Really doesn't matter as long as your like the investment, it is safe and you have some reason to believe that the prospect would want the product.

For a cold prospect.

Mr prospect, I have a safe fixed rate investment paying X (and if it is over 3% people will now listen). The best thing about this investment is that it pays interest X times a year.

Then I shut up.

It doesn't matter. Lead with whatever you got. If they don't like it tell them to come in so you can SHOW them your other ideas.

ND - I've looked at your avatar dozens of times and just now noticed the jet above the car.  Am I guessing correctly that you're a Top Gear fan? 

Yield matters!!!!

The purpose of the call is to get their attention, not to sell that product or bond on the first call. High yields do that.

Here are a couple of ideas: Add your intro/close etc

1. I'm calling today with a guranteed investment that's yielded over 7%, does this sound like something you could have an interest in?

Ok a little word play in use here because the investment, an Equity linked CD, doesn't offer a guaranteed return. However, the latest batch, that paid their one year int in May paid 7%. Others, eariler in the year paid as much as 13%. Not bad considering the opportunity cost!

Once the prospect bites explain it like this:

It's an Equity linked Cerficate of Deposit. it's fully guaranteed by the federal goverment for payment of principle.You can not lose your money. The CDs we've placed over the past year are returning between 7 and 11%. Can i send you some information on it?

2. A whole lot less exotic - Oppenheimer state funds. Both Nj and Pa are in the mid high fives/almost six. The national fund is over 7%.

I"m calling with an investment that yields over 7% tax free. That's the same as CD yielding over 10%. Do you currently have any CDs yielding 10%? ( the fact that these investments are apples and oranges on the risk spectrum is not pertinent- don't write don't call - that gets covered on the closing call/meeting)

Or

Does that sound like something you could have an interest in?

or

Could i send you some information on it?

All day long with these calls. Qualify 50/100k

Again, the purpose is to get a conversation going.

[quote=Spaceman Spiff]

ND - I've looked at your avatar dozens of times and just now noticed the jet above the car.  Am I guessing correctly that you're a Top Gear fan? 

[/quote] Was! The BBC show, right? Yeah I'm a big fan of anything FAST, except your planning software . I don't follow various motorsports as often as I did before entering this biz though. I don't do many things I did in the past come to think of it. Hopefully soon things will slow down.

BG, Thanks.

 I do not have Indexed CDs right now, but I will in the next couple of months. After reading through your posts, I bought Bill Good's book, "Prospecting your way to sales success". I can tell he has had an impact on your career. Using the product to start a conversation in order to qualify the prospect feels right to me. Also, it is helping me with rejection. I reject them or disqualify them. It sounds crazy until you do it.

I had a recruiter do it to me the other day. He called me and gave me his pitch about his firm and I said no thanks. Before I could say another word, he told me that there were "tons" of people who would love to work for his company and "Thankyouverymuch". Click. 

I'll keep digging to find a yield to get their attention. Thanks again.

How much do you make if you get a client to buy a Equity linked CD yielding 7%?

2%