The required response was any sort of scream or violent flailing. I left the office and never went back. Of the three days I had been selling marketing services to auto dealers, I was already on top of the board. But the work environment was miserable.
A cold calling environment on any level must be disciplined. But yelling and banging gongs and ringing bells and over the shoulder direction during calls fosters an attitude that is less than professional. And how can you attract professionals to work in that kind of environment?
There are three simple actions an outbound cold call manager can take to keep production high while building a professional team:
1. Provide each caller their own space. This means a relatively sizable space with significant room between callers. The sound quality will be much better (great for the prospects perception) and your caller will feel more comfortable.
2. Limit surveillance to numbers. This applies to established callers beyond a training period. On a day to day accounting of the callers production, let the numbers speak for themselves. Only interfere when the numbers take a drastic or sustained decline.
3. Provide call support on a non TO (turn over) basis. TO is when a caller has a good prospect on the line, puts them on hold and then a manager picks up to close or spike the call. Don't do it! Have your initial caller establish a follow through based on commitment. Have the prospect commit to a second separate call, at a specific date and time, either with themselves or with the manager.
While these simple actions may seem counter intuitive, they work well over time. Follow these directions and you will decrease costly employment turnover. A team sense will then grow. Reinforce pride in your team by treating them as the professionals they are.
