Cold calling is a necessary part of business, but it can be awkward and uncomfortable. However, with the right approach, cold calls are much easier than they seem on the surface.
With these 13 tips for how to make your cold calls more successful, you’ll be well on your way to making that first step toward boosting your sales figures and closing deals faster than ever before!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Focus on personalized communication. |
| 2. Research prospects to understand their needs. |
| 3. Practice active listening during conversations. |
| 4. Tailor your pitch to address specific pain points. |
| 5. Use compelling and concise opening statements. |
| 6. Handle objections with empathy and solutions. |
| 7. Follow up consistently to nurture leads. |
| 8. Leverage technology for efficient call scheduling. |
| 9. Continuously refine your cold calling script. |
| 10. Seek feedback and learn from each interaction. |
| 11. Stay positive and persistent despite rejections. |
| 12. Incorporate storytelling to engage prospects. |
| 13. Adapt and iterate based on performance metrics. |
1. Information Gathering
When you first call someone, it’s important to ask for the person’s name, title, and department. This is information that will help you connect with them in your next phone call or email. You can also ask for their phone number, email address, and office location.
Additionally, if you have time before the appointment begins or at any point during the appointment itself when there isn’t much dialogue going on between you two (like when they are looking over something).
Take notes on what they say so that later on down the road you can use this information as well!
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2. Make Sure You Know Your Contact Before You Make The Call
Knowing who you’re calling before making your call is critical.
You don’t want to waste the time of someone who doesn’t have authority over what you are trying to sell, or even worse, risk losing a relationship by accidentally pitching to someone who has no interest in listening to your proposal.
To find out who you should be talking with, look at their website and social media profiles for clues about their job title and role within the company.
If it’s unclear from this info how big of an impact they can have on buying decisions at their business, then try searching for them on LinkedIn or Google (or whatever search engine is most popular in your industry).
Look for mentions of projects they’ve worked on that were publicly visible; if there aren’t any, maybe there is some other way this person could help such as being a lead investor in an existing project or mentoring other entrepreneurs looking into starting one themselves.”
3. Research The Company
Research the company. You want to know as much about the company you’re calling as possible. Do they have a website? What is their mission? Is it to do great things for the world or make a fortune for themselves?
Do they have any values outlined on their website that might affect how they interact with potential clients like yourself?
This will help you tailor your pitch so it’s more likely to resonate with this particular audience. If possible, find out if any employees serve in leadership roles at the companies where you’re trying to sell your product or service (think COOs and CFOs).
Research the people within that organization you’ll be talking with by looking up LinkedIn profiles or Facebook groups related to them to get an idea about what type of person these folks are before reaching out to them via phone call (or email) which could help take some awkwardness out of getting started talking together!
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4. Highlight Your Qualifications
The first thing to do when you make a cold call is to highlight your qualifications. This can be done in one of two ways:
- You can discuss what you’ve done for other companies that are similar to the business your calling, or
- You can discuss how you can help them grow.
The second option is more useful for industries where profitability and growth are important, like technology services and healthcare but it’s not essential. The key here is to show that you have experience doing what they do as well as understanding their company culture and needs.
5. State What You Can Do For The Company
The next time you make a cold call, don’t just say “Can I speak to the person in charge of…” Instead, state what you can do for them.
To get started, ask yourself: What can I do for this company? What can I do for this client? Who is my target here and how can I help them?
As an example, if your target is the COO of XYZ Corporation and you think he may have an immediate need for your services but don’t know exactly what that need is yet, then it’s safe to assume he wants his company to grow faster and more profitably than it does currently.
So when making that first call or email introduction about yourself and your services (which we’ll talk about more below), explain how you can help achieve these goals.
6. Focus On Benefits Rather Than Features
It’s easy to focus on the features of your product or service, but that can be a mistake. When you’re cold calling, it’s more important to focus on benefits.
Benefits are the results that your prospect is looking for and what they will get from working with you.
Features are things like size, color, price, and other details that don’t necessarily lead directly to a benefit. For example: “Our new phone has a larger screen than our competitors.
The feature is a bigger screen size; the benefit would be something like “viewing content on our new phone is easier than viewing content on other phones.”
When you’re talking about benefits in your cold calls, always try to use action words such as “will,” “can” or “help.” These kinds of words help drive home how using your product or service will make their lives better in some way and that’s what matters!
7. Be Flexible With Timing
Being flexible with timing is essential to maximizing the value of cold calls. You need to be ready to start, end, reschedule and even change the call at any moment.
Why? Because clients are busy people who don’t always have time for your call. They might be interrupted by a meeting or something else that needs their attention (or they could just be having a bad day).
To make sure that you can maximize every opportunity for calling, make sure you’re ready for any type of interruption or change in schedule.
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8. Get A Sense Of Their Values And Mission So You Can Tailor Your Pitch
When you’re making a cold call, it’s important to understand what that company cares about. You can’t just go in with a generic pitch and expect them to bite. You need to get a sense of their values and mission so that you can tailor your pitch accordingly.
Here are some ways you can do this:
Look at their website, social media accounts, annual report, or press releases for any mention of the company’s mission or values.
If there isn’t anything directly stating it but rather subtle clues like photos on the website or quotes from employees on Twitter showing how much they love being part of this team/company/community then take note!
It’ll only make your job easier if they’ve already expressed this sentiment organically somewhere online beforehand.
So use those words as building blocks when crafting your message later on down the road when sending out emails or calling them directly over the phone line (which we’ll discuss later).
Read through investor relations pages where companies publish quarterly earnings reports that way if there’s ever been something negative mentioned about how well things have been going lately then chances are pretty high.
These issues will still be affecting them today despite being months old now since most businesses don’t change direction overnight like people tend to do when they feel something hasn’t worked well enough yet still keeps pursuing
9. Give Yourself Some Wiggle Room For Errors That Might Occur During The Call
As with any new skill, there will be mistakes. You should expect that not everything is going to go perfectly every time you place a call.
Some of the most common errors people make include:
Not asking for clarification when they don’t understand what the prospect is saying. If you can’t understand what the prospect is saying, it’s better to clear things up than assume that you know what they mean. That said, don’t spend too much time on this you’ve got other things to do!
Not apologizing if something goes wrong during your call (e.g., you accidentally dialed a number incorrectly). It never hurts to say “I’m sorry,” especially since it shows empathy and reminds prospects of how human we all are (and therefore how trustworthy).
Asking prospects for referrals or meetings immediately after making contact with them through cold calling (or any other method).
Depending on who you’re talking to and where your relationship currently stands with them, there may be better times later on down the road when these requests will be more appropriate; ask permission first before assuming anything!
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10. Ask For Time To Think About Your Pitch, Then Follow Up With A Second Call
When you call back, ask if they have had a chance to think about your pitch. If they haven’t, it is probably best to save your pitch and follow up later.
This will make the person feel more comfortable with you and increase the chances of getting through on the second call. If they have thought about it but aren’t ready to talk business yet, that is fine too!
You can still ask for some time later on in the week or next week (depending on when you are going to call again) so that you can get them prepared for an in-depth conversation when it comes time for that sales call.
11. Keep It Short And Sweet (No More Than 3 Minutes)
When you’re making that phone call, keep it short and sweet. You’ve got a lot of information to share but remember: the person on the other end of the line doesn’t know you from Adam.
He or she is busy, distracted, and likely has somewhere else to be. So don’t go over three minutes in your opening remarks and if someone tells you they have another meeting coming up shortly (or any other reason), ask for more time!
If that doesn’t work, then ask if they’d like a follow-up call at another time when they can dedicate some extra attention to your pitch. And if all else fails, suggest a face-to-face meeting instead wherever possible!
12. Watch Your Tone Of Voice, Including Your Body Language And Facial Expression
Watch your tone of voice, including your body language and facial expression. Keep the tone of your voice friendly, and always use a positive facial expression.
Focus on establishing rapport. You want to create a connection with the person you’re calling so they’ll be more receptive to what you have to say later in the conversation.
Ask questions that are open-ended rather than closed-ended ones. For example: “What was your favorite part about working at ABC Company?” vs “Did you like working at ABC Company?”
13. Mastering Cold Calling Is Not As Daunting As It Seems!
Mastering cold calling is not as daunting as it seems! You can learn the skills you need to succeed, and practice makes perfect. Here are some resources that will help:
- [Cold Calling 101](https://www.coldcalling101online.com/)
- [Cold Calling Essentials](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cold-calling-essentials-marketing-paula-phillips)
If you’re new to cold calling, getting started can seem overwhelming at first but don’t worry!
These tips will help guide you through the process of mastering cold calling so that within a few months of following this checklist, your business phone will ring off the hook with orders from new customers!
Cold emailing can be a game-changer for businesses. Explore the reasons why in our post about 10 Reasons Why Cold Emailing Can Be a Business’s Most Valuable Asset, and learn how this strategy can boost your growth and outreach.
Conclusion
We know this can be an intimidating prospect, but the more you practice, the better you’ll get, and eventually, it’ll become second nature. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to master cold calling;
Just put in the time and effort and keep practicing! If a few of these strategies don’t work out as planned, don’t give up. Remember: what matters most is your attitude toward yourself and others when making these calls.
Further Reading
Check out these resources for more insights on effective cold calling techniques:
Indeed – Tips for Effective Cold Calling
A comprehensive guide to refining your cold calling skills and making meaningful connections.
Sales Hacker – Cold Calling Tips and Techniques
Discover proven strategies and tactics to excel in the art of cold calling and drive successful sales outcomes.
CallMiner Blog – 25 Tips for More Effective Cold Calling
Dive into a collection of 25 practical tips to enhance the effectiveness of your cold calling efforts.
FAQs
How can I improve my cold calling success rate?
To improve your cold calling success rate, focus on personalized communication, research your prospects beforehand, and practice active listening to understand their needs better.
What are some common cold calling mistakes to avoid?
Avoid speaking too quickly, using scripted and robotic language, and neglecting to research your prospects. These mistakes can hinder your cold calling efforts.
How do I handle rejection during cold calls?
Rejection is a natural part of cold calling. Stay positive, thank the prospect for their time, and use the opportunity to learn and refine your approach.
What’s the role of empathy in cold calling?
Empathy plays a crucial role in establishing rapport and building trust with your prospects. Show genuine interest in their challenges and needs to create a meaningful connection.
Are there alternatives to traditional cold calling techniques?
Yes, alternatives include warm calling (connecting with leads who have shown interest), leveraging referrals, and utilizing social media platforms to engage with prospects before making the call.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.