The thought of cold calling someone who hasn’t expressed an interest in buying is scary enough. You need to be confident, prepared and resilient. The approach you take to make cold sales calls is different to the technique used for other sales work.
In order to exceed sales targets when cold calling, you need to have effective strategies in place. You need to understand how the contact details of the person you are calling were obtained. And how the person fits in to the market for the product or service you are selling.
But before we get started, what does cold calling really mean in the 21st century.
Are cold calls truely cold anymore?
It used to be that companies would get a data list with contact information including the name of the ‘decision maker’ and just start calling. Then came email marketing when people were sent often unsolicited emails or newsletters encouraging upsales for existing customers of other products.
Today, marketing professionals have a range of tools that make cold selling easier. For instance , gathering data to provide sales teams with insights that can inform their approach to sales. An example would be how a potential customer uses the company website, which pages they visit and how long they spend on each page. Such information is gathered through cookies planted on a person’s device and will provide a range of information including how often a person visits a particular webpage and possibly which other sites and products they view.
Text messaging is also a means of contacting people and depending on the demographic may be more effective than email marketing. The evolving nature of communication means that ‘cold’ calling is much warmer these days than before the widespread adoption of the internet.
The effect of scammers
Scam calls have become an experience we regrettably all share. The effect has meant that the advantage earned through marketing and research is hampered by hostility and suspicion. Allowing the person to verify your identity before asking for personal information is a good way to proceed if you want people to trust you.
Preparation
Make sure you do your homework. Understand who you are calling before you begin your call. Get a good picture of their pain points and why they might want your product or service. Consider the benefits of your product or service compared to the competition so if the person you call tells you they get your wares elsewhere, you can make a case for your offering.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking your callers are all the same. The more you can tailor your conversation to the needs of the individual the more successful you will be.
Set goals
In order to track your progress and stay motivated, it is useful to define realistic sales targets. These targets should be measurable and achievable. Break down your goals into manageable steps or milestones, which will help you stay focused and motivated throughout the cold calling process.
Craft an engaging discussion outline
Draw up an outline of what you want to say and pre-empt objections. I’m not a fan of a full script. It treats everyone as the same and can come across as false. You are more likely to sound natural and interested in the person you are speaking to if you allow the conversation to flow.
The sales technique
- Once you’ve done all your preparation its time to get started. Start with a warm opening, such as a friendly greeting and mention any common connection or referral if possible. If you can get the potential customer to trust you the rest becomes much easier.
- Listen to what the person says and don’t push if they don’t want to continue with the call. You may want to try the contact again at a later date so you don’t want to make a bad impression.
- If the potential customer shows interest and speaks about their needs make sure you take note. Focusing on their pain points will enable you to close the sale. If no information is forthcoming refer to your research. The aim is to hook the person by highlighting the benefits of buying from you.
- Building rapport in cold selling is a lot harder than with warm leads but if you can get there the rest will go more smoothly.
- Speak clearly and avoid using jargon or technical terms that may confuse your potential new customer. If appropriate, share success stories or case studies that illustrate results.
Anticipating common objections
If someone is busy, relaxing or just not interested be polite. It may be you can offer to call back at a more convenient time. Or send an email with details of the call for them to look at later. Never be rude, hang up or ignore their reaction. You need to be receptive to hostility in order to understand how to get passed it.
Make sure you’ve researched your competitors and understand how your offering is better in each individuals case than the competition.
And finally…
Doing cold calling well takes practice. If you just approach the task in the same way every time and find you’re rejected over and over again, its time to step back and reconsider your approach. Some companies insist you follow a script and in these circumstances your options are limited. However, if you have some control over how you carry out your work take advantage of the opportunity to develop your own style. Make sure you do your preparation and you might just find exceeding those sales targets is something you look forward to.