Cold calling. Is it a dying art? Do you dread the process?
Most Sales professionals consider cold calling as the most intimidating aspect of the sales process and unfortunately it is a necessary part of a sale today. If you want to win new customers, you have to reach out to prospects on the phone.
I have tried to put together a few guidelines that I ask my team to follow when making calls
Background Research
Good research is the backbone of a cold call. I insist that my team be well read about the prospect, his/her company and the latest updates within the industry & company to be able to engage in conversations with prospects. Starting a call by discussing the prospects business and industry always works better than talking about your own product/ service
Resistance to pick up the Phone
It is very important that you make cold calls when you are fresh, energized & at your sharpest. This for most people is at the start of a working day. I advise my team to line up calls towards the first half of the day and spend time in the second half on research activities, reporting & other administrative work. Also thinking of a cold call to a prospect as a friendly conversation is important. Always believe in the value you bring to the table.
Opening a Call
A prospect will make up his mind in the first 30 seconds of your call on whether he wants to talk to you or not. It is very important to have a good opening statement which you remember and don’t have to read out on the phone. I recommend that my team includes a greeting, an introduction (of yourself & your company), a reference point (ideally about the prospect from your research), one strong value that you bring to the table. It should end with an open ended question which moves the cold call into a conversation
Gatekeepers are your Allies
Secretaries and assistants are the nucleus of all information within most organizations. They are the go to between you and the decision makers in an organization. They can direct you towards the right person, help you understand the latest on goings within the organization, help you with your prospects time availability and in some cases help you understand how your product/ service might be used within the organization.
Focus on Objectives
Always remember the purpose of your call. Primarily it is to qualify the prospect (based on his need & authority), educate him/her about the value of your product/service & come out of the call with a clear actionable (follow up mails/calls or face to face meetings). It is very important that you learn about the prospect and stimulate interest in him/her about your product/service.
Persistence is very important while cold calling. According to industry stats, 80% of new sales are made after the 4th contact, yet the majority of salespeople give up after the 2nd call. Follow up and keep calling.
Hozefa Sodawala
Senior Delivery Manager
QEDbaton
Terrific work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher!