The meaning of cold calling is approaching prospects by phone without prior notice. The goal of such a call is to sell something to the other party. However, potential customers are often not keen on telemarketing and find it intrusive. As a result, within an organisation, cold calling is not the most popular activity. That's why we offer 10 cold calling tips to help make a call successful and effective!
1. A good preparation for cold calling is half the battle
Start with thorough preparation before calling your prospects. Keep the following in mind:
Ensure you have the names and positions of the primary and secondary contacts at hand
Research the organisation (activity, size, location)
Try to obtain current business information via social media channels and news sources so you can respond cleverly
2. Concentration
Create a quiet environment from which you can make calls. Buzz, background noise, and incoming emails cause distractions. Focus on the conversation and the prospect.
3. Lower your calling threshold
Make sure you have a list of names of prospects you will call. When you spend several hours calling in a row, you'll notice that the barrier to picking up the phone becomes lower. Block your diary, so you take sufficient time and don't keep postponing cold calling.
4. The right opening line
Come up with a suitable opening line and a good elevator pitch. Write the text out, memorize it and practice. Make sure you deliver the lines naturally, as if you’re thinking of them on the spot; this increases acceptance by the prospect.
5. Put the customer first
In cold calling, the art is to focus not on yourself but on the customer. It’s about their needs and how you can meet them. From the first second they receive a call from an unknown person, the prospect will ask themselves: ‘What’s in it for me?’. You need to have an answer to this right from the start.
6. Ask questions
It's crucial in cold calling that you can respond adequately to the prospect. One good way to respond is to ask further questions. Show that you want to know more, that you have a genuine interest in the organisation and the person. Ask questions that invite the other party to elaborate. Prepare these questions as well as possible (see tip 1).
7. Patience, patience, patience
Setting up an appointment through cold calling takes time. Don’t expect that one phone call is enough. The person you want to speak to may be in a meeting, on the go, or has asked colleagues to avoid connecting sales calls. But persist, there will be a moment when you get to speak to the right person. To increase your chances, you can ask an assistant when your contact is best reached. If necessary, ask for their email and send an appealing email to get in contact.
8. Ensure liveliness
The livelier the use of your voice, the more pleasant people will find it. Scientific research has shown that a voice becomes more lively when hands are used during speaking. Automatically, certain words will then be emphasised. Some account managers stand up or walk around while making calls. This increases voice volume and liveliness.
9. Be authentic
Ensure that your opening line and elevator pitch match your way of conduct and speaking. Don’t use words you wouldn't use in a normal conversation with others. Avoid jargon as much as possible, unless the other party initiates it; then it’s good to use it in return.
10. Enthusiasm
Finally, enthusiasm is a key factor in the success or failure of cold calling. The prospect must feel that you are enthusiastic about their company, about your products or services, and that you are looking forward to a personal meeting with this potential customer. If you are not enthusiastic about what you offer, you cannot expect the customer to become enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Personal customer approach in Outbound traffic? ContactCare is happy to collaborate on B2B telemarketing or B2C telemarketing.
