TheLaughingWolf

Business Development Manager

I do not appreciate being cold called (SVP of Sales)

Had a call with a SVP yesterday, where they told me that they do not appreciate or take cold calls, then tells me to send them an email.

Well I do, and they then begin to berate me for calling them on their *gasp* mobile.

While I normally would ask well, how does your sales team reach out to prospects then? But, this was for an retail brand, so not sure if they do cold call people or not when getting in new stores.

Anyone know the ins and outs of retail so I know for a fact what I can or can not say next time it happens. lol

Edit: Been pretty sick since I posted this. Will go through the comments today. Have been basically in bed since Thursday ish.

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39 comments

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Phillip_J_Fry

Opinionated

Director of Revenue

Nothing gets my goat quite like sales leadership trash talking sales org methodologies while their team does the exact same thing.

Dolphin

Enterprise Account Executive

This! Similar story: talked to my CEO at seed-funded startup I was at who wanted me to make, as an AE, 25-50 cold calls a day. I asked him "if you get a call from an unknown number on your mobile, do you answer"? Of course he said no he wouldn't. I tried to explain using a variety of engagement approaches but that was pointless because he had some consultant tell him we needed to make more cold calls.

damorg3

Fire Starter

RIF'd former Mktg pro + Snr AE

1000x this. Literally quit my last gig after 1 month with no fallback because of the exact same situation. 9 employee startup with a CEO—a very smart HBS trained product and engineering leader—who had never worked a day of sales in her life. Despite giving the vague impression during the interview process that I'd have influence on the sales process (as a result of my comparatively lengthy tenure in sales relative to everyone else in the org) slammed a 50 call/day quota on me from day 1.
After a couple of weeks of about a 4% connect rate and maybe 1/100 calls resulting in a meeting, I spoke to the one other sales rep about his #s over the 6 months he'd been an AE there. Back of the napkin math yielded about 1.5 - 2.5 years required to hit my annual OTE #, depending on whether I was working 60 hours per week (with a 90 minute commute each way %^0 to slack with the ceo from 5 feet away) or just a measly 40.

Any and all suggestions that... I dunno, "Maybe pounding the phones as our primary means of acquiring new customers when we need to quintuple our revenue in 6 months is... not the best approach? Especially in the AI space where competition is extraordinarily fierce and major players will outspend you and outcall you 7 days a week?"

Deaf ears. So yeah, I noped right on out. Cold calling ain't dead, but IMHO spray-and-pray cold calling is a zombified corpse at this point... you better know exactly who you're calling, what their business does, why they need your service, and how you are the only one who can provide it to them. Making calls (and sending emails and linkedin messages and flowers to their house (jk, but ya know... whatever you gotta do to stand out) like that is incompatible with the boiler room machine gun mentality.

Gasty

Notable Contributor

War Room Community Manager

You should've cc'd a sales rep from their org. (category manager or something) in that email to the SVP.

"Dear Dick,
Sorry, I cold-called you today.
I will share feedback with my sales leadership about how people don't like being cold-called at all these days. Anyway, the reason I called was..."

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

Bravado's Resident Asshole

GOLD!

TheLaughingWolf

WR Officer

Business Development Manager

This is gold. Will be using this when it comes up again

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Little man syndrome

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

Bravado's Resident Asshole

Who knew Napoleon was a SVP! probably has a lifted truck too.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

He asked you to email him so he could yell at you there? What a spectacular asswipe move. Sorry, can't add value on the retail question.

js2458

Politicker

Enterprise SDR

I sell to your industry (retail tech) and let’s just say, it’s not just retailers who have this opinion…lmao

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

I used to think that sales org, leadership and sales folks would get me the most - would understand why I am calling.
I have recently accepted that not all sales people are good sales people - not all sales folks know what they are doing.

So it's fine, nothing personal lol.

ap_apac

Member

Seasoned Sales (PS & SaaS)

This is certainly an important realization. Did sales choose you? or you chose sales?

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

For me - Sales chose me.

TheLaughingWolf

WR Officer

Business Development Manager

Sales chose me through Reddit. LOL

TheLaughingWolf

WR Officer

Business Development Manager

Just find it frustrating when people don't practice what they preach. lol

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

They should be fired.

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

he's a real ass.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

🦡

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

🦊

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

If he can't appreciate effort, screw him.

SaaSguy

Tycoon

Account Executive

Sounds like a scrooge

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

a hundy percent

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

What an ass

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Guy's just a jerk. Carry on. There's no particular in or out of retail that's any different than CPG or MFG when it comes to calling your ICP.
And - it's a mobile. So tempting to text a bunch of emojis.

TheLaughingWolf

WR Officer

Business Development Manager

Oh yeah. I have to restrain myself from doing things like that. ha ha ha ha
I just got a reply today from someone who opted out, the proceeded to email saying that we have only 1 employee according to our website for some reason. Very odd.

Chep

WR Officer

Bitcoin Adoption Specialist

Sounds like buddy enjoys missing quota

GDO

Politicker

BDM

I really don't get how salespeople get annoyed by it. I kind of like getting cold-called. Especially by SDR's. I always try to give feedback. That's how I would like to be shot down :D

DataCorrupter

Politicker

Account Executive

You should let it go…

Or send him a package that blows confetti everywhere when he opens it. Either one.

pwnzor

Opinionated

Head of Sales

There's nothing to do differently next time, this is just not one of those things that you can avoid. It's all good, don't take it personal

HappyGilmore

Politicker

Account Executive

Guy sounds like an absolute tool. Probably has zero clue his sales team is calling prospect's mobile phones as well.

goose

Politicker

Sales Executive

I would say “it seems like now is not the right time” and move on.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 🦆🦆🦆

goose

Politicker

Sales Executive

Hello

HiddenLeadership

Executive

Snr Director of Sales

It really depends on your offering. Assuming the SVP is your ICP, i'd immediately open the call acknowledging he/she won't likely get many of these calls and give them a reason to listen for the next 5 minutes. Their version of sales is vastly different to those of a Saas offering. Not to trash talk an industry but it's quite likely (depending) they've never sold anything for 30 years.

ApocalyBoom

Politicker

Account Executive

You must send a sales representative from their company. (Category Manager or other) in an email to the Senior Vice President.

Regional Sales Manager

Well, that's a bit of a tricky situation, isn't it? When dealing with an SVP or any busy professional, it's important to be adaptable. If they initially prefer email, I'd stick to that and make sure my emails are clear and respectful. But, I'd also keep an eye out for any potential changes in their preferences. Sometimes, it's all about building a relationship over time, and they might become more open to phone calls once they know you better. So, my approach would be to respect their wishes but also stay open to evolving communication methods as the relationship develops.

SerialBiller

Executive

Account Executive

'I agree jack, I dont usually enjoy calling people out of the blue, but for you and X company, it was crucial for me to reach you this way... the reason is XXXXX'

Business Performance Advisor

when you cold call someone on their mobile here’s the start of the call :

“hello”

“i’m sorry i was looking for ABC Company. Do i have the wrong number?”

99% of the time you’ll get:

“well not really …this is Jon at ABC , how can i help you ?”

You’re in. .

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TheLaughingWolf

I do not appreciate being cold called (SVP of Sales)

39 comments

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