What is Cold Calling
Cold calling is a sales technique that involves calling prospective customers or clients to make an unsolicited telephone call, typically with a high-pressure sales message.
It can help generate sales leads and is a good way to generate new business.
Also, it can be beneficial in B2B environments where the person on the other end of the phone has no relationship with you or your company. It’s often used as an alternative form of lead generation when direct marketing doesn’t work, if there are too many companies competing for the same leads, or if you want to contact a large number of people.
The downside is that it can be very difficult and uncomfortable for the person on the other end of the phone call – who has no idea why they are being called and may not have time in their schedule to talk with you at that moment. It’s also expensive because you’ll need to make a large number of calls for it to be worth your time.
Additionally, you should only call certain people who are decision-makers or influencers and have the power to buy products or services – otherwise, they will not be interested in talking with you.
(Image Source: JustCall)
5 Benefits of Cold Calling
Here are some benefits of using sales cold calling techniques:
1. Identify targets
It helps you determine who the decision-makers are in the company you are targeting.
You must get to know who manages the issues your company can solve.
2. Master your craft
The art of cold calling makes you a better salesperson. You’ll learn how to cold call sales, navigate objections, and handle tough conversations more easily as time progresses, becoming an expert in your field!
3. Increase conversions
82% of buyers who have been cold-called by a salesperson accepted sales meetings.
This is because the decision-maker has agreed to talk with you and listens intently; it’s not like they were contacted out of nowhere so their guard may be up when opening an email or social media message.
4. Gain insight
Cold calling allows you to speak with decision-makers and gain valuable insights into their needs.
You may be able to identify a niche that’s not being served well by your competitors or find out about an upcoming project they could use your help on.
5. Appear human
Giving prospects a call can make you appear like a real human being rather than a faceless, cold marketing email.
When you speak to someone on the phone, they’ll likely remember who you are and what your company does when it’s time for them to make a purchase decision.
We all have a natural tendency to like people who are friendly and personable, so don’t be afraid of sounding too human when on the phone with prospects.
You may not know this but if you spend an hour talking about anything else besides your product or service then they will feel more inclined to want to do business with you.
How to Find Contact Information to Call
LeadFuze can help you find the information you need. It’s a lead generation company that provides contact information for businesses all over the world. It has compiled a list of companies and their contact information, so you can get in touch with them as soon as possible.
The goal of this tool is to make your life easier by providing accurate data on who to call, what they do, and how best to reach them. You won’t have any trouble finding the right person or company when using our service!
It can provide you the easiest way to find company information like phone numbers, email addresses, and social media profiles. It has all the data you need in one place so you can get started with B2B cold calling right away.
Sign up for a LeadFuze free trial now!
How to Make Cold Calls
Now sure how to cold call? Here are steps you can follow:
Step 1: Only call prospects
Call people who are actually interested in your offering instead of wasting your time on people who aren’t. This way, you won’t have to waste your resources with those prospects who are not in a position to buy from you today.
For instance, if you’re a high-end clothing store that caters to the middle class, it’s not worth your time to cold-call people who don’t belong to the middle class.
Step 2: Find the gap
This is done by looking at your prospects and evaluating what they have in their current business environment. What do they lack? Why are you the solution to that gap, not just another product or service provider who will be added to a long list of vendors that compete for attention with similar offerings?
Step 3: Confirm that your prospect wants to fix their problem
You can do this by asking a series of open-ended questions that help your prospect articulate their needs and goals. Stay away from direct statements like “I’m sure you want _____” for them to answer with an affirmative response.
Step 4: Close
If your prospect really wants to fix the problem, it’s time to set a meeting. You can do this by asking a series of questions that will help you understand their timeline and availability.
When your prospect is interested in your solution, you can ask them these questions: “What are some priorities for moving forward?” or “Where would you like to see results for us to move forward together?”
Step 5: Get an objection early on
If your prospect does have an objection, it’s time to stop and listen. You want to understand their apprehension: “Why don’t you think this is right for you?” or “What concerns do you have about _____?”
When you handle their objections the soonest time possible, you can increase your chances of closing the deal.
To avoid objections, there are a few sales tips for cold calling you can follow:
- don’t start with price-related questions (these might be too expensive or out of range)
- listen to their objection and ask for more specifics before proceeding
- provide information about how your product will benefit them to move beyond the objection
You can use their objections as an opportunity for you to sell the benefits of your service or product and compare it with the competition. But don’t refer back to them too often (to avoid sounding like a broken record).
(Image Source: Klenty Blog)
29 Effective Cold Calling Tips From Experts
Do you want your cold calling efforts to be a success? Follow these awesome tips below:
1. Research your prospect
Do you know who will be on the other line? You better do. Research them, find out their background and how they can help your company to succeed in this new venture.
Make a connection with the person by using something from their experience or even just asking about what’s happening at work right now. This way you’ll have something to talk about, and you’ll be able to build a rapport.
2. Prepare before the call
You will need information on your prospect which can include their role at work, what they’ve accomplished, or any other knowledge that is important for them to know why you are calling. You should also prepare with how much time you have per call and make sure you have enough questions to ask in the time allotted.
3. Write a quick cold call script
To get off to a good start, write out what you will say when making cold calls. This is an excellent way to make sure that your message stays on point and for some, it’s also helpful to know exactly how long they can talk before interrupting them with another question
Similarly, a good idea is to practice your script beforehand. This will ensure that you don’t forget anything or get tongue-tied when it’s time for the actual call.
4. Consider using an app for cold calling
Cold calling can be really intimidating at first, so if this is not something you are experienced in doing then consider downloading an app or using a web-based service to help you get started. Some of these apps will actually dial the number for you and provide tips on how best to proceed during the call.
5. Avoid distractions during the call
It can be really tempting to have a million tabs open or check your phone while you’re on the call, but these distractions are only going to hurt your ability to make a good impression
For the other person on the line not to feel like they need to hurry up and get off of their end of the conversation with you, it’s important to be fully present
6. Be prepared for all scenarios
When you’re cold calling, it’s impossible to predict the response or reply that you will get from a potential customer. This is why it’s so important not only to have good content in place but also to know ahead of time what responses might come up and how best to handle them.
7. Prepare a strong opening sentence
The way that you start a successful cold call is the key to making sure that your potential customer doesn’t hang up or put you on hold right away. In fact, it’s quite common for them not to say anything at all. This means that for someone not to get off on the wrong foot with you from the very beginning of their call, you must have a strong opening sentence.
Open with your company name and then ask for their help or input on what they do.
(Image Source: Gong)
8. Use rejection as motivation
One of the most important things that you can do for yourself is to prepare for rejection. Yes, it’s something we all dread and try our best not to think about, but it’s also unavoidable if you want to make cold calls to bring new clients on board, so there are some ways that you can use this as motivation instead of letting it bring you down.
If you’re being rejected, it means that they are not sure about what to do right now and this is the perfect opportunity for you to show them how your company can be of help.
9. Practice makes perfect
The best way to cold call is by practicing.
You should know the basics of what you need to say and how long it should take you so that when someone picks up the phone, you’re able to go in with confidence knowing exactly where they are at this point in your conversation.
10. Overcome call reluctance
An easy way to overcome any reluctance is by prefacing your call with a question.
Instead of not saying anything, ask them “What will happen if I am unable to answer this call?” and people are more likely to be polite because they don’t want the responsibility of ending the conversation.
If you are on a landline, another thing to do is follow up with an email and say “Thank you for your time” or “I appreciate that we were able to chat”. Remember the person’s name. If it rings a bell, they will be more likely to call back if they have any questions.
11. Ask for permission to call back
Even though the intent of this blog post is cold calling, it’s always more polite and respectful to ask them “Is there an email address I can use or any other contact information.”
12. Use trigger events
Trigger events are things that will make the person more likely to want what you’re offering. For example, if someone has started a new position or changes jobs every few years, and they move up in title then it is time for them to consider their retirement plan.
If they have just had a baby, start talking about maternity leave benefits because this is a life event that may affect them.
13. Use social proof to influence behavior
People are more likely to think positively about the company you’re calling for if they know others have had a good experience.
Provide them with a testimonial or two of someone similar who has been helped by your product or service and mention how it benefited their life in some way. This also builds credibility online through social media exposure.
(Image Source: Yesware)
14. Ask open-ended questions
Instead of asking a yes or no question, ask the person you’re speaking to if they have any questions.
Ask them about themselves and what their day is like so that they are more receptive to your call when it’s over. You can also ask them some sales questions.
15. Assume rapport
It works well with conversations because people will be less likely to hang up the phone on you.
If they ask a question, thank them for asking and answer it fully then move on to the next point in your script if any questions remain unanswered.
Practice with family members or friends until cold calling becomes second nature before speaking to strangers over the phone.
This will help you build confidence when talking to people you don’t know.
16. Watch your tone of voice
It’s better to sound friendly and upbeat than angry.
Since they can’t see your facial expressions, your tone of voice is one of the few hints about how you’re feeling.
17. Don’t easily give up
If you don’t get an answer, leave a voicemail.
The worst that can happen is they hang up or tell you to not call back.
Plus, leaving a voicemail lets the decision-maker know how serious your intentions are and gives them more time to think about their response before calling you back.
18. Lead with them, not you
Start by asking their name, how they’re doing, and what’s going on in the world that day.
This will make them feel like you care about them as a person and not just want something from them.
19. Listen intently
Don’t interrupt.
Wait for them to finish their thought, and then respond with a question to show that you’ve been paying attention.
20. Be aware of emotions on the other line
If you’re feeling frustrated or angry, take a moment before responding or hanging up.
It’s not worth it if they can sense your anger.
21. Don’t waste prospects’ time
Don’t burden them with long monologues or information that they didn’t ask for.
Be concise and demonstrate your value as soon as possible, then ask the prospect what you can help them with.
22. Keep it positive
If you have a weak lead, don’t dwell on it- instead, focus your energy on the strong leads.
Positive thinking can help you to better handle the challenges of a cold call.
Don’t be discouraged if they say “no” to your offer- the more prospects that turn down your cold call, the easier it will become for you to sell them when they do finally need what you’re offering!
23. Keep a “fuzzy” lead list
If someone is on the fence about returning your call, it’s not worth wasting time trying to convince them over the phone- ask for their information and put them in your contact management system so that you can follow up with them later if necessary.
24. Plan your cold call questions in advance
Decide what you want to find out from the call before making it- this will help keep your cold calling organized.
You don’t want an awkward pause during the call because you don’t know what to ask next.
25. Break up long scripts into shorter chunks
This will make it easier for you to stay on track, and more likely that they’ll be persuaded by what you’re saying.
Don’t worry about sounding like a robot- just focus on getting the information you need and not being awkward.
It’s better to use a script than try to improvise your entire cold call- it will make you sound more professional, which may be what they’re looking for.
26. Don’t overwhelm prospect during the first cold call
You want to make it as easy as possible for them to say “yes” during the call.
If you overwhelm them with information, they may feel like your only goal is getting a sale.
Empathize with their situation and show that you understand what keeps them up at night- this will make it much easier for them to say “yes” and take the next step in your sales process.
27. Don’t sell on the first cold call
You need to know what the prospect needs before you can try to sell them on something.
Your focus should be on gathering information and building relationships with them.
28. Don’t put all your eggs into one basket
If you have many cold calls to make, don’t give the same information.
It will make it easier for you and they can be more likely to remember what you tell them because of how specific your conversation is with each prospect.
29. Don’t forget about follow up cold calls
Once a prospect says “yes” or seems interested in your product or service that doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy yet.
You need to continue following up until the prospect is ready and gives you a “yes.”
What is the Best Time for Cold Calling
You’ll find that the best time for cold calls is when you know they’re going to be at their desk.
This might not always happen, but it’s your best bet if you want a higher success rate during these conversations. Many people will answer phone calls much more quickly in specific hours of the day and choose to ignore other times.
It’s a good idea to find out what time of day is best for your prospects, so you can take advantage when the timing may be right.
You also want to avoid calling on holidays, weekends, or lunch hours as these are typically busy periods for people who work in offices.
Instead, try calling during mid-week, mid-morning, or the late afternoon.
Conclusion
The cold calling tips and tricks above will help you with your sales pitch and improve your chances of getting a “yes” from prospects when they hear what you have to say.
The sooner you start implementing them on behalf of your company, the better off everyone is going to be!