An integral part of the sales process has earned a bad name; so much, that most businesses/sales people have found a way (or excuses) to skip this. Let me bring to your attention that it is just not ‘any part’ but the one, that sets the foundation of a sales funnel. A part so great, that it helps you not only generate, but qualify leads.
Any guesses????
It’s Cold calling.
Cold calling is an attempt to solicit business from a potential customer, via the telephone or in some cases, personal visits, who may or may not know about your company. The ‘name of the game’ in cold calling is not necessarily about listening or asking great questions, unlike sales calls. They are about buying time, educating and selling the meeting.
Cold calling has a very specific purpose, and often, its purpose is forgotten. It’s not forgotten because it is unimportant – it’s forgotten because most salespeople don’t like doing it. However, prospecting via phone calls remains a great compliment to your overall appointment setting and lead generation activities.
WHY IS COLD CALLING IMPORTANT?
- Fills your sales funnel,
- Ensures you’ll hit your numbers down the road, and yet
- Cold call reluctance overtakes many salespeople and they resist it.
- Cold call reluctance is no mystery- salespeople resist it as rejection hurts.
WHO EXPERIENCES COLD CALL RELUCTANCE?
- Amateurs who go about it all wrong and get beat up on cold calls,
- More experienced salespeople who get some things right but still feel rejection,
- Seasoned professionals who have to force themselves just to make cold call quotas completed.
THE #1 MISTAKE IN THE FIRST 20 SECONDS OF A COLD CALL IS TALKING ABOUT THE COMPANY AND IT’S PRODUCTS- ALL THE PROSPECT HEARS IS ‘ME…ME…ME’.
A BETTER WAY IS TO START WITH THIS BELIEF:
- Cold calling is NOT JUST a number game;
- Quality matters and to improve quality, you must:
- Research your prospect BEFORE making a cold call;
- Differentiate yourself from ‘smile-and-dial-crowd’.
HOW DO YOU RESEARCH?
- Prospect’s Web site,
- Internet searches,
- Databases,
- Press releases and New products,
- Acquisitions.
WHAT YOU SEEK?
Insights into goals, benchmarks and deployment of resources.
NOW, WHAT? WHAT DO YOU SAY DURING THOSE FIRST 20 SECONDS
- Come up with a script that talks about THEM.
ARE SCRIPTS NECESSARY?
- Absolutely-This is difficult stuff- Most salespeople fail miserably. Take time to craft a tight script-Practice. Practice. Practice.
- Create the perception that you are interested in THEIR well being.
THE THREE ELEMENTS OF A COLD CALLING SCRIPT
- Who are you?
Keep it short and simple.
- Why are you calling?
Nobody wants to be sold. Don’t discuss features.
- What’s in it for me?
-Use the word ‘might’.
-Avoid Yes/No Questions.
-Talk about THEIR Benefits.
-Nothing about ‘ME ME ME’.
-Strong Benefit focus
-Ask permission to probe more deeply.
A well prepared and structured script shows that you have conducted research and found prospect’s pain.
WHY DO YOU FEAR MAKING A COLD CALL?
- Fear of Rejection: Hearing a ‘NO’ is just a small part of selling. Get yourself motivated to push past the rejections. Take liberty to fail spectacularly a few times and get comfortable in that space. Those few lost leads are worth it in the long run.
- Fear of Presentation: Don’t panic. Come up with a hard script, so that there is no room for error. It might come across as robotic the first few times but once, you feel comfortable, your fear will disappear and the presentation will loosen up and come out perfect.
- Fear of asking for the sale: This is also related to the fear of rejection, but if you have come this far, you just don’t want to toss away the sale. Instead, adopt some techniques for closing the sale. Once, you’re comfortable with the basics, upgrade to more advanced tricks.
Calling up strangers and asking them to buy what you’re selling isn’t something we normally do. And fear is only natural when you’re put into unfamiliar territory. Taking the time to train yourself about how to handle that fear will make you more confident, friendly, and ultimately happier.
