Cold calling is not easy and certainly not something you will do 'just for a while': it requires preparation and strategy. Do you hear those two words 'not interested' too often? Do you find it exciting to call people you don't know? Do you want new business, but you are not sure how to approach it? These tips will help you get more revenue from your phone calls.
1. Prepare
Who are you going to call and when are you going to call? Answer these questions a day before you pick up the phone. Block an hour in your calendar to make cold calls, and make this a daily routine.
2. Gather information before calling
It may sound boring, but it helps if you do homework. Make sure you know who you are getting on the phone. Check out the company's website and find the prospect on LinkedIn. It seems much more certain if you have some background information about the person on the other end of the line.
3. Find a personal connection
Try to find a personal connection during the conversation, if you haven't already found one during your research. If you click with someone on a topic that is completely unrelated to the business reason for the call, a completely different dynamic arises.
4. Ask for information, before you come up with information yourself
Start by asking questions and never sell a product or service right away. Make sure you find out what your prospect is struggling with and what he encounters. This allows you to better tailor the sales pitch. People don't want to know about you, they want to know what you can do for them.
5. Stand in front of the mirror
It may sound crazy, but through a mirror you can see what facial expression you have. A smile comes across more confident and nice, even over the phone. This has become easier with the rise of video calling, because you see yourself on the screen by default. Calling while standing also helps: it makes you feel better and more awake. Also, try recording and listening to a conversation so you know better how you come across and sound on the phone. You can improve on lesser points in a subsequent meeting.
6. Provide good documentation
Keep track of who called you, when you called, and the outcome of the call. That gives you a good overview of the results of the phone calls. Even if the conversation does not immediately yield anything concrete, the information remains important for further rapprochement with the market and possible follow-up conversations.
With these tips you should be able to score on the phone. Don't be discouraged by a few bad experiences: these are learning opportunities to do better next time.
- In short, the basic cold calling techniques are as follows:
- Preparation: know who is calling you and why you are calling
- Introduction: position yourself and your service or product
- Ask questions: help the other person, instead of selling a product
- Stay objective: act like an advisor, not a salesperson
- Listen and interpret: don't sell
- Inquire: don't sell
- Show your commitment: don't sell
- Stay in touch: Tell us what the next steps are, and how and when to get back in touch.
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