Cold Calling Is The Only Strategy That Will Make You A Marketo Master

You’re probably reading this because you’re wondering if cold calling is the only strategy that will make you a Marketo master. If so, then I’m happy to report that the answer is yes and no. 

No, I’m not going to tell you to never pick up the phone again and instead use email, social media and other digital channels as your primary method of marketing. And yes, I do believe that dialing for dollars is still a critical component in any successful marketing strategy today.

Cold Calling Techniques That Really Work – YouTube
Takeaways
1. Cold calling remains a powerful marketing strategy when executed effectively.
2. Mastering cold calling techniques can lead to success in the competitive market.
3. Implementing cold calling requires understanding your target audience and their needs.
4. Personalization and well-crafted scripts play a crucial role in cold calling success.
5. Integrating cold calling with other marketing strategies can amplify results.

Tip 1: If You Don’t Know Where To Start, Start Here

If you’re new to cold calling, it may seem like a daunting task. But if it was easy and everyone could do it, we wouldn’t need Marketo Masters! To start, call someone you know personally who is in the industry you are selling into. 

It could be anyone from a colleague to a friend to your neighbor or even your teacher or mentor as long as they are not too old!

Your first prospect might seem intimidating at first but remember: they are just people too! They have a job just like us and they want to help their customers succeed too (or else why would they have become marketers?). 

So when calling them out of the blue for the first time with no prior relationship, be sure to treat them professionally on both ends of the conversation. 

This means being polite never abrasive and asking questions that show interest in their business or role within their company instead of pitching yourself right away (this may come later).

Mastering the art of cold calling is crucial for becoming a successful marketer. Learn how to enhance your cold calling techniques and drive business growth with the guide on How to Master Cold Calling Marketing Strategy and Boost Your Business Growth.

Tip 2: There Are 3 Categories Of People You Can Call

There are 3 categories of people you can call:

Prospects. These are your ideal clients who have expressed interest in your product or service. 

They’re the ones who responded to a blog post you wrote, watched a video of yours on YouTube and clicked through to your website, or downloaded some free content from your company’s blog. In other words: 

These are people who have already expressed interest in what you do and how you do it.

Prospects who are ready. These prospects have taken action by signing up for something like an email list or whitepaper download.

Or webinar registration form that indicates they’re interested enough in what you do to take action (even if they haven’t yet purchased anything). This means they’re closer than “prospects.” 

If they haven’t bought anything yet but have requested more information from you via opt-in forms, consider them “prospects.”

Prospects who aren’t ready yet – We all love growth hacking strategies that get us more leads without having to put together complex sales funnels.

But there’s no replacement for good old-fashioned cold calling! With this strategy, we can reach out directly to potential customers with our message about how we can help them grow their businesses.

Tip 3: You Have A Special Skill

You have a special skill or knowledge that could help your target market. If you want to be successful, you’re going to need to find the right way for them to learn about it. 

The best way is through one-on-one conversations. If a customer is interested in what you’re offering, they may not call themselves “your target market” but they are very close!

You can use your special skill in many ways:

  • You can work as a consultant and make money from helping others solve their problems with whatever it is that you’re good at
  • You could build an online course and sell it on sites like Udemy or Teachable (which both give 50% commissions)
  • You could even create an ebook based on your expertise and sell that directly through Amazon

Building a business requires effective strategies, and cold calling is one of them. Explore the benefits of incorporating cold calling into your business plan with insights from Cold Calling to Build Your Business.

Tip 4: You Are Going To Make Mistakes

The good news is there are strategies you can use to actively avoid mistakes, and I’ll be discussing these in the following sections. But here’s another way of looking at it: if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough.

Marketing is a fast-moving industry where new technologies come out every day that can change your work for better or worse. 

We all make lots of mistakes some people would argue that if you haven’t made any big ones yet then you’re probably not pushing yourself hard enough!

You should be prepared to experiment with new tools and techniques until they become second nature. If something doesn’t work out as planned, just move on to the next thing without beating yourself up about it you won’t regret trying something different!

Tip 5: End The Call With An Action Item

At the end of your call, don’t forget to ask for something specific. A good place to start is asking for an introduction or a referral. 

You can also ask for a meeting, demo, trial, and quote. If you have the prospect’s permission, you could even ask them if they’d be willing to be featured as a testimonial on your website or in an email campaign!

Whatever it is that you’re looking to get from this lead, make sure that they know exactly what action you want them to take before hanging up.

Cold calling can be a powerful tool when done correctly. Discover the key principles and techniques for successful cold calling in the article How to Cold Call People Properly.

Tip 6: Have Some Backup Questions

This is probably the most important tip for this guide because it will help you make the best use of your time. When you’re cold calling, you generally only have one shot at getting to know a prospect. If they’re busy and don’t have time to talk with you, they won’t. 

(And if they do have time, but are not interested in learning more about Marketo’s software solutions? Then no amount of impressive sales skills will change their mind.)

The best thing to do is practice your pitch beforehand so that when someone picks up the phone and says hello or even hangs up on you you’ll be ready with some backup questions or conversation starters that will keep them engaged as long as possible.

If they start asking questions about something specific like which solution would work best for their company or industry, try asking them something like “How many people are involved in making decisions?” 

This allows them to talk about themselves too: maybe even ask how long they’ve been working there! Or why exactly does Sales Matter?

Tip 7: Demo If At All Possible

If you can demo your product, do it. A live demonstration of your product or service will help you leave a lasting impression on the person on the other end of the phone. It’s also an opportunity to show off your knowledge, expertise, and professionalism. 

If you don’t have access to a demo version of your product, consider offering to schedule time for them to come into your office and see it in action you’ll be able to demonstrate how easy it is to use while they are there!

Tip 8 Focus On The Conversation, Not The Script

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Use your caller’s name and ask what they do for a living, what industry they are in, and if there are any trends or hot topics in their area. This opens up the conversation and makes it personal.

Take a deep breath before saying anything that may make you sound silly or incompetent (e.g., “I don’t know…”). 

You may feel like an idiot when you say something like this, but it will help build trust with the person on the other end of the phone because they now know that you aren’t perfect and are willing to admit it when needed! 

This can also be a great way to start talking about how Marketo can help them reach their goals faster than ever before by helping them find ways around challenges that have been holding them back from becoming more successful at what they do.

As well as provide support along every step of this journey so there’s no room left for doubt on either side anymore–and then go ahead with confidence knowing full well who has your back here at Makerspace HQ!

Elevating your cold calling game involves staying up-to-date with the latest tips and tactics. Get valuable advice to improve your cold calling success rate from Cold Calling Tips You Can Use Today.

Tip 9: Use Multiple Channels For Prospecting And Follow-Up!

If you’re going to do cold calling, you need to use multiple channels for prospecting and follow-up! Use email, phone, social media, and in-person.

Using multiple channels will help you stay organized by keeping all of your prospects in one place. 

It will also ensure that you have a consistent message across all of your prospecting efforts by having the same voice and tone across all touchpoints with each prospect or customer.

Using multiple channels can also help you stay focused on the customer’s needs instead of getting distracted by something else during the call (for example: checking email). 

And finally using different methods for communicating with customers can increase efficiency because it reduces the number of times you have to talk about yourself or what product or service you sell when talking with other prospects or clients

Tip 10: Ask Permission Before You Ask Questions

While cold-calling can be intimidating, the worst thing you can do is not ask for permission to ask questions. This is a good way to build rapport and show that you are trying to be respectful of the other person’s time. You could say, “Hi, this is John with ABC Company. 

Before I dive into my spiel about why you should buy our product/service instead of our competitor’s, may I have 10 seconds?” This will help them feel more relaxed and not on guard when they answer your questions!

Tip 11: Don’t “Sell” During Your Initial Phone Call

Don’t try to sell anything on the phone. When you call someone, they don’t know who you are, why they should trust you, or what problem your product solves for them. You need to build trust first by demonstrating that your product can solve their problems.

This sounds counter-intuitive. If you’re selling a product, shouldn’t the customer already know what problem it solves and be ready for a formal sales pitch? 

Not necessarily! Most people don’t want to be sold anything over the phone – especially if they don’t recognize the name of the company calling them or have never heard of its products before (which is likely).

Tip 12: Schedule A Specific Time For Your Demo Or Follow-Up Call In Advance

This is another very important tip. Schedule a specific time for your demo or follow-up call in advance.

It’s easy to say, “I’ll call them sometime next week and pitch my product when they have time.” But that doesn’t work! Don’t just call whenever you feel like it. You’ve got to be prepared and ready to go every single time you pick up the phone. 

And don’t forget: You’re going to be answering questions from these prospects, so make sure they’re answered before you place the call!

Tip 13: It Is Ok To Ask For Help And Try Something New

This is a strategy I will use in my future Marketo Mastery.

While I am still a novice marketer, one thing that has surprised me about the industry is how friendly it is and how willing people are to help others. 

Asking for help when you need it is not only acceptable but expected! It can be intimidating at first because there are so many ways to get help from experienced marketers. But once you get going, your confidence will grow and so will your skillset!

Integrating outbound email marketing into your strategy can complement your cold calling efforts. Learn the step-by-step process to kick-start your outbound email campaigns in the resource The 12-Step Process to Get Started with Outbound Email Marketing.

Conclusion

So keep in mind that while some people may think that you’re nuts to be cold calling, it’s an extremely effective tool. It forces you to engage with the prospect and sell yourself and your company’s product. 

It also allows you to find out what kind of person they are so that when it comes time for face-to-face meetings, everyone knows exactly what needs to be discussed.

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources that delve deeper into the world of cold calling and marketing strategies:

7 Detailed Cold Calling Tips for Improved Conversions: Explore detailed tips and statistics to enhance your cold calling techniques and boost conversion rates.

Lead Generation and Cold Calling Webinar: Gain insights from a webinar on lead generation and cold calling, focusing on strategies to enhance your marketing efforts.

Expert Cold Calling Tips: Delve into expert tips and advice to refine your cold calling skills and maximize your outreach.

FAQs

How can I improve my cold calling success rate?

Improving your cold calling success rate requires a combination of effective techniques, targeted scripts, and understanding your audience’s needs.

What are some statistics that highlight the importance of cold calling?

Cold calling can generate high-quality leads and conversions when executed strategically. Studies show that personalization and well-prepared scripts can significantly impact success rates.

Is there a recommended structure for a cold calling script?

Yes, a successful cold calling script usually includes an engaging introduction, a concise value proposition, addressing potential objections, and a strong call-to-action.

How do webinars contribute to lead generation and cold calling strategies?

Webinars provide an opportunity to showcase expertise and build relationships with potential clients. They can be used as an effective lead generation tool and a platform to engage prospects.

What are some common cold calling mistakes to avoid?

Avoiding common mistakes like talking too much, not listening to prospects, and not tailoring your pitch can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your cold calling efforts.