Sales Sales Sales

Cold Calling Tips

Cold Calling Is still by far the most effective sales tactic if done correctly.

The obituary for cold calling is premature. While in the perfect world, your phone would be ringing off the hook all day with clients offering you business, the reality is that if you want business, you need to go after it, be the cause, not the result, and cold calling is an effective sales tactic if it's done properly.

For most people however, I realise that they would rather spend an entire day in a dentist's chair than go cold calling. Does the thought of cold calling immediately make you think of that "other thing that you really should have got finished" These cold calling tips won't eliminate your fear, but they will help you make cold calling a more successful experience.

1. Focus on the goal when cold calling.

Beginners tend to think that cold calling is about making the sale. It's not. It's about getting the chance to make the sale. Specifically, the purpose of a cold call is to set an appointment to make the pitch.

2. Research your markets and prospects.

Which we spoke about last week. I know you all now know who your customes are

3. Prepare an opening statement for your cold call.

This lets you organize your thoughts before cold calling, and helps you avoid common mistakes that might give the person you're calling the chance to terminate the conversation. For instance, you should never ask, "Is this a good time to talk?" Don't read your opening statement into the phone, but use it as a framework to get the conversation off to a good start.

4. What should be in the opening statement of your cold call?

"Include a greeting and an introduction, a reference point (something about the prospect), the benefits of your product or service, and a transition to a question or dialogue. For example, 'Good morning Tony (I like to use first names if possible as it puts you at there level) This is Adam Palfrey from Cbi Coaching. Hope you don't mind the quick call but I've just read in the Courier Mail that you recently started ...........It sounds fantastic, Hows that going for you? Tony the reason for the call is to introduce myself and CBI. We're a group of business performance coaches and we're doing a series of free business diagnostics in the area, which I'd love to discuss with you....

5. Prepare a script for the rest of your cold call.

Next lay out the benefits of your product or service and the reasons your prospect should say yes. Write out possible objections and your answer to them. Without a script, it's too easy to leave something out or meander. Once again, it's not that you'll be reading your script word for word when you call, but that you've prepared the framework of the cold call in advance. so...

So Tony, the business diagnostic is a a great session, it takes 90 minutes, no selling I promise just some great value for you in the business. We'll look at all areas of your business, whats working and importantly whats not. I'll leave you with a visual plan of your business, so you have some actions and if we have time I can also show you what your business is currently worth. How does that sound? ...Great

6. Ask for an appointment at a specific time when cold calling.

Say, "Would Wednesday at 11 a.m. be a good time to meet?" instead of saying, "Can I meet with you to discuss this next week?"

7. Remember that gatekeepers are your allies not your foes.
Be pleasant to whoever picks up the phone when cold calling and develop strategies to get the gatekeeper on your side. Try asking, "I wonder if you could help me?" or " You sound like you're having a great day" will help you get them on side and then the information you need, such as the name of the right person to talk to or when the best time to contact the prospect is. Learning the names of gatekeepers and being friendly when cold calling helps immensely.

8. Do your cold calling early in the morning, if possible.

That's the best time to reach the decision maker directly, and for most people, the time that they're most energized.

9. You could also smooth the way for your cold call by sending prospects a small, unique promotional item. Not always necessary, just makes contact easier.

Just think carefully about this and my advice would be to get some professional help. Be clever rather than throwing budget away and don't use this as another excuse not to start in the first place.

10. Be persistent when cold calling.

"Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of sales people give up after the second call"

And above all, practice, practice, practice. While cold calling may never be much fun for you, you can get better at it, and the more you practice cold calling, the more effective a sales tactic it will be. So get your script and your call list together and reach for the phone. The people who want to do business with you are out there - but you have to let them know about you first.

Have a great day getting into action...on the phone