When it comes to making calls, each is unique, making the experience exciting and frightening. Cold calling is a popular sales tactic in which sales representatives communicate with potential customers with whom they have never previously interacted in the hopes of encouraging them to purchase a product or service.
Cold calling has evolved from reading a sales pitch to a target-driven sales communication tool over the years. There are ways for the sales department to boost lead generation and cold sales with advancements in the marketing aspect of various industries. Leaving a voicemail is also an option, but make sure to leave pertinent details to boost the chances for prospects to call you back. One way is with the help of Drop Cowboy Ringless Voicemail and other technology to ensure a good start by getting more leads with minimal effort.
For most, cold calling can be a challenging task. Many people find it difficult to call a stranger out of the blue, engage them quickly, and effectively pitch a product or service. Additionally, doing it consistently can be even harder. On the other hand, cold calling can be extremely profitable if done correctly.
Aside from the assistance provided by new technologies, here are some cold calling tips to help you close more deals this year.
Conduct Extensive Research
Knowing about your potential prospects should be your priority before making any calls. Thorough research should be part of any successful outreach strategy.
Make sure you’re ready with information about your prospects so you can deliver calls with value and effectively hold their attention. If you don’t prepare properly, you might not get the desired results. Your extra effort with your personalized approach may impress potential customers, resulting in a smoother conversation flow.
Know When To Make A Call
You don’t want to squander valuable time by repeatedly calling the same prospect. However, if you’re calling at the incorrect times, it’s still a waste of your time and effort, even if you’re going to use tools to make a hassle-free calling process.
In most cases, avoid calling potential clients on Fridays, especially in the afternoon. Moreover, they’re likely finishing up the last few hours of work before heading home for the weekend. Monday mornings are also a time to avoid making any sales calls. Most people are in a daze on Mondays, dragging themselves to work while wishing it was still the weekend. It’s unlikely that you’ll get a response if you call during these days.
Calls should be made on Wednesday or Thursday, preferably early in the morning or later in the day. For early birds, you might want to reach out during the early morning hours. If you prefer to make calls in the afternoon, call prospects in the afternoon. No matter what day you choose to call, getting the time right is critical if you want your cold calling efforts to pay off.
Understand How To Use The Appropriate Tone
Even if you rehearse and deliver the right words, your tone can make a difference. It’s unlikely that you’ll close the deal if your tone doesn’t match.
Remember that your tone is an important factor in determining the success of the cold call. With this in mind, you can’t afford to use the incorrect tone. Make sure you don’t sound robotic and that you’re comfortable delivering your message. Your prospects will notice if you sound bored, and they will be less likely to close a deal with you. After all, if you don’t seem excited about the products or services you’re selling, they won’t be either.
Although it can be difficult to maintain an upbeat and enthusiastic tone throughout the day, make an effort to be confident in your tone when making calls. It would be best if you come across as strong and assertive without being pushy in any way. Remember that aggressiveness has no place in a successful cold call.
When making a sales call, prospects will not see your body language, so your tone is crucial. Without body cues and facial expressions, you should convey your sales pitch with your words and tone of voice. People respond well to mirroring, so try to match your voice tone or speech patterns. Even if things aren’t going as planned, maintaining the same tone is critical if you want to close a sale.
Participate In Light Conversation With Prospects
As much as possible, avoid instantly presenting your sales pitch when prospects answer the phone. It’s best to establish rapport first, even though it may seem counterintuitive.
Before presenting your sales pitch, try to strike up a conversation about something work-related. Understandably, doing your homework will come in handy. Knowing something about your prospects is a good point to discuss during your conversation. During this time, it’s a great way to find out if you’re speaking with the right person. It also enables you to assess immediate interest in the products or services before selling them.
After you’ve finished the small talk, offer something of value, such as a helpful resource, free information, or a sample of your product or service. You can proceed with your sales pitch if the prospect eagerly accepts the bait and appears to be interested in what you’re offering.
Make An Outline Of What You Want To Say To Potential Clients
As part of the preparations, consider writing down a brief prompt for your upcoming calls that’ll serve as a reference while on the line. The goal is to use the outline as a guide to help you communicate your message with confidence.
Your outline should respond to questions about who you are and what you can offer. Remember that the goal of a cold call isn’t to pitch your prospects right away. In most cases, you’re attempting to persuade them to agree to a future meeting.
Make Use Of A Detailed Script
It’s natural to be nervous when making cold calls for the first few times. It’s especially true if you’re a new salesperson who has never called a lead without first communicating with them via email or other means. Even the most experienced salespeople find the cold calling technique to be a difficult task.
If you feel nervous, you’re likely to talk rapidly, stutter with your words, and forget the important points you want to convey. Most tend to talk frantically due to anxiety. Sadly, if you end up stumbling with your words, you’ll not deliver your message clearly to your prospects. Your prospect will not understand your sales pitch if you miss important details.
It’s natural to be nervous, especially if this is your first time making a cold call or new to sales. However, it would be preferable if you made an effort to avoid being anxious when communicating with a prospect.
A cold call script will help you deliver your sales pitch as effectively as possible in these situations. Having a line-by-line dialogue that’ll serve as your guide will give you pointers on what to say during your call. With regular practice over time, you’ll be able to ace your sales pitch.
Talk About How You Can Help Your Prospects
Nowadays, most people are more eager to know what you offer to make their lives easier. You’ll be more likely to close a sale if you can assist your prospects with this.
The way you start a conversation matters. Take advantage of this opportunity to offer something of value to your prospects.
Once your prospects ask for details about the product or service you’re offering, avoid providing an extensive list of specifications. Try to keep it simple. Remember that you’re trying to get them interested in what you’re going to offer while explaining how it benefits them on a personal level.
If they need more information before deciding, tell them where they can find it on their own time. Even if you don’t make a sale right away, it’s a good cold calling strategy because it sets the stage for easier follow-up calls.
Listen More During Cold Calls
Avoid being the only one talking during your call. It’s a simple but effective way to establish rapport. During your calls, it’s best to listen more than talk. Listening is a simple way to build rapport with your prospects because it makes them feel valued and allows you to learn more about their concerns and needs.
Make An Effort To Leave A Voice Call
Some people, for various reasons, have refused to answer any calls. Some may be too preoccupied or unaware that their phones keep ringing. Another reason for not responding is that most people prefer not to answer calls from strangers.
A given apprehension about answering a call from an unknown number makes it understandable. If you’re going to make a call, you might wonder whether to give up or call several times until the prospect answers the call. Once you decide to give up, you’ll miss the chance to connect with a prospect. Unfortunately, if you call prospects repeatedly, they’re more likely to block calls with no caller ID.
The ideal option is to leave a voicemail. Make it a point to leave a voicemail with your name, company, the reason for the call, and phone number so that interested prospects can call you back. Make sure the voicemails are brief and straightforward. Generally, the suitable length for your voicemail should be between 20 and 30 seconds. If you want to send your message effectively, consider preparing a voicemail script to avoid wasting time on unnecessary details.
Prepare To Follow Up With Your Leads
Once you’re able to set up an initial meeting with a prospect, your work should not stop there. In most cases, you might need to call a minimum of five times.
Whether your prospect answers your calls right away or you need to leave them a voicemail, it’s your responsibility to call them back. Avoid waiting for your prospects to get in touch with you. Keep in mind that you’re the one trying to sell your goods or services, not the other way around.
Continue To Engage In Conversation Practice
If you’re nervous about making cold calls and a prospect declines you, don’t lose hope. The best way to move out of this predicament is to continue practicing. If your job involves cold calling, the adage ‘practice makes perfect’ holds.
The more you speak with prospects on the phone, the faster you’ll get used to the task, and eventually, the jitters will no longer be an issue. In no time, you’ll be comfortable making phone calls to various prospects.
In cases of rejection, this could be a source of frustration for you. However, keep in mind that you shouldn’t take it personally. It’s easy to become discouraged after a bad call because most people relive and experience social pain more vividly than physical pain. Even seasoned salespeople have received their fair share of rejections from cold calls over the years. Although rejection is likely to happen now and then, it shouldn’t be a negative element but rather a motivating force that’ll urge you to keep moving forward.
Instead of feeling bad after being rejected by a prospect, consider taking time to think of reasons why the prospect turned you down. Most of the time, your tone is inappropriate, or you cannot provide the information your prospects require. As you continue to practice with conversations daily, you’ll eventually get better with your sales approach.
Final Thoughts
Cold calling remains a challenging task among sales teams, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Any errors you make along the way will serve as a learning experience. Remember that even seasoned salespeople make mistakes. Several of these helpful hints, such as using a sales script, practicing conversations regularly, using voicemail, and maintaining a positive attitude, will help you get off to a good start. You can try which techniques work best for you until you have a well-planned strategy to ensure continuous improvement with cold calling.
