatever, if you consciously try and focus, and I'm not going to talk about myself, I'm just going to make it all about the other person.

4:54It's a good environment to just notice how that makes the conversation feel. Because naturally when you leave things out, people tend to feel warmer towards you. And isn't that weird when you don't talk about yourself people like you more. So that means they don't like you. They don't like you. They just like themselves. All right, let's keep it going. At the minute, we're busy. Making notes. But we're coming ahead. Such a good boy. Obviously, it's always good to have more clients lined up. So, yeah. Okay, that makes sense. I have had my 30 seconds. Are we all right to talk maybe one more minute?

5:29Well, where are you calling from? What's your name? Well, my name's Zach, and I'm calling from a business called We Have a Meeting. Okay. Is that okay if we keep talking? Yeah, okay. Perfect. Okay, so when you say you're planning ahead, what does that look like? Go on, tell me. The bit. So the person asking the questions is the one in control, but I'm not going to give the typical advice of like, avoid, where are you calling from and all that sort of stuff. I would have answered the question. i'm calling from my name's zach i'm calling from a company called we have a meeting just so i can see if i can help you you mentioned at the moment so so what does that mean and then go back into asking there was a bit where i went like i'm calling from we have a meeting and then i paused i wouldn't have done that now but the ledge was the ledge was great i think so many people are doing it and they go well listen i've got that permission can we continue talking people don't do that because they're scared that people are going to say no i'm not interested let me disappear whatever but actually by by just doing that then you've got that permission they sink back in their chair a bit more they're more willing to have that conversation it's 10 10 golden stars for me so far tommy really

6:48um so we are carrying on with our social media and networking getting our name out there yeah And that's how we've had most of our clients come in. So we're in the middle of some big projects at the minute, and then obviously you like to plan for when they end and get stuff lined up sort of for July time. Okay. Not to talk myself out of working with you, but is there a chance that those projects would go really well and they'd just carry on working with you and you wouldn't need to have anyone new in the pipeline? Well, it depends. If they're after just because we're website and marketing, If they're after just a website, then it kind of ends.

7:33You're there for support. And then if it's marketing, yeah, that's every month. Okay. So, yeah, it's kind of a mixture, really. That makes sense. And where did those existing projects come from? Where does Mel? That is the bit that you can't teach. So we're talking about the curiosity, okay? And I know that you speak about your stepdad a lot, but, oh, right, okay. those noises those sounds that's like a genuine i am interested i am listening something you have said i'm responding to which sounds like i'm genuinely interested it showcases i'm listening it's not the it's like waiting for your turn to talk and then going oh right okay and i think that's the bit if you could bottle that bit up and get people to do that and be genuinely interested I think everyone would be a millionaire.

8:26I'm going to critique myself. Please. I haven't got to a problem yet. It's okay. I'm still qualifying as if I have. It's not good enough. Yeah, but I also know your sales style. So this is like very much like I'm going to disqualify you and I'm going to be like, what happens if everything's perfect? But you're not at the problem bit. So this is like, this feels like a mini discovery. Maybe we get there. That's always a good sign. And that must mean you're actually very good. You don't just say you are like some people. Well, I hope so. Well, look, I've only spoke to you for a few minutes, but if I said that we typically get invited to book meetings with those people who'd have problems around websites and social media and might be in the market for something like you offer, would there be any reason not to put some time in the diary and explore that further?

9:19I can't see why not, no. Okay. Have you got your diary there? so quick is it over zoom or what do you i usually use teams of that but i can use zoom yes no teams is fine okay it's a wednesday sort of half eleven would work because then me and my business partner can both join perfect you said you and your business partner yeah yeah perfect okay wednesday at half 11 I have, yep I've got that can I just grab an email address for you mate I thought there was a real police car going by there, what was going on there mad edit perfect and I'd like to ask just a couple of weird questions before I let you go if that's okay so if we have this meeting and you think this guy doesn't know what he's on about there's no way he can help me are you comfortable telling me no I can take rejection you can imagine yeah yeah yeah perfect and equally if you and your business partner think maybe i can help are you happy to talk about next steps and things like that yeah yeah if if you if at the end it's like a think it over or something like that nine times out of ten that just means no and you probably don't want me to chase you again so feel free to just hit me with a no if we end up at that and the last very very weird one the weirdest one of all

10:46Oh, I've lost you. You still there? Yeah. Yeah. I'm waiting for this last one. The last one is, is there any reason, other than an act of God, that I'll be sat in that meeting thinking, oh, no, I've been ghosted? No, the only reason would be we have a call just before together. So if we've got jibber-jabbering about projects, then it might be that we run late, but we shouldn't do. Not if we're sleeping. perfect right lovely that is music to my ears right well lovely to speak i'll get that in the diary now and we will speak next wednesday there you go meeting booked all the best zaki t tell me i'm gonna i'm gonna get one from me up as well because it's because it's only fair but um go on give me give me your live brutal stuff oh god i'm so tired i've just been talking to qualified prospects all day without any wait time how have you been doing it because i've been cold calling people on my mobile and I reckon I've spoke to one person.

11:43No, no, no. Stop that right now and use Nooks.ai. Why? What does Nooks do? It finds me the right people to call and it calls them and it connects with them over and over and over again. So you're saying it's Nooks.ai and I can just be speaking to qualified decision makers all the time? No other better connection, right? Wow, Nooks.ai. Too fast, not deep enough on the qualification. and no real motivation to do anything new and no real problem. I know some people might be like, oh, but she did say she's interested, she's there. It's just not enough to pull someone through. But I can break the fourth wall with people.

12:27She did not become a client. So, yeah, just not qualified enough. but the framework has evolved since then of what qualified looks like when we first started the business there were many four or five minute conversations that got in our average booking now is probably more like 10 15 20 minutes of being qualified so yeah the big if i was coaching myself and it was one of our reps i'd be like what problem was you trying to solve i don't know and the whole core falls apart then. Very good. Very good. Right. Let me find out. Why are you critiquing me? Why am I or why am I not? What do you want me to do?

13:14Why not? Yeah. Yeah, it wasn't good enough, mate. Wasn't good enough at all. Not all meetings are created equally, but this is the bit. What do you want? Do you want a three-minute one? Do you want a...

13:32What kind of thing do you want? Do you want a... Let's have a three-minute one. All right. I don't think it's a good... He's a cold caller with a cold, cold call. He's got a big... And he smells like he'll tall. Okay, here we go. How tall are you than that? 5 '11". Why? How tall are you thinking I am? Yeah, right.

14:01Right, here we go. Back in the day. This was probably two years ago. We were doing the live cold call show. Really? I think so. So I would have done this live on... Did he just book himself? Wow. A bit of Fika in the corner there. Right, let's get it going. what do you like the most about the different offices in manchester then what's the theme that they've all got the different offices what from my office to because you're in a new office now aren't you but like what do you think the manchester offices have all had in common uh probably if i was you about to answer it no nothing no substance nothing nice no personality stuff like that is that the answer that you're looking for bad internet anyway let's carry on Hello?

14:59Hello? Hello, is that Ollie? That's not Ollie. Hello, Ollie. I'm going to be very honest with you because I'm sure you get bombarded with calls like this. It is a sales call. I don't know if that makes you want to slam the phone down or let me run through in 30 seconds. Completely up to you. What are you selling? Great question. I guess, can I run through in 30 seconds and if it's not relevant or it's boring, we can leave it there? Go for it. Okay, brilliant. I actually think my voice is sounding sick. I got that husk That Chris Vosk going on The bit that's great Is the matching He's like that and he's that sort of guy Yeah, Oli speaking Yeah, come on, get to the point and you're like Bang, da-dum, gadoo You're matching him, you're making it easy You're making it nice The only thing that you pointed out that you would change Is that that's not at the start Tends to work well, doesn't it The old dating That's not Oli from that's not ollie from the internet suppliers company in manchester is it that kind of vibe is that where he was from well ollie i typically get invited in by ambitious software companies who if they're honest they might be having some difficulty when it comes to the new business and growth side of things so maybe they're not getting in front of the right types of people so it might be a quality issue and you're wanting to bring in the right right people it could be that you're not getting in front of enough people so it could be a quantity and you want to fill that pipeline with more of the right people or maybe it's a new sector that you've always dreamed of or you're trying to break into a new area but you're just not entirely sure on how to get started with that ollie i think this is the bit of the call where you tell me you don't recognize any of these problems and everything's perfect um yeah fortunately that's that's the case we're uh we're doing pretty good at the moment okay that's the case and you're doing pretty good at the moment so it sounds like I'm barking up the wrong trade none of those problems stand out to you whatsoever at the moment yeah okay that's fair right I'm gonna critique myself and then you can have a go because you've been waiting to have a pop for about 24 years or whatever it is I think I need to slow down I would always slow down I would have longer pauses so I'd be like okay and then I I think my question was like it wasn't really a question was it It's like, oh, I'm barking up the wrong tree and none of those are problems.

17:21Yeah, I've said that. Open the conversation, take it somewhere, ask a situational question, an open question. Okay, you said none of those problems exist. I guess if someone really pushed you on it, when was the last time, you know, or something along those lines, I would have got back into problem with an open question. Your turn, mate. I like the, the pitch was probably a bit faster than you did a nice thing at the end where you like slowed it right down but ollie you're probably going to tell me it's like good good good dramatic pausing there look at me now this light right and look at me there yeah do i look yeah the same yeah um you look bad there's a nice uh mirroring thing that happened as well where you just okay so this is happening this is happening you didn't just rush straight into being combative which i think is what some people do i remember my brother worked for us for that little while and he said he said to someone you probably don't have those problems or actually i bet you do it's like really weird like people just want the bite don't they um and then there was a bit of like hard disqualify that happened which i think we all used to do in the early days but i don't actually think it really gets you very far does it no you're not hard like okay so it sounds like everything's perfect then i've actually very rarely heard that work where people go well no actually now you've said that no and then it worked i don't think that actually really all right i bet you've got a boyfriend anyway yeah i do yeah i bet you don't even like boys yeah yeah exactly i guess can i ask one last question before i let you go ollie sure what would need to change within the business for you to say actually i'm glad you've called we would need to be looking in the first place which we're not at the moment and we would need to struggle to solve those things on our own already we have broadly speaking existing expertise and if not we have existing partners or contacts that have those bespoke connections you sound very you sound very confident what what's the secret just years of experience i guess years of experience okay yeah so it sounds like even if i've knocked on your door and i said i've got five people that want to work with you it sounds like you you probably couldn't take them on um at the moment no no good problem to have a really really good only one that's been recently sold.

19:56I'm not in any way arrogant. But, you know, it's just we're... Yes. Now we're lucky to be in a good spot. And what would have to change in the future for you to say, actually? That's the bit. Didn't pick up on it. One that has been recently sold. Man, did Younger Frim love a label? Or am I making it up? Younger Frim loved a label. But, I mean, look, we're both suckers for a label, aren't we? it sounds like you are feels like you don't agree um yeah there was the recently bit and then recently sort of cascades down doesn't it so so okay so you solved it you sold it recently it sounds like you're doing something in particular yeah we've done x y and z okay and how long ago did you do that this time and how long is your your sales cycle when did you start seeing the results oh actually those two things don't match anymore so you only recently started doing it You've not seen the results yet, but it's trending in the right direction.

20:57Yeah. And then suddenly there is a gap that presents itself. Let's keep going. We've got a minute left. Let's see if I can close it. I think this is something we should explore. Number one, we're looking, and number two, we're failing on our own. Okay. But it sounds like that's not going to happen because you've got the right people around you. It's the same, isn't it? We would go to them first. It's combative. It might not be sufficient, but we'd have to... The thing I'd say there is, okay, what would have to fail? Oh, it sounds like there might be something specific. What would have to fail then?

21:32All right. You did that thing as well where you asked him that question and then you just asked the same question a little bit. Yeah, I know. We discovered that before going to anyone new. Brilliant. Okay, well, Ollie, I'll be honest. It sounds like I can't help you. I'm not a hypnotist I'm not going to try and persuade you I can only help people that are struggling and you sound like you're living the software dream and we are doing just fine just now okay good stuff I guess one more question before I let you go and then I'll leave you forever is that fair? what do you reckon I'm going to ask?

22:11it sounds like you couldn't deal with another client then you don't know anybody else less fortunate than you that it would be worth having a conversation with no I didn't think you would no worries Ollie lovely speaking to you thank you for your time have a good day thank you why am I trying to annoy everyone yeah I didn't think you'd know anyone actually yeah I didn't think you'd have those problems yeah I didn't think you would mate you sound like you're not even that hard you sound like you don't know any mates jealous greedy and terrible I'm talking about Jack Frimston because he's got a request view that I think is outrageous I'm going to ask it and I'm only going to ask it one time If you are listening and you are enjoying it Please like and subscribe And make two little boys dreams come true Oh good stuff Anything from your side Zach Thompson?

23:01Task this week We are hosting a live event in person With the good people at Nooks Morgan J. Ingram will be there All you've got to do to win the£500 prize this week And we're only going to do it once this week okay so it's just one time deal all you've got to do is register for the nooks event we'll leave the comment in the handle and share it on linkedin and tag us first person that does that you get 500 pounds wow you are generous and you're also my best friend thanks for coming man good to see you cheers man