I’m reaching out to all the wholesalers. When cold calling, do you ever run into people thinking it’s a scam and how do you overcome this objection?

I have done and still do a lot of cold calling...by knocking on their door. I don't have enough info from you to answer why you are getting the "Scam Objection". Is it your approach? Are you F2F or on the phone? What are you telling them to get the scam vibe out there? I have been doing door knocking for years and never had that objection... Let me know more details and see if I can help you out...

Are they saying the call is coming in labeled as "Scam"? The major wireless carriers have built in technology that'll automatically label some calls as "Scam Likely"

If they're saying they believe you're a scam after you talk to them about your offer/service, you need to work on your approach. They don't trust you. Brainstorm and work on your "script". Roleplay, practice, record your call.

@Doug Crenshaw I was doing some cold calling from an absentee owner list that I had skip traced. We got to talking about a property and I simply ask his name just to confirm who I was speaking to. He then said I’m just trying to make sure this isn’t a scam. I don’t see how it would be if I’m trying to buy his property.

@Sergio Alvarez I definitely don’t doubt I need to work on my approach. I’m trying to put together a list of direct questions to ask but first I need to figure out how to break the ice. He did ask how did I get his number as well. I thought I gave a pretty legit answer with trying to be as honest as possible

I make about 700 cold calls daily and on average talk to about 30 people. You will have to follow-up with them via calls, mail and in person a few times to get them to trust you. Give them lots of value, show them you know what you're talking about. You may not make a deal now, but if you're persistent and resourceful you will get business.

As someone who spent 7 years going door to door (3 of those years were spent training other people), I've found your ability to open professionally but authentically makes a big difference in whether someone is going to trust you or not. Focus on your tone of voice and make you intro short but clear. 

@Jason Johnson ,

I haven't done much in the way of cold calling yet, but it makes sense that someone would be wary.  I get calls from different people and businesses, and I'm always vigilant looking for signs of it being a scam.  Quite frankly, the best scammers come across as legit. 

If someone were to ask me that, I would start by mirroring them.  Tell them you completely understand why they would ask that question, and then tell them that you also find it hard to trust people when they call you out of the blue.  Then explain to them that you're not going to ask them for any personal information or money or anything like that.

At this point, they will either disengage, or keep talking.  If they keep talking, then handle the call as you would any other.  If they won't talk to you, then move on... but follow up.  If they hear from you a few times, they may loosen up.

What have you given them, over the phone, to let them think it's not a scam. By the way, many wholesalers are using "scam" language when talking to sellers so you can't really balk at their reluctance. You said above that you don't why they would think you are scamming when you are offering to buy their house, but are you? Are you a wholesaler who can close if you don't find an end buyer or are you a wholesaler who can not close if you don't find someone? Because if the latter, one could argue the lead-in to the call is a scam. "I want to buy your house" is not exactly what is happening with most wholesale contracts and I'm sure you don't lead with "I want to assign your house to someone else." Too often we don't look at how we would feel on the other side. Personally, I terrorize cold callers when they call me for anything so I don't know why you think someone would be receptive just because some voice is claiming they want to buy their house with no references or visual notes that could tell them who you are.

@Jason Johnson The sheer volume of cold texts I receive makes me block them. It's replaced all the letters and postcards I used to receive. Just too many imo.

Originally posted by @Jason Johnson :

@Doug Crenshaw I was doing some cold calling from an absentee owner list that I had skip traced. We got to talking about a property and I simply ask his name just to confirm who I was speaking to. He then said I’m just trying to make sure this isn’t a scam. I don’t see how it would be if I’m trying to buy his property.

Jason, I now deployed apps on my landline as well as my cell phone numbers blocking cold callers. It's not often, but through the years, I had door knockers come, and due to bad experiences, I no longer answer the door, and recently installed a video security system that I can see who's at my front door before we answer.

Some years back, I was home by myself when the doorbell rang. I usually answer out of courtesy back then, and often answer the door, see what it's about, and send them on my way. But once, when I moved to a new neighborhood, some strange lady rang the bell, I opened the front door to see who it is, she demanded to see somebody who supposedly lived there. I answered I just moved here, don't know anyone by that name. On hearing that, she pushed passed me, ran up the stairs to the second floor, yelled someone's name, saying "I know you're hiding here" going through all the bedrooms opening my closet doors, then went downstairs to my rec room doing the same. That was years ago, no cell phones, I ran out of the house, across the street, and waited for her to leave. I then called the police. Thereafter, I installed an intercom at the front door, (that's before RING), ask who it is, and send them on their way.

Recently, my wife had a persistent door ringer, and she went down to see who it is. We moved years ago from the other house, had not installed intercoms, and spoke behind the front door to the man waiting outside seeing him through a side glass panel asking him what it was about. The man kept yelling, "open the door". Told me about it later, said she didn't open the front door as the man appeared angry. We had another door in front of the front door, steel gated door, but our girls who goes to school is in the habit of not locking it, so recalling what happened to me years ago, figured if she open the front door, the angry man might push his way in, and who knows what will happen.

We held off installing CCTV system. for our house, but after the latest incident, spent $1950 installing a 5 camera security system. The system did not include intercom, so we told the installer we might install RING later, which costs $195 with $100 installation so we can speak to the person ringing the bell . This way, we don't have to yell through the door communicating to an angry man. We had a intercom that came with the house that is broken

As to cold callers, they come through on my caller ID, on the landline and cell and it's blocked by apps ringing only once. The caller ID normally has a number and a name. I would google the name or number and they usually don't match. Usually it's neighborhood spoofing, where it's a local business, it shows up as a local number, but when I Google it, it's some 80 year old local lady that has no business calling me. I have picked up calls, recently when I called my doctor, then answering the phone 5 minutes later thinking it's my doctor returning the call, but it was a solar panel company salesman. I had to get the guy off the phone explaining I'm waiting for an important call from my doctor. But he didn't believe me and kept on yapping so I hung up. I use to get six or more such calls a day each on the landline and the cell, before I installed the call blocking apps. 

So the results of cold calling and door knocking me? The local security company got a $1,950 job out of it.

However, I am an absentee owner of a rental, 40 minutes from me that I owned for almost 40 years. I have received postcard solicitations time to time about my selling it. So in my case, post card solicitation gets to me, not cold calling and door knocking.

Just be honest, tell them who you are and what your intentions are. You can’t talk someone into selling at a discount, but you can find people in situations that are willing and anxious to trade equity for speed and ease of close.