In the age of the Internet, does cold calling still work?

Panelists at the spring 2017 joint conference with the Southeastern Fastener Association and Southwestern Fastener Association in New Orleans are still cold calling.

Chuck Smith of AZ Lifting Hardware noted that politicians know it takes seven touches with a voter to get them to come their way. 

“Cold calling is still a touch,” Smith declared. He said he doesn’t expect to walk away from the first cold call with an order.

Anthony Crawl, general manager of Martin Fastening Solution in Jackson, TN, questioned the value of cold calling, but noted that when he travels from South Georgia to North Georgia, “I can’t just go by potential customers. If I can’t see anyone that day, I can leave a card and literature. It is probably not effective, but I have to do it.”

In cold calling, Crawl seeks to speak to “as high in the company as I can go.”

Rodney Holmes, sales manager of the manufacturing division of Birmingham Fastener, reported 20% of new customers come from cold calling.

“People are busy but will free some time for me” on a cold call.

Kris Palmer of Delta Fastener Corp. noted personal sales calls have become more difficult with so much handled by email.

Smith declared the Internet only offers one thing: “Price.”

Associations offer networking and thus the “face-to-face time to build and maintain relationships,” Smith finds.

Holmes described most of fastener selling as “all about price until a current supplier drops the ball shutting down a line for two days.” Then come the fines.

Pam Berry of Advance Components finds Internet marketing requires “constant keeping up,” effective key words used in tweets to get Google ratings.

“You aren’t just saying ‘wood screw fasteners.’” That is more difficult because “What can you say about fasteners?” she asked.

Advance Components hired an intern to “help us know what is going on in the digital world.”

Advance uses traditional print, social media including tweeting, and a customer newsletter. Advance has added an online click through to its Internet store.

Holmes said the Birmingham Fastener website videos “get hits.”

AZ Lifting Hardware is not as dependent on its website because “we are not trying to sell outside our distribution base,” Smith commented.

Anthony Crawl finds even with the Internet there are still roles for salespeople. He said salespeople can help with cost savings on sales calls by spotting changes that could yield cost savings from 50 cents to 30 cents.

Martin Fastening has had success with LinkedIn, Crawl reported.

Palmer said Delta Fastener “tries to get ahead of the customers’ needs.”