How to Cold Call Effectively
Develop a script., Do some practice calls to people on your list., Enter your list into an organizational system., Anticipate and respond to objections from this list., Call the rest of the people on your list., Keep refining and call some more.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Develop a script.
Work though in your mind what you would say to someone when you get them on the phone.
Never begin your conversation with asking, “How are you?” It comes across as disingenuous, so save your pleasantries for people with whom you have an established relationship.
If you are calling to book an appointment, briefly introduce your company and service, confirm that they are the correct person and ask if it is a good time to talk.
If it is, you can now give them the pitch (otherwise ask if there would be a more convenient time to call back and make a note to follow up).
Make sure you include a couple of strong benefit statements as early into the conversation as possible.
Incorporate questions into your pitch.
It is important that you involve the prospect in the conversation and questions are a great way to allow for interaction.
Using some of the insight gained from your pre-qualification, you can structure questions that can create an opportunity to close.
For example; “John, I understand that you have an XYZ controls solution in place at the moment, but does your company have a mandate to try to further reduce your utility spend?” Structured this way, you create an opportunity to close for the appointment.
Refer if possible to a project you just completed at another company that profiles similarly to theirs in terms of size or industry sector, for example: "We just completed a project with Mount Sinai Hospital and through the implementation of our controls solution, we were able to reduce their utility bills by 30%, with a projected ROI of
2.5 years." Note, though, that you would rather have the prospect be talking/answering questions, than have you talking more about specifics.
The more specific you are, the more compelling your statement will be.
You can then ask if he would be interested in achieving learning more, if he says yes, then you have your opening to ask for the appointment.
Finally, read your script aloud.
Does it have a natural, conversational flow? Is it too long? Does it allow for interaction? Try practicing it on colleagues to get their feedback. -
Step 2: Do some practice calls to people on your list.
It is normal that you find your pitch isn't quite right, or that your list needs refining.
Try it on some live prospects to make sure it works.
Redo your list or your pitch should it be needed.
Normally, you don't get it right first time. , You could use a simple spreadsheet or a CRM system like salesforce.com.
Either way, you need to put your logs of calls somewhere so you know when to call prospects back. , When you did your practice calls, you should have gotten some objections like, "I don't have any money" or "I heard your company is horrible." You should practice your responses to objections.
Remember, a prospect that objects is still engaging and talking with you.
That is a good thing and gives you an opportunity to engage them in good conversation.
Many sales people hear, "I don't have a budget to buy this." The skilled way to handle this depends, but could include seeing if the prospect would be interested if there was a no money down or pay later plan.
Objections allow you to ask questions to help identify if an objection is real or just a smokescreen, as well as how you can provide alternative solutions to address the problem.
Write down your list of potential objections along with the responses and keep it next to your script when cold calling. , Book a lot of sales appointments! Note when the person you are calling is not there, and call them back the next day. , Remember that a good script is a work in progress and your first attempt may not get you the results you need.
Ask yourself these questions:
In retrospect, were my pre-qualification questions the right ones and or, do I need to add or replace a qualifier? Were my benefit statements strong enough and early enough in the conversation? Did I show enough value? Do I need to rework my responses to objections? Did I effectively close for an appointment when an opportunity arose? -
Step 3: Enter your list into an organizational system.
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Step 4: Anticipate and respond to objections from this list.
-
Step 5: Call the rest of the people on your list.
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Step 6: Keep refining and call some more.
Detailed Guide
Work though in your mind what you would say to someone when you get them on the phone.
Never begin your conversation with asking, “How are you?” It comes across as disingenuous, so save your pleasantries for people with whom you have an established relationship.
If you are calling to book an appointment, briefly introduce your company and service, confirm that they are the correct person and ask if it is a good time to talk.
If it is, you can now give them the pitch (otherwise ask if there would be a more convenient time to call back and make a note to follow up).
Make sure you include a couple of strong benefit statements as early into the conversation as possible.
Incorporate questions into your pitch.
It is important that you involve the prospect in the conversation and questions are a great way to allow for interaction.
Using some of the insight gained from your pre-qualification, you can structure questions that can create an opportunity to close.
For example; “John, I understand that you have an XYZ controls solution in place at the moment, but does your company have a mandate to try to further reduce your utility spend?” Structured this way, you create an opportunity to close for the appointment.
Refer if possible to a project you just completed at another company that profiles similarly to theirs in terms of size or industry sector, for example: "We just completed a project with Mount Sinai Hospital and through the implementation of our controls solution, we were able to reduce their utility bills by 30%, with a projected ROI of
2.5 years." Note, though, that you would rather have the prospect be talking/answering questions, than have you talking more about specifics.
The more specific you are, the more compelling your statement will be.
You can then ask if he would be interested in achieving learning more, if he says yes, then you have your opening to ask for the appointment.
Finally, read your script aloud.
Does it have a natural, conversational flow? Is it too long? Does it allow for interaction? Try practicing it on colleagues to get their feedback.
It is normal that you find your pitch isn't quite right, or that your list needs refining.
Try it on some live prospects to make sure it works.
Redo your list or your pitch should it be needed.
Normally, you don't get it right first time. , You could use a simple spreadsheet or a CRM system like salesforce.com.
Either way, you need to put your logs of calls somewhere so you know when to call prospects back. , When you did your practice calls, you should have gotten some objections like, "I don't have any money" or "I heard your company is horrible." You should practice your responses to objections.
Remember, a prospect that objects is still engaging and talking with you.
That is a good thing and gives you an opportunity to engage them in good conversation.
Many sales people hear, "I don't have a budget to buy this." The skilled way to handle this depends, but could include seeing if the prospect would be interested if there was a no money down or pay later plan.
Objections allow you to ask questions to help identify if an objection is real or just a smokescreen, as well as how you can provide alternative solutions to address the problem.
Write down your list of potential objections along with the responses and keep it next to your script when cold calling. , Book a lot of sales appointments! Note when the person you are calling is not there, and call them back the next day. , Remember that a good script is a work in progress and your first attempt may not get you the results you need.
Ask yourself these questions:
In retrospect, were my pre-qualification questions the right ones and or, do I need to add or replace a qualifier? Were my benefit statements strong enough and early enough in the conversation? Did I show enough value? Do I need to rework my responses to objections? Did I effectively close for an appointment when an opportunity arose?
About the Author
Charles Freeman
A passionate writer with expertise in organization topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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