You may have heard of cold calling, but what exactly is it? Cold calling is a method by which a sales representative calls potential customers from a contact list. The goal of cold calling is to ultimately persuade potential customers to buy the products or services the company is offering.
While it could be argued that other methods such as social media marketing are more apt in convincing customers, especially in the digital age, cold calling remains to be one of the most effective methods in gaining leads and, eventually, customers who will actually patronize the company’s offerings—that is, if it’s done right.
To make your cold calling efforts become more successful, here are great cold calling ideas that you can take note of and apply:
Do Your Research
Before you even start calling people in your contact list, it’s only sensible to do your research first. By knowing some basic information about your potential customer, you can increase your chances of keeping them on the line or preventing them from immediately disregarding your call. Beyond just knowing their name, research on your prospect’s age, profession, job description, or any relevant information that’s publicly available that may help you determine important factors such as the best time to call them, or what approach your pitch should take. For instance, if your prospect is a full-time teacher, it might be best to avoid calling during regular school hours as you will either disrupt their class or they will likely ignore your call.
Because of a simple thing such as doing your research well, your customer will more than likely appreciate the extra effort since you can craft your pitch with a more personalized tone. You can also open up a good conversation between you and the prospect. Without research, it will give the impression that you have zero investment in your prospect, which will likely lead to an unsuccessful call.
Don’t Rely Too Much On Your Script
Construct a cold call script that you can quickly reference over the phone. You don’t have to read this in verbatim as this will make you sound like an automaton, and your prospect might not really understand what you’re talking about, or they will easily lose interest. Simply use your script as a guide to help you communicate your message confidently and clearly. Keep your objectives in mind and try to sound natural instead of sticking too much to the script. Think of cold calling similarly to how you would engage a friend in a conversation.
Never Attempt To Sell On Your First Call
Keep in mind that cold calling isn’t a one-time thing, where you can convince your prospect to buy your product on the first call. Focus first on building your relationship with your prospect. Make them feel that you are friendly and not a nuisance. Trying to sell during your first call will likely come across as annoying instead of helpful.
Instead, focus on gathering information and asking relevant questions. Give your prospect time to mull over what you’ve told them over the phone. Your objective on the first call is not to sell but to gain your prospect’s trust and the chance to call them back.
Be Aware Of Your Tone Of Voice
Coming off as sheepish or arrogant will likely turn off your customers. Generally, the tone that you should aim for is one of friendliness while keeping professional boundaries at the same time. Based on the research that you did about your prospects, you can tailor-fit your approach by deciding whether or not it would be best to be straightforward or to be a little more conversational during the call. Keep in mind, however, that it’s never good to beat around the bush as this may also come off as annoying and a waste of time, especially to prospects who might be in a hurry.
Learn How To Listen
Cold calling isn’t about just you talking and explaining throughout the whole process. One of the ways that you can increase the success of your cold calling efforts is learning how to listen to your prospect. Your tone of voice isn’t the only thing you should be mindful of, but that of your prospect’s as well. Through listening, you can gauge whether or not it was a good time to call, or it might be better to continue your conversation another time, especially if your prospect sounds like they’re having a bad day or they can’t accommodate your conversation for long. By listening to the way your prospect replies, you can also tell if they’re hesitant or genuinely interested in what you’re saying, which can help you decide how to tweak your approach for the next call.
Final Thoughts
Cold calling is not easy. It takes a lot of effort and perseverance, which are necessary if you want to increase your sales and promote your business. By using these tips, along with a little practice, it will be easier for you to improve your cold calling techniques.
