Why Use "Cold Calling" as a Model?

"Lead Generation" uses Cold Calling as an example to show how to develop any effective Marketing or Sales strategy. The reason is that, when it comes to Sales and Marketing, Cold Calling is arguably the most comprehensive skill to master. It requires the ability to get people's attention, and quickly establish credibility and rapport with people who are almost always disinterested and often antagonistic. It requires empathy, tenacity and the ability to ask good questions. And it requires good listening skills, as well as a thorough understanding of the product, its applications, its underlying needs, its market, and its benefits.

Done correctly though, Cold Calling is one of the most effective, and cost-effective, tactics available. And so, if you understand what goes into making a good Cold Call, you can do just about anything else in Marketing or Sales successfully.

The problem, of course, is that many people don't like to do it, usually because of the rejection associated with not being able to do it well. But the fact remains that, if you can design and execute an effective Cold Call, then the very same skills and assets that enable you to make an effective Cold Call can easily be applied to any Marketing or Sales strategy.

And so this book serves two needs.

• First, if you want to learn how to make more effective Cold Calls or sales calls, "Lead Generation" will teach you everything you need to know in order to do it, and do it well.


• Second, if you want to be able to develop and implement any other marketing or sales program, "Lead Generation" will show you how to adapt its "how to" for making a good cold call to virtually any other Marketing Mix element or Sales tactic you care to use.

In other words, "Lead Generation" contains everything you need to know in order to be successful in Marketing or Sales.

The Lead Generation Paradigm
Contrary to popular belief, Lead Generation isn't a band-aid you can put on a failing Marketing program to stop it from bleeding out. And it isn't a way to turn otherwise bad leads into good ones. Lead Generation is a high-level strategy that guides and controls your Marketing and Sales plans - so they work, work well, and work together.

The High-Level View
An effective Lead Generation strategy is built on an understanding of customer needs, your company's competitive position in the market, and its Value Proposition in the eyes of its prospects. From there you can create virtually any Marketing and Sales initiatives - but this time they're going to work!

Continuous Process Improvement
The Lead Generation paradigm not only enables you to grow your sales and market share, but it enables you to take your business to the next level and beyond - no matter how the competition responds.

Accountability
One of the many things that makes a Lead Generation strategy unique is that it creates meaningful Accountability. Other approaches virtually guarantee finger-pointing between Marketing and Sales. But a Lead Generation strategy insures that everyone sings from the same sheet of music. So you get the results you need, at a cost you can afford.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Josephson is the founder and CEO of LeadGen.com, for over 30 years a leader in Marketing and Sales. Jeff and his team have generated over $4 billion in new sales for their clients, through both time-tested and innovative new techniques. This is Jeff's second book, which focuses on the specific steps needed to develop an effective strategy for growing sales, no matter what business you're in.