Has Cold Calling Gone Cold (Lampertz) (FINAL)（冷打电话了(Lampertz)(最终)）.pdf

KELLER CENTER RESEARCH REPORT Has Cold Calling Gone Cold? By Dale Lampertz Deeply embedded in real estate agent training and development literature is the directive to be constantly engaged in lead-generation activities. Lead-generation is an essential function for all salespeople, and is a particularly proactive approach real estate agents can use to build a strong network of prospective business relationships. Based on experience and personal preference, each agent will have his/her opinion on which lead-generating mechanisms work most effectively. Some will argue that investing in direct mail advertising is more effective than Internet-based advertising. Some will argue that holding open houses has a greater impact than calling on expired listings. Most will argue that a mix of a number of activities will produce the strongest lead-generating outcomes. While most agents will defend the effectiveness of each these activities at some level, though, the value and effectiveness of cold calling might spark the most heated debate among lead-generation-active agents. Although some agents swear by the effectiveness and legitimacy of the cold call, others have a much more negative view of this traditional approach. A lack of empirical data on the efficacy of cold calling only promotes the continual back-and-forth debate, as most arguments for or against the practice lean solely on unsupported, anecdotal data. In the fall of 2011, Baylor University’s Keller Center for Research and a team of Baylor MBA students partnered with the research and development department at Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) to begin to quantify the importance and effectiveness of cold calling as a prospecting tool. Specifically, the study sought to measure the effectiveness of the toughest, true cold call – a totally unqualified list. The study reveals that agents willing to invest the time, energy and resources into c