So as I was perusing my TweetDeck the other day, I saw that my buddy, appointment setting guru Mike Damphousse wrote a blog entry last week that I missed (sorry about that pal!)  However, I did want to use this opportunity to spring board into another Point – Counterpoint on The CRAP Report.  Mike’s article, entitled Appointment Setting: Was I Duped? really struck a chord with me.  Mike shared with readers that he “fell victim” to an appointment setting technique, and one that had his own organization, Green Leads, used, would give them a tainted reputation.  He had me hooked right away.  I wanted to know what happened to him that made him feel like someone pulled the wool over his eyes.  I was surprised to read what happened.

Mike went on to share what the dupe was: 

I got an unsolicited calendar invite in my inbox with a bridge number, date and time.

Mike had received a calendar invite from someone selling (completely unbeknownst to him prior to the call) a “SaaS telecom/VOIP solution” without really knowing who was inviting him to the call.  Mike had taken the call because he figured that he must’ve spoken with the guy, because who else would send him an invite like that?  Mike ends his post with, “How low can you go?  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”  If I understand and read Mike correctly, he’s not too happy with this teleprospecting technique, using calendar invites to get on people’s schedules.  I can see where he’s coming from, however, I think it’s a great tactic.

I get Mike’s point – who the heck is this guy, who doesn’t know me from a whole in the wall, getting time on my calendar to talk to me about his product!?  This rep is being über forward and has really pushed the envelope here.  I get all of that…and I love it.  I love it because I’ve seen it work for my clients.  I’ve seen plenty of BDR’s send Outlook invites to their prospects prefaced with things like, “I hope you don’t mind me taking this initiative…,” or, “I know this may be a bit forward but…” and fully qualify those individuals because they wouldn’t have picked up their phone otherwise but for something that was on their calendar.  I don’t think it’s a sleaze ball strategy at all, because the person receiving the invite can always decline.

If you’ve got a teleprospecting team, or maybe you’ve partnered with one to supply with you sales qualified leads, you know that finding those sales ready opportunities is not easy.  Teleprospectors use everything at their disposal to uncover leads, and utilizing calendar invites is just one of those tools.  It’s a battle out there, it really is.  Sure, the economy is turning around (slowly), but that doesn’t mean it makes teleprospecting any easier.  BDR’s need to take every advantage they can to ensure that their reps are the first ones in the door, and sometimes those methods make people uneasy; those methods, however, are no less effective (especially if they work).  Prospects are harder and harder to get in touch with these days; people do not pick up their phones half as much as they did 10 years ago, and they didn’t do that much then either!

To me, using calendar invites for prospecting’s sake is akin to Jim Malone’s strategy to helping Eliot Ness capture Al Capone from The Untouchables.  Malone says to Ness, “You wanna know how to get Capone?  They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue.”  It might not be pretty, but it works.

What do you think about using calendar invites for B2B lead generation purposes?

I read an article this week and watched a webcast that had opposing viewpoints on an issue that teleprospectors must deal with on a daily basis.  It got me thinking, “maybe I can use these two views as a springboard for something new on The CRAP Report.”  After talking it through with a trusted advisor, I think I’m going to go for it.  So, here we go, The CRAP Report’s first (of hopefully many) Point – Counterpoint edition:

Steve Richard, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Vorsight, wrote an article for MANAGEsmarter, entitled Cold Calling Lives.  He offers some great tips on making more effective cold calls.  Steve’s second cold calling tip, “Lead into the conversation like a pro,” makes the point that you (teleprospectors, telesales, sales folks) should separate yourself from every other person calling your prospect by asking, “Do you have a quick sec?”  Steve goes on to say that the purpose for asking the question shows that the caller respects the prospect’s time.  He also mentions using the person’s title (that you’ve attained through research) shows the prospect you’ve done a little homework.  I agree with the latter point, no doubt.  The former?  That’s where I’m torn!  Let me flesh this out a little more for you.

Nicole Puddester and Jaime Miller, two of AG Salesworks’ Implementation Managers, were featured in a webcast this week, entitled Perspectives in Teleprospecting: A Qualification Strategy.  Nicole and Jaime bring up that one of the things they debate about during teleprospecting training is whether or not to ask a prospect if they’ve been caught at a good time.  Jaime said that she’s wary about asking that question as it is an opportunity for someone to get off the phone fast, and Nicole’s response is black and white – the prospect picked up the phone, and in doing so, is making the statement that they’re ready to talk.  She goes on to say that a BDR should let the prospect tell them if it’s a bad time rather than offer the opportunity at the onset of the call.

So what do we make of this?

Steve makes a fantastic point.  Prospects receive sales calls all the time, and asking “Do you have a quick sec?” certainly sets you apart from most.  By doing so, you’re showing your prospect that you respect their time and understand its value.  I think most people really appreciate that.  It stands to reason that you’re going to have better conversations with folks who think they’re respected.  Conversely, both Jaime and Nicole make great points, too.  If you’ve ever made a teleprospecting call, you know that you don’t have a lot of time with someone once they do pick up the phone.  Asking a prospect if you’ve caught them at a bad time, or if they have a quick second to talk opens up a door for them to get off the phone quicker.  Why would we ever want to GIVE someone a chance to get off the phone?!  Additionally, if they didn’t want to speak, it’s certainly completely plausible that they wouldn’t have picked up the phone to begin with.

I can understand both sides of the argument, I really can.  For years I’ve told BDR’s to always ask a prospect if they’ve been caught at a bad time because of the respect it shows.  However, if I had to make a choice for one side or the other for the rest of my life, I guess I’d have to say not to ask the question because it does allow the prospect to be let off the hook easily.  Getting someone to actually pick up their phone is completely out of a BDR’s hands – that is something completely out of their control, and because of that, I can’t tell them to give that prospect an out as soon as they pick up that phone.  I get where Steve is coming from, though (I’m with you in spirit, Steve, I really am!), but I just can’t advocate for that practice any longer.

What about you?  What do you tell your BDR’s to do once a prospect picks up the phone?