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John Lee Dumas (JLD), the founder of Entrepreneur on Fire and author of Common Path to Uncommon Success, shares some great entrepreneurial lessons that can be applied to cold calling.
John Lee Dumans was a young man who first considered starting a podcast. He had an idea to produce one episode per day. His friends believed it was impossible to produce as many episodes in such short time. Because of the uncertainty about how audiences would react to such a large amount of content, there were no examples of other people trying this.
John Lee Dumas realized that he had to find someone who would hold him responsible before he published his first episode of the new show. He did some research on podcasting and sought out someone who was familiar with the process. Instead, he found a mentor who had done exactly what he was trying to do. He was able to avoid the pitfalls, and it all worked out.
John Lee Dumans discovered that he could not wait to get his podcasting skills perfected before publishing. Although he knew that he had to get started and continue improving over time, he pushed it off for several months.
He published his first episode without any editing or rehearsals.
The Entrepreneur on Fire podcast now has over 1,000,000 monthly listeners and is ranked among the top iTunes business podcasts.
These are three key takeaways from John Lee Dumass' story that can be used to cold call.
1. Set a big, crazy goal
A crazy goal keeps you motivated and focused. In order to break the cycle of mediocrity in my appointment setting, I set out a crazy goal. I would book 15 appointments per calendar day. Although my coworkers thought I was crazy, they were able to see the amazing results through persistence in pursuing this insane goal. If you have a crazy, big goal such as JLD, you can achieve it too.
Related: How to get over the most challenging part of cold calling
2. 2. Find the right mentor
Mentorship is key to achieving breakthrough results in your next cold-call campaign. Zig's book See You at the Top was my mentor. He helped me to think positively and feel more confident by helping me claim my goal mantra every time I looked in the mirror.
Look for someone who has succeeded in your goal or can help you overcome any obstacles.
John Lee Dumas knew he needed a mentor to help him achieve his goals. He was guided by his business intuition and sought out someone who could help him achieve success in the podcasting industry.
Related: 3 Cold Call Tips That Will Help You Book 15 Appointments A Day
3. Don't procrastinate! Get started today
Procrastination is the reason salespeople often hesitate to begin their prospecting campaigns. This is why it's so common for salespeople to be reluctant to start their prospecting campaign. According many polls, this obstacle is a top reason for dialing for dollars.
John Lee Dumans recommends that you get started, and not be too concerned about perfection from the beginning. As you gain experience, you'll be able to improve your phone skills. If you want to succeed at cold calling, make sure you pick up the phone when you get to work.
Related: 5 Corny Jokes That Will Get You Over Cold-Calling Gatekeepers
