Cold Calling’s Unique Ability to be Tested

by Valerie Schlitt, President of VSA, Inc.

Unlike virtually any other marketing tool, cold calling lets companies change courses at almost any time.

In today’s ever-changing business environment, this flexibility is critical.

Companies new to cold calling must watch early results closely.

Testing, assessing, and refining the program from the onset are critical first steps. These actions can result in a long term program that produces a predictable stream of sales opportunities.

Veteran cold callers also must work. Constant attention is needed to keep the program sharp. Here’s a recommendation: continue with the program that works, but apply a portion of your tele-prospecting investment towards testing new approaches that may surpass your existing model. When you find one that is more effective, replace your existing program, but continue to test new approaches.

It’s easy to test and change cold calling campaigns. Unlike print ads, radio spots, billboards, or most other marketing vehicles, cold calling programs make testing and applying those results to the program easy.

Here are some of the items that every program should assess:

1) The offer. Do you want to set a sales appointment? Do you want to invite people to a webinar? Do you simply want to collect email addresses for a campaign? Are you offering a free assessment, or a free trial? Do you need an incentive to enhance your “call to action?”

2) The list. Are the decision makers and the companies on your list the best prospects?

3) Talking points. Do your callers have the conversation points to highlight the key aspects of your program? Is there something compelling that needs to be added? Are the talking points too complicated or long?

4) Your calling team. How well do they represent you? How effective are they in talking to decision makers? Can they ask for the appointment?

5) Your ability to close the leads. This is the part that comes after a cold calling lead is identified. Can you cost effectively convert that lead into a sale? Do you have the people and processes in place? Are you getting qualified leads?

Case Studies

Here are short examples of savvy VSA clients who tested, assessed and refined their programs.

1) A software company implemented a program which successfully produced leads. However, the company was unprepared to convert the leads to sales. Now, this company plans a product-specific website, marketing materials and the right expertise to make sales calls. A second cold calling initiative is scheduled.

2) An online marketing company completed a program that produced poor results. The company has changed its offer to simplify steps prospective companies must take to enroll. A second campaign has been launched.

3) A commercial roofing company implemented a program and generated desired results. Later, the company realized the prospective clients were not a good fit. The company has implemented a second campaign targeting a different prospect list.

If you are planning a cold calling program, please call us to talk about the factors that can make or break your campaign. We’d like to know what marketing tools have worked for you in the past and show you how we can add to that success. We are happy to help.

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Attn: Foodies Visiting Sydney - Try These Great Restaurants

by James Lush

Sydney has a lot to offer when it comes to cafes, restaurants and pubs. The rich diversity of the city’s population is reflected in its eating establishments - you’ll feel like you have an entire atlas to choose from! Whether you’re in favor of local Australian food or something a bit more exotic from the corners of the world, you’ll find it in Sydney.

Want to try traditional Australian food? Consider a trip to Harry’s Cafe de Wheels - they’re rumored to have the best meat pies in town. If you’d like to try bush-tucker - Aboriginal food featuring kangaroo and other unusual ingredients - you’ll find it at a number of select restaurants. While it’s only been legal to serve kangaroo since 1993, its popularity has grown with tourists who want to give it a try.

Sydney’s location on the harbor makes seafood a restaurant staple. It’s served exclusively by a number of leading restaurants around the city, including the Five Dock Seafoods Cafe and Fishface. These and many other restaurants have a fresh supply of the best seafood, including calamari and octopus, prawns, mussels, barramundi and snapper. That’s all thanks to the nearby Sydney Fish Market.

The king of seafood in Sydney is still the popular Doyles Hotel. It’s the oldest seafood restaurant in the city, and one of the best. Located on the beachside, it also provides a wonderful view of Watsons Bay.

For great Italian food, try Mezzaluna or Gelbison, though you shouldn’t forget to look for some of the best pasta in the city in Little Italy (Norton Street in the Leichhardt inner city). Sydney’s fashionable cafes also have a strong Italian influence. Check out some of these establishments on Potts Point, Bondi Beach, or Darlinghurst.

Some of the town’s trendiest spots also serve great coffee. For a good cup, check Bar Coluzzi, La Buvette, Bills, or Tropicana.

European influence can be spotted elsewhere, too. French restaurants include Sel et Poivre and Bistro Moncur. The Greek Mykonos and Spanish Capitan Torres are a hit with locals and visitors, and you’ll find the best in Eastern European food at Corner 75.

For Asian food, whether you prefer Thai, Sri Lankan, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Singaporean, or Phillipines, Malaysian, Indian and Iranian food, Sydney has great choices. The Malaya, Lebanon and Beyond, Blue Elephant and Chinta Ria are all well recommended.

For Japanese food, check out Sushi Suma, Dragonfly, the Raw Bar and Shimbashi. You’ll get your fill of tempura, teriyaki, noodles, sashimi and sushi.

For restaurant hoppers, each district offers a little something different. In the west suburbs, Turkish and Cambodian restaurants are great choices, while the south suburbs offer Lebanese and Greek food. In the north, expect great Japanese, African, and Indian restaurants, and European and Indonesian establishments to the south.

Is a view a priority? Consider The Summit, Catalina, or the Boathouse. For vegetarians, Harvest or Govinda’s are great options, and if you’re looking for a trendy place to eat, Bayswater Brasserie Restaurant and Hugo’s won’t fail to please.

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Buying Made to Measure Blinds for the Home

by James Anthony

Today if you want rather than trawling from one curtain shop to the next instead purchase your made to measure blinds online instead. As you will soon discover there are plenty of companies online who can offer you a wide range of blinds that are made to measure at really great prices.

As you will soon discover there are plenty of reasons for you to consider buying blinds which have been made to measure online and below we look at what some of them are.

1. Although you will need to fit the blinds yourself it is a very simple task and you will be assured that the blinds you order will fit your windows perfectly. 2. Many retail stores offer a good range of made to measure blinds but by going online you will have hundreds of different colors and styles to select from rather than 10 or 20. 3. Made to measure blinds are often shipped free to those who order theirs online and you will get far better discounts if you decide to buy yours online.

However if you are going to be ordering your made to measure blinds online you need to know the right way to measure your windows. Below we take you through the steps of what you need to do in order that you measure your windows accurately before you start ordering the new blinds for them.

First of you need to get the necessary pieces of equipment together to measure your windows for the blinds. All you need is a good quality steel measuring tape; this will ensure that the measurements you take are accurate. Plus you will need a pencil and some paper to then write down the measurements. If you can ask a family member or friend to help you when doing the measuring.

After you have got your tape measure, paper and pencil together then next thing you need to decide is do you want your blinds to be mounted inside or outside the window casing? For those that are going to be mounted inside the window casing there needs to enough room for all the blinds hardware to fit, especially important if you want yours to be flush.

Normally people will opt for the outside mounted blinds because the molding around theirs is not that attractive. Therefore if you intend to go for the outside mounted ones you need to decide just how much larger than the window opening you want your blinds to be. At the same time as you measure for an outside mounted blind you need to be aware of any obstructions.

It is best to have at least two inches of space at the top, bottom and sides of the windows for blinds which are to be mounted on the outside of the casement. Plus add on some further inches to give a good overlap of the window, but which will avoid any obstructions if there are any. The blind that you fit should offer you privacy, but still provide sufficient light into the room.

Once you have your measurements down then can you start searching for your made to measure blinds. It is important that you check your measurements several because the cost of buying made to measure blinds over standard ones is considerably more.

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