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Cold calling is defined as the practice of reaching out to customers who have not yet expressed interest. In other words, when a salesperson cold calls a prospect, they are communicating with an individual who has not made prior contact with them. Despite being associated with sales strategies from the last century, it is still a viable sales tool. That said, it is not a popular task. Most people hate making the cold calls almost as much as others hate receiving poorly conceived and executed cold calls. Even so, it is possible to make sales right now with cold calling. There are salespeople making millions of dollars using cold calling as their primary tool. Here is a short post on how to, a step-by-step guide (with scripting).,
Beginner’s mistakes
If you are frustrated from not knowing what to say on the phone, you're not alone. Most sales professionals who make cold calls are confused about how to proceed once they dial the number. As any entrepreneur will tell you, some of the hardest work you will ever do as a business leader is finding your initial customers and partners. Cold calls can help you do this and ensure you whether tougher times down the road. It you war people to respond well through your unsolicited messages, cut these common blunders from your vocabulary.
"….I know I’m calling out of the blue — can I take 27 seconds to tell you why I called?
Not recognizing the recipient's influence on you
Eventually all investors or customers want to see the: your decision to contact them is not random. They want to feel like they were chosen for a reason. Let them know how their preferences or work is driving your own goals or vision. For example, you might rote that an article you wrote was inspired by a guest speaker from their company.
"….I work with companies like yours to solve [specific problem] — is that something you’re currently focused on?"
Selling a one-time product or service, not a partnership
What a business or buyer needs from you is going to shift over time. Although you absolutely reed to present a clear value proposition where you show that you are solving a problem the message recipient currently has, what you really want to do for the long-term is show that you and the recipient share similar values and goals. This way, even If you cannot work with them immediately, they will feel more of a sense of connection, remember your referrals. Show that you understand what the buyer or company is all about as a foundation for whatever you present or ask for.
"….I promise this won’t be a long sales pitch — can I share why other businesses like yours are switching to us?"
Being longwinded
People have many, many other things to do without you spewing a thesis and burying your call to action. Get to the point right away In. Just a few lines. You can do this by introducing yourself and your intent and then asking for permission for additional contact, or by providing a link to a landing page that offers all the details the recipient is going to need.
"….are you currently satisfied with how you’re handling [specific area]?"
Asking without giving
Yes, you rigid send a cold call pitch with the hope of landing a sale or generating general interest in your company’s goals. But most people, even generous ones, want some return on their financial or time Investment at some point. Make sure that, alongside your call to action (CTA), you are clear about what the recipient is going to get if they help you ord. That could be a discount, a shout-out on social media, etc., but they should know you do not expect something for nothing.
"….we recently helped a company similar to yours achieve [specific result] — would you be open to hearing how?"
Not providing clear and easy next steps
Even if the recipient is super interested in your offer, ease of follow through can make all the difference in whether they respond. Point the recipient in a single direction and tell their exactly what to do and how. Simplify and remove hurdles wherever you can. For instance, do not make the recipient have to look up your campaign or hunt through your site for your new catalogue - give them a link. Then tell them how to keep communicating will, or interacting with you, such as telling them to visit your website when a deal goes live.
"….I came across your company and had one quick idea that might help with [specific challenge]."
Cold Call Mastery
If you want to take your business to the next level, then you need to make some cold calls. These are what keep your pipeline full of leads. After all, without leads, you cannot make presentations or close any deals. However, cold calls are hard, and most businesses are afraid to make them because they do not know how. But you can dominate your market and fill your CRM up to the brim with new leads if you master the art of cold calling.
"….most companies we speak with are struggling with [problem] — is that on your radar as well?"
Begin with who you are!
One of the biggest mistakes that salespeople make when cold calling a prospect, whether door to door or on the phone, is not telling the prospect their name right off the bat. Think about it. Your prospect is going about their day when suddenly you interrupt them. They do not know anything about you, whether you are the police, a neighbour, or a criminal. Naturally, they are wondering that in the back of their mind. So, you need to satisfy their curiosity right away by just saying "Hi, my name is (BLANK)."
"….I know you weren’t expecting my call — would it make sense to have a quick conversation about [goal]?"
Introduce who you are with
The second thing out of your mouth should be the company with which you are working. That gives them an idea of why you are there and what you are calling to say. A company with a prominent name will help you establish trust and credibility right off the bat. For instance, if you are selling home security equipment and services, why would you leave that name out?
"….I’ll get straight to the point — we specialize in helping companies reduce [pain point]."
Cold calling is a time-tested and effective tactic for generating sales in the business-to-business (B2B) industry. Even in the age of email, most business executives still use a phone. Research found that 4 in 5 prospects prefer to communicate with sales reps over the phone. While not all cold calls will result in a sale, you can turn up the heat on your B2B cold calling strategy by taking advantage of modern solutions like conversational AI. One such awesome product is BOTLR, by OpenBrace.
Focus on Decision-Makers
Cold calling decision-makers will help you generate more sales. Consisting of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Chief Operating Officers (CODs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and other high-level professionals, they make vital decisions about their business's activities.
"….quick question — are you the right person to speak with about improving [specific result]?"
Purchasing power parity
Not all prospects have purchasing authority. Even if a prospect fits your ideal customer profile, he or she may not be able to buy business-related products or services. You can make a highly compelling offer during a cold call, but the prospect can't buy it without purchasing authority. Fortunately, decision-makers almost always have purchasing authority. They can buy products and services on their own volition and without input from other parties, making them prime targets for cold calls.
"….I’m reaching out because we’ve found a simple way to improve [result] for teams like yours."
Get Ready for Gatekeepers
Gatekeepers are inevitable when cold calling prospects. Even if you call the number listed for a decision-maker, you may reach his or her receptionist. Receptionists are gatekeepers who hold the key to cold calling success. They can either direct you to the prospect you were originally trying to reach, or they can reject your call altogether.
"….if I’m way off base, feel free to tell me — but I think we might be able to help with [problem]."
Call during office hours
You want people to call you back when you leave a voicemail. Here is the problem, though. They receive many messages and rarely return cold calls. Instead, they might skim voicemails or press delete. You can't stop people from erasing your messages, but you can improve the odds they return your calls. Call between 9-5, and leave your number. A no-brainer, you might think, but it's easy to forget. At the same time, remember that many people like ring-back and won't return a call unless you're reachable on the number you use to ring them. Also, wait until your surroundings aren't noisy before you begin. For example, don't make calls just as the workday ends when people get ready to leave the office.
"….if I could show you a way to increase [result] without increasing [cost/time], would it be worth a quick chat?"
Start with names
The number one way to win people's attention is to say their name -- not repetitively, but enough to make them listen. Say their name at the start of a voicemail, and they will tune into your message. If they are daydreaming or uninterested, they will wake up when they hear you speak. You'll likely know how to address if you engage with your prospect over a simple introduction.
"….can I ask you a quick question about your current approach to [topic]?"
Keep the Prospect Engaged
Most cold callers follow a script. Standard scripts require the salesperson to introduce themselves and state the value proposition up front before asking the prospect if they want to know more. In other words, the standard script will instantly encourage the prospect to hang up. The big problem is that it involves ambushing the recipient of the cold call. In other words, they are suddenly forced to have a conversation that they likely were not thinking about before answering the call. This puts the recipient in an uncomfortable position.
Learn to Manage Rejection
Salespeople need to understand that rejection is a part of sales. It is impossible for a salesperson to close on all sales. Making an introductory call can eliminate much of this awkwardness.
"….I’ve been speaking with a few businesses in your industry about [trend/problem] — how are you handling that right now?"
Understand What a "Contact" Means
An essential part of making the best cold sales call possible is knowing what the right definition of a "contact" is. Contact can mean a person in your contact list, sure. But for the purposes of this guide, we do not mean contact as in a lead or prospect, but rather as the actual action of contacting your desired decision maker or an influencer within the same organization or leaving them a voice message.
Therefore, if you spoke on the phone with the CFO as you intended, then it would count as a contact. But if you simply spoke with the gatekeeper, that call would not count as a contact. It is important to define a contact in this manner so that you have the discipline to follow through with enough calls to get the sale. After all, if you spoke with the receptionist fifty times but never spoke with a person who could approve your proposal, you would not count those calls as contacts as they did not further your objectives.
"….we’re helping companies in [industry] cut costs by up to [X%] — curious if that would be useful for you."
Do Your Math
One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make on cold calls is simply not doing the math. Doing the math means that you know how many calls it takes to get a sale, on average. It also means knowing the commission money you make on each sale. When you put both together, you can figure out how many phone calls it should take to hit your income targets.
For example, let's say you want to earn ₹1,20,000 a year. And you earn a commission of ₹500 per sale. Therefore, you need to make 240 sales per year (240 x ₹500 = ₹120,000) to achieve your income goal. So you need to make 20 sales per month (240 /12 = 20). If you work five days a week, that's about 20 days per month, so you need to make essentially one sale per day that you work. And if it takes you 25 calls to make one sale, then you need to make 25 calls per day.
Once you internalize this strategy, your income can skyrocket like never before.🌴
Get good at cold outbounding. Good luck hustling : )