How to Turn a Cold Call into a Gold Call

When you learn how to turn a Cold Call into a Gold Call, it can seem like magic! 

Chellie Campbell,
Financial Stress Reduction Expert

When you get a call from someone interested in your product or service, do you always say the right thing? 

I’ve blown it a number of times. But sometimes, I can even turn a bad call into a great call! 

Here’s one of my favorite examples from “The Wealthy Spirit."

Can you see what I did wrong? And then how I turned it around? 

How to Turn a Cold Call into a Gold Call 

“You have to take it as it happens, but you should try to make it happen the way you want to take it.” German Proverb 

“My friend, Judy, told me I had to take your workshop. When is your next one?” said the female voice on the phone. 

I was so happy to get the call—a ship coming in to harbor that I didn’t send out!—that I made a classic mistake: I answered her question. 

“The next eight-week session begins on Wednesday from 3:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon.” I replied. 

“Oh, I can’t come in the afternoon!” she exclaimed, “I work during the day. Where are you located?” 

“I’m in Pacific Palisades.” 

“Oh, no. I’m in Pasadena, that’s much too far away for me. How much does the seminar cost?” 

“One thousand dollars,” I answered. (This was the price in 1994.) 

“Oh, no! There’s no way I can afford that!” 

Do you see the problem? This woman called to enroll in my seminar and proceeded to ask questions about the FEATURES of the seminar (when is it, where is it, etc.) instead of the BENEFITS of the seminar (how will it improve my life?). 

I then proceeded to answer her questions, instead of telling her what she really wanted to know. 

It is a classic mistake salespeople often make. I gave control to the prospect, I talked instead of listened, I addressed the wrong issue. 

Finally, I realized my error! 

So then I took control and turned the conversation around: 

“I understand,” I said sympathetically. “But let me ask you a question. If the seminar was at a time you could come, a place that was convenient, and a price you could afford—what would you want to get out of it?” 

“Well, I don’t know exactly, but I have a lot of stress around money in my life . . .” 

With one question, I had taken back control of the conversation. 

I asked more questions: What do you see as your biggest problem with money? How long have you had this problem? What would you most like to change about the money in your life? And so on. 

After she answered these questions, and told me her vision of success, I saw that she would benefit from taking my course. 

Then I shared with her the success stories of people just like herself who had benefited from the workshop in the specific ways she wanted to benefit. 

By the end of the conversation, she got so excited about the possibilities, she exclaimed, “Okay, I’m in! Tell me how to get there.” She voluntarily threw out all her objections and enrolled in the class, because she wanted the benefits. 

What do people come to you for? How do they benefit? That’s what you have to give—and what you have to sell. 

Today’s Affirmation: “People love to buy from me!” 

Even though it was years ago, I remember that conversation so well! I learned a lot from that experience that helped me with sales conversations ever since. 

Isn’t it funny how often we learn the most from our mistakes? 

Being able to have a good sales conversation is a skill everyone needs to develop. 

You might be selling your product or service, or you may just be convincing your child to pick up their room, or a friend to go with you to the movie you want to see. 

One of the biggest mistakes is that people are so afraid of making a bad sales call that they don’t make any sales calls . . .

Chellie Campbell, Financial Stress Reduction Expert, is the author of bestselling books The Wealthy Spirit, Zero to Zillionaire, and most recently From Worry to Wealthy: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Success Without the Stress. She is widely quoted in major media including Redbook, Good Housekeeping and more than 50 popular books. She has been treating Money Disorders like Spending Bulimia and Income Anorexia in her Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops for over 25 years. Her website is www.chellie.com.