Cold Calling Made Simple: How To Sell A B2b Marketing Product

Cold calling is a challenge for anyone who’s not used to it, but it can be particularly intimidating if you’re trying to sell something. In this article, we’ll go over some simple ways to make your next cold call a success.

B2B Sales Cold Calling: Three Simple Steps – YouTube
Takeaways
Simplify your cold calling approach.
Focus on understanding your B2B marketing product thoroughly.
Tailor your pitch to address specific pain points of potential clients.
Build rapport and establish a connection with prospects.
Use effective communication and active listening during calls.
Practice objection handling to overcome potential challenges.
Incorporate a follow-up strategy to nurture relationships.
Continuously refine and improve your cold calling techniques.
Measure and analyze your results to optimize your approach.
Stay persistent and committed to the sales process.

1. Identify The Right Person To Speak With

For cold calling success, you need to know your audience. The first step is identifying who will be able to make a purchasing decision within your company. 

You also need to understand their role within the organization and what pain points they’re trying to solve by buying your product or service.

Take some time at the beginning of each sales call and walk through this process with me:

  • Who am I selling to? (The person who will make a decision)
  • What does his/her job entail? (This helps us understand how we can help them.)
  • What are his/her goals? (If we know what he or she wants out of life, then we’ll be able to sell him/her on our solution.)
  • How much does he or she have available for my solution? (Are there budget restrictions that could impact whether or not we get paid for our work?)

Are you new to cold emailing and looking for guidance? Check out our comprehensive guide on Cold Emailing 101: A Beginner’s Guide to get started on the right foot.

2. Choose Your Time Wisely

When choosing a time to call, it’s important to consider the prospect’s schedule and availability as well as your own. The best way to do this is by calling at different times and seeing which ones have the most success for you. 

If you can find a common time when you consistently get picked up, it means that there is an ideal window of opportunity for calling that particular prospect in future calls as well.

3. Keep It Simple And Straightforward

When you’re making cold calls, there’s no point in trying to sell the product over the phone. You need to build a relationship first so that you can get the prospect excited about what your company has to offer later on. 

If they’re not interested in hearing more at this point, they probably won’t ever be interested later so don’t take up their time with an extended pitch!

In addition, avoid trying too hard to impress these people: don’t act overly enthusiastic or try too hard to be charming if someone is going to like you based on how much energy you have over the phone.

Then those aren’t the right people for your business anyways (and if they are, then great!). 

Instead of putting on an act during your cold call script read-throughs and practice sessions (which can only make things worse).

Focus on delivering accurate information as naturally as possible and letting real enthusiasm naturally come through when interacting with potential customers over email or voicemail afterward

Sometimes, all it takes is a few key insights to transform your cold email strategy. Discover the “Aha” moments in cold emailing from our article on 10 Cold Email “Aha” Moments and elevate your approach.

4. Research Before You Call

Researching the person or company you are calling will help you tremendously in your cold-calling efforts. You should know what they do, where they work, who their competitors are, and how to reach them by phone. 

This information will make it much easier for you to have an intelligent conversation with the decision makers at your prospect’s organization so that they can see the value of what you offer them.

5. Prepare A Script That Addresses The Pain Points Of Your Prospects

This is the most important step for cold calling. Prepare a script that addresses the pain points of your prospects and use it as a guide. However, don’t be afraid to improvise! Your script should be like a conversation starter or closer, but also something in between. 

If someone asks you if they can help, tell them ‘no’ and just give them some information about what your product does! 

If they don’t ask anything else after that, go ahead and say goodbye and hang up the phone because they probably aren’t interested in what you have to offer right now.

6. Get To The Point Quickly, Within 30 Seconds

One of the most important things you can do is to get straight to the point, within 30 seconds. Don’t waste your time or theirs by beating around the bush. The best way to do this is with a concise sentence that states what you want and why they should care.

Example: “My name is X and I’m calling because I have a new marketing product that will help small businesses like yours increase their revenue by 12% in one year.”

Don’t talk about yourself or your kids, or pets for that matter (unless they’re making sales calls too). 

It’s not a good idea to start with something like, “How are you doing today?” because it sounds forced and awkward. You might as well skip talking about the weather altogether it’s boring for everyone involved!

Crafting an effective cold email marketing strategy requires a solid plan. Learn about The Ultimate Cold Email Marketing Strategy to maximize your outreach efforts and achieve better results.

7. Ask Open-Ended Questions And Listen To Responses Carefully

While the prospect is on the phone, you should ask open-ended questions and listen carefully to their responses. By asking these questions you can determine the prospect’s intent, expectations, and challenges they face. 

Once you know how your product or service can help them beat that challenge (or multiple challenges) then you can tell them about it!

As a marketer or salesperson, mastering cold emails is crucial for success. Explore The Cold Email Guide for Marketers & Salespeople to gain valuable knowledge and strategies for effective outreach.

8. Anticipate Objections, Challenges, And Concerns, And Address Them In Your Script

Write down the objections, challenges, and concerns that might come up if they ask you specific questions regarding your product or service. 

Then, within your script, address those same objections and concerns so you’re prepared for what could come up during the call when talking about actual products or services you want to sell them on purchasing from you. 

This way, if they ask a question directly related to an objection/concern that is addressed in your script, it will sound natural and not forced because you’ve already thought through how to address it beforehand!

Are you struggling to get more clients through your email campaigns? Dive into our article on Effective Cold Emailing: How to Get More Clients Using Email for insights and tips to improve your client acquisition strategy.

Conclusion

Remember: being prepared will help you dominate your sales calls! Don’t be afraid to ask questions and listen carefully so that when someone says, “I have another question,” or “Can you tell me more about this?” You can confidently answer their questions with ease.

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources for further understanding and improving your B2B cold calling strategy:

B2B Cold Calling: Tips for Success: Explore this HubSpot blog post for insights into effective B2B cold calling techniques and strategies.

The Ultimate Cold Calling Script for B2B Sales: Learn how to craft a powerful cold calling script tailored to B2B sales from this Cognism blog post.

Cold Calling Tips for B2B Sales Call Success: Discover practical tips for achieving success in B2B cold calling by reading this Salesmate blog article.

FAQs

What are the key differences between B2B and B2C cold calling?

B2B cold calling involves reaching out to businesses for sales purposes, while B2C cold calling targets individual consumers. The approach, messaging, and techniques often differ due to the distinct characteristics of these two segments.

How can I effectively research prospects before making a B2B cold call?

To research prospects for B2B cold calling, utilize sources like LinkedIn, company websites, and industry reports. Gather information about the company’s needs, pain points, and challenges to tailor your pitch.

What are some common challenges in B2B cold calling?

Common challenges in B2B cold calling include gatekeepers who restrict access to decision-makers, objections related to budget and timing, and the need to provide value quickly to capture interest.

How can I create a compelling value proposition for B2B cold calls?

Craft a compelling value proposition by understanding the prospect’s pain points, offering tailored solutions, and emphasizing the unique benefits your product or service brings to their business.

What role does follow-up play in B2B cold calling?

Follow-up is crucial in B2B cold calling to nurture relationships, address any objections, and provide additional information. Regular follow-up demonstrates persistence and a genuine interest in solving the prospect’s challenges.