Cold Calling – that word you can’t seem to shake off in review meetings and training sessions. As a fresher, the idea of calling a complete stranger to sell a product can give you nightmares. There are also those who are hoping that the golden years of cold calling have passed. If you are one of them, then it’s time to bust some myths with these 2019 cold calling stats.
What Buyers Have To Say
If you taught that buyers dodge cold calls, then these stats must have changed your mind. Your prospective buyers are not just resigned to cold calls, but 57% of buyers actually prefer that you call them. If this isn’t incentive enough to pick that call, we don’t know what is.
What Salespeople Have To Say
If you are still skeptical then maybe hearing what people in sales roles have to say will boost your confidence. According to a survey, salespeople believe that 2% of all cold calls are successful. What’s more? Organizations that don’t adopt cold calling, experience a 42% dip in growth.
Need more convincing of why cold calling is here to stay? We think not.
Cold Calling: Answers To Your Big Questions
Before we get into the ‘how’ of cold calling, let’s address some common questions.
Should I use a call script?
Often considered THE question that is also a point of debate amongst sales gurus. But trace back your steps and ask yourself what is your idea of a sales script? If you think a sales script is something you can mouth to a prospect and get a meeting, then you are wrong.
A sales script is a structure that guides you through your call. It is not a mechanism that spoon-feeds you and it shouldn’t be. If you want to know what a sales structure looks like then you can access our call structures. Remember, it’s important to improvise and make the script your own. Use your unique strengths and experiences to gain the prospect’s attention.
How do I captivate the prospect’s attention?
In an ideal world, there would be 1 accurate way of capturing the prospect’s attention. That 1 step would land you a meeting, every time. But we don’t live in an ideal world and you should be glad. Why? Because the challenge lies in the unpredictability.
There is no one way of capturing your prospect’s attention. There is no formula. Each decision-maker has his/her own quirks and needs. You can’t pitch the same way to each of them. The one thing your pitch should be is flexible. A rigid pitch that focuses more on ‘telling’ rather than listening is going to fail.
Cold Calling Hacks Every Salesperson Should Know
Now that we have the questions out of the way, we can focus on things you should practice.
Address them by name
Imagine you want to get someone’s attention. This someone is standing on the opposite street and there is a lot of noise around you. When are they more likely to hear you – when you scream “hey” or call them by their name? The latter, correct. The same holds true for a cold call. Names are a part of our identity and the one thing we all respond to, no matter where we are. So don’t look at it like you just have the prospect’s name. You actually have a name that is your ticket to undivided attention.
Modulate your voice
It’s time to put your school theatre lessons to work for this one. Modulation is key to getting your cold calls right. Don’t just talk in the same tone and voice. It’s important you try a conversational approach. Practice your pauses and most importantly play on your silences. When done right silences can pique the prospect’s curiosity.
Cold Calling Practices You Should Say Goodbye To
While it’s important to know what you should do, what you don’t do determines the success of your cold call. Most studies will tell you that sales representatives make an average of 33 calls in a day. That makes it an average of 1000 calls a month. Annually, that number is 3 lakh calls.
We don’t want to bore you with the math, but want to draw your attention to one truth – these are stats for calls made by 1 sales representative. Multiply that number with the total number of salaried salesmen and you will know what you are up against. With a swarm of voices trying to gain the prospect’s attention what you do differently will help you stand out.
Here are 5 cold calling practices you should do differently
Being Rigid
If there is one place where “sticking to the script” is not advisable, it’s sales. Every prospect is different and so is every conversation. Listen, adapt and communicate. Don’t rush into a monologue without understanding the customer’s interest in your product.
Being Verbose a.k.a Talkative
Don’t chant away the benefits of your product and services like a mantra. Ask questions before making assumptions about what the customer’s needs.
Being Goal-Oriented
While this isn’t always a bad thing, if you are fixated on that closure, then it is. You have to be patient and embrace the process of understanding the prospects’ needs. Focusing on the end result will cloud your judgment. Practice being attentive. Also, don’t get offended when faced with a ‘No’. Respect the prospect’s decisions and politely ask for references.
Being Defensive
A big no-no is getting wired up and defending your product when met with objections from the prospects. Your product is amazing, but don’t shove that in the prospects face. Let your product’s ingenuity speak for you.
Being Vague
Be clear of what you want from your prospect. If you want a meeting, then ask. If another follow-up call is what you need, then ask. Don’t wait for the prospect to hand the meeting to you on a platter.
Being Careless
While this has nothing to do with your personality, it has a lot to do with your approach to work. If you are forgetful and in the habit of missing out on follow-ups then it could land you in trouble. If a prospect wants you to call them on a certain date and time, then it’s essential that you do so. Setting reminders on your phone or marking a column on excel will only get you so far. This is a short-term solution. Understand that you don’t need to do all the manual work when you can adopt a sales CRM software to do it for you.
Geared with these tips you are good to make your cold calls, ace those meetings and add revenue to your business.
Happy Selling.
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