How often has your prospect put the phone down before you explained the purpose of your call? If it is more than 50 per cent, then you are in the right place as we help you to make your cold calls less frosty. For those of you who are more successful, you may find a handy tip or two. Let’s look at seven tips to make cold calling less frosty.
TIP 1: Research your prospect
With social media and Google, getting information about your prospect has never been easier. Learn everything about your prospect and the problems they have, or potentially have before you phone them. This research will also show that you have done your homework before contacting them. In addition, if they have won a recent achievement, you can congratulate them on it to help build rapport in your call.
TIP 2: Be clear about your intentions
What do you hope to gain from the cold call? Many people hope to make a sale and can become very pushy when this is not the trajectory of the call. But what if we reimagined the purpose of the cold call? A cold call should be seen as the call to assess if there is interest and if you can invite your prospect to meet with you and discuss the nitty-gritty of your offering.
At the start of your call, give your full name, the company you work for, and what you hope to achieve with the call. By being clear at the start of the call you set your presence in the call and show your prospect that you value their time.
TIP 3: Show common courtesy
In your private conversations, do you start telling someone about your day before you have greeted them and asked them how they are, or do you greet them and ask how they are before you continue. By asking “how are you?” or some derivative of it, you will flip the switch on cold calls as many people go straight for the sales pitch without showing any common courtesy beforehand.
TIP 4: Listen actively
Yes, you have the steps which you have practiced over and over, and you have your rebuttals for any rejections but are you listening? Listen actively to what your prospect is saying and adapt your script accordingly. By interacting in a way that shows you are listening, you will build trust with your prospect, and the next time you call they may be keener to speak to you.
TIP 5: Pick a good time
As you have researched your client, you will know when a good time will be to contact them. Generally, just before lunch and just before the close of business are good times as your prospect may have finished a task and doesn’t want to start a new task in the small amount of time they have. Mornings tend to be a bad time as people are busy getting ready for their day and you are not sure if they are commuting or in a morning meeting.
TIP 6: Use a script as a guideline
Everyone is worried that artificial intelligence may take over their jobs and if you go through your script like a robot without adapting it to the immediate situation they might just. It is important to have a clear idea of how your offering can best serve your customer and adapt it according to what they say. They may jump ahead, or they may have more questions. By personalising and adapting as you speak, you will build rapport and trust with your prospect.
TIP 7: Learn from your rejections
As a salesperson, you need to get comfortable with the answer “no” because you will hear it often. But don’t feel like a failure but rather see it as a learning opportunity. If your prospects allow, ask them why they said “no” and take the objection to your drawing board. This is not the time to tackle the “no” but rather to see how you can fine-tune your script so the next time you might get a “yes”.
By following these seven tips, you will be well on your way to making your cold calls less frosty.