How do you get past the receptionist on a cold call?
Be short, be honest about why you are calling, and ask for a specific person or role.
Say in one sentence why you are calling, for example that you help firms with corporate secretarial renewals and would like to speak to whoever looks after that. On whether to give your company name, Sandler advises giving your first name, possibly your last name, but not your company name. It says this "may or may not make cold calling easier" but "will get you past more gatekeepers".
What should you say to the receptionist?
Open with a plain statement and a request. Sandler advises against opening with a question first, and describes a formal question such as "Is Don Jones in?" as putting the caller at a disadvantage.
A workable pattern has three parts: your name, the reason in one sentence, and the question. For example: "This is Mei Ling. I'm calling about quarterly pest inspections for your office. Who looks after building or facilities matters?" Asking who handles the topic gives the receptionist a simple question to answer.
Write the reason for the call before you dial. If you cannot say it in one sentence, shorten it before you pick up the phone.
What if the receptionist still says no?
Take the information you are given and try again on a different day. Ask for the name and role of the right person, the best time to reach them, and whether email is preferred.
Do not argue and do not call back within the hour. Plan on several attempts per number, spread over different days, and record the outcome of each so that you do not repeat yourself.
If your list has direct lines or mobile numbers for the decision-maker, the receptionist may not be involved at all. The next section covers the Do Not Call rules.
Do the Do Not Call rules apply when you call a company?
The Do Not Call (DNC) Registry's own information page states that telemarketing calls and messages aimed at other businesses are excluded from the DNC provisions. For the exact wording, read the Personal Data Protection Act and PDPC's guidance on the Do Not Call provisions before building a list.
Registry checks are made through the DNC Registry Portal at dnc.gov.sg. A check result is valid only for a limited period, so confirm the current period with PDPC before you rely on an old check. Anyone who asks not to be called again should be removed from your list straight away.
This is general information and not legal advice. If your case sits near the line, for example a sole proprietor's mobile number, check with a lawyer.
When does it make sense to hand the calling to someone else?
Calling well takes repeated attempts across several days, and that time adds up. If you or your sales lead cannot spend several hours a week on the phone, it is worth comparing the cost of paying for the calling with the time you would spend. If you want to learn what your list produces first, a small trial by yourself costs nothing but time.
Greetsby is an appointment-setting service in Singapore. It calls the people on your own list and books meetings into your calendar, with up to 4 call attempts per person on different days between 9.30am and 6.00pm. Calls show a Singapore number, and you approve the opening and the reason for the call before calls start.
Pricing is one flat price for each batch: 1,000 numbers cost S$1,800, 2,000 cost S$3,600 and 3,000 cost S$5,400, which is S$1.80 a number. There is no contract and no monthly fee. Greetsby does not promise a number of meetings, so the first batch shows what your own list produces. Every call is recorded and you can play any call on your list. You check your list against the Do Not Call Registry before sending it and confirm that you have done so when you upload it.
Questions
Should I tell the receptionist I am selling something?
Give a one-sentence reason for the call. Sandler suggests giving a first name, possibly a last name, and leaving out the company name, so choose the approach that suits you.
How many times should I call the same company?
Spread attempts over different days and different times of day. Greetsby uses up to 4 attempts per person on a new list, on different days between 9.30am and 6.00pm.
Can an individual insurance agent hire Greetsby?
No. Under MAS Notice FAA-N02, only the financial adviser firm may appoint an introducer, so the firm must sign up, not an individual representative.
How do I start with Greetsby?
Pick a batch on the Get started page of the website. You can also email hello@greetsby.com, and Greetsby replies within one working hour, 9.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Sources
- PDPC: Check numbers against Do Not Call (DNC) Registry
- PDPC: Do Not Call Registry (information page)
- Sandler: How to Get Past Gatekeepers
General information for businesses in Singapore, not legal advice.