If you’re like me, the idea of cold calling, marketing and selling can be downright terrifying. It’s not so much that I don’t know what to say when someone answers the phone; it’s more like an overwhelming fear that they’ll hang up on me.
I’ve also never been a fan of talking to strangers in person let alone on the phone which is why I’m always interested in finding ways to improve my sales skills without feeling awkward about it.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Develop a confident mindset for cold calling and selling. |
| 2. Use effective communication techniques to engage prospects. |
| 3. Overcome awkwardness by focusing on providing value. |
| 4. Tailor your approach to each prospect’s needs. |
| 5. Practice active listening to build rapport and trust. |
Know Your “Why”
Knowing your purpose, audience, product and competition is important. But if you want to be successful in cold calling, marketing and selling without feeling awkward or uncomfortable you’re going to have to know the “why” behind what you do.
Why? Because knowing why will help guide your strategy and sales pitch so that they reflect your purpose. So when someone asks: “What do you do?” You can say it with confidence because you know why the work matters for them (and for yourself).
Let me give an example of this in action…
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Lose The Script
When you’re cold calling, the only thing worse than an awkward conversation is a script. A script is not natural, it’s not personal, it doesn’t engage the prospect and it certainly does not make them want to do business with you. It also sucks all of the fun out of selling!
The most successful salespeople I know have a formula for success: they know who their ideal client is and they know what they need to say in order to get that person on board with their product or service.
They go into every call knowing exactly what they are going to say before they say it – but only because they have already built relationships with these people over time through regular communication (phone calls, emails etc.).
The minute you start following some sort of “pre-written” script that someone else has thought up and then passed along as advice – trust me – no one will believe that YOU wrote that script for yourself!
And frankly – no one cares about what YOU think anyway — unless YOU can prove yourself credible by showing how YOU helped other companies grow theirs!
View “Cold Calling” As A Service To Others
One of the best ways to take some of the pressure off cold calling is to view yourself as providing a service to others.
For example, you are helping them solve a problem by providing them with information they need. You are helping them to make a decision about their business or personal finances and saving them time and money in doing so.
This will make you feel more comfortable with cold calling because your customers will be grateful for your help!
Enhance your sales skills with effective cold calling techniques. Dive into our article on Cold Calling 101: What It Is, Why It Works, and How to Do It to gain insights into successful sales strategies.
Take A Day To Prepare For Calls, Emails, And Meetings
Preparing for a cold call, email or meeting can help you feel more confident and prepared.
Write down your elevator pitch: Your elevator pitch is a short summary of what you do, who you are, and why it’s useful to the people you are contacting.
The easiest way to write an elevator pitch is to think about how someone could ask “What do you do?” and answer in three sentences or less (elevator being the word used in this context because people are only going to give you 3 seconds).
Write down questions: If someone asks me what I do I always have questions ready so that they know exactly how my services help them without having me go into too much detail. I have questions like: “How long have you been doing X?”
“How many customers/clients do you currently have?” and “Is there anything else we should talk about today?”
These help break through any awkward silences in the conversation as well as gather valuable insights about your prospects needs so that when it comes time for them to buy from us we already know how best serve their needs!
Practice responses: It’s also important practice responses like “I don’t know,” or “We’re still building our team.” You can even practice saying “No Thank You” if necessary!
Have A Clear Introduction And Elevator Pitch
When you’re cold calling, you should always have an introduction ready. The introduction should be short, clear, memorable and easy to repeat. It needs to include your name, company name and what it is you do (i.e., “John Smith with XYZ Company;
We help small businesses get more customers by improving their online presence through search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, and other internet marketing strategies).
For the introduction to work properly:
It must be short, ideally 30 seconds or less in length;
It must be clear, don’t assume that the person on the other end of the phone knows exactly what SEO or PPC is; give them enough information so they can understand what services/products are being offered without wasting time explaining everything about SEO or PPC;
Try using terms like “internet marketing strategy” instead of “SEO” which could mean different things depending on who is listening;
Also, avoid saying “we do…” because this doesn’t give anyone any specifics as far as what kind of work they will actually receive from XYZ Company if they go ahead with utilizing our services/products;
Finally never say anything negative unless asked otherwise such as: “Our company has been extremely successful at increasing organic rankings via an approach called organic search engine marketing.”
This way if someone asks about how well-known we are within their industry then all you’ve got left out there publicly so far would only be positive stuff like “We’ve tripled revenue” (not saying this happened though!).
Never Talk About Yourself Or Your Features (Unless They Ask)
You are not the center of this conversation.
This sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s really important to remember! All you want is for your prospect to be interested in what you have to say, right?
Well then don’t talk about yourself or your company or even your products and services. There will be plenty of time for that later if they express interest in learning more about them.
Do not try to convince them that they should buy from you.
You are not selling anything at this point you’re simply getting them interested enough so that when the time comes to buy from you, they won’t hesitate because they know who is being honest with them (your company) and who isn’t (your competition).
Crafting compelling email subject lines is essential for engagement. Explore our tips in How to Write Email Subject Lines That Get Responses and improve your email outreach game.
You Don’t Need A Lead Magnet Or Giveaway
In fact, you don’t even need a lead magnet or giveaway to get people to call you. You can offer a free trial of your product or service, or a consultation over the phone.
You can also offer a free consultation in person. If you have an office and space available for visitors, consider opening up your place of business on evenings and weekends (or most days) to walk-ins only!
This is a great way to build relationships with clients without having to do any cold calling at all!
Create An Experience People Want To Share
The goal of cold calling is to create a memorable experience that people want to share. Make it fun, make it enjoyable, and make sure you’re consistently making them laugh.
Remember: People are not going to remember how many times they were called or what you said in those calls. They will remember if they had a good time talking with you!
So when creating your script, think about how you can turn this into an experience people want to share with their friends and family on social media or through word-of-mouth. There are three ways I’ve seen this done effectively:
Start by telling a story that creates intrigue for your potential customer as well as yourself (i.e., “Have I got news for YOU!”).
This will also help keep the listener engaged throughout the entire call because they’ll feel like there’s something more than just an ordinary sales call going on here there’s something special happening!
Be Willing To Give Referrals, Even When You Are Struggling
If you’re struggling to find clients, there’s a good chance that your friends and family might be interested in what you offer.
But they may not know how to approach you. If they are looking for a new plumber or electrician, they probably won’t call the one that everyone knows about just because the latter is easier to get hold of.
Instead, they will ask around and check out a few different options before deciding which one is best for them.
As well as providing referrals for new clients and employees, being willing to give referrals also helps when it comes to business partnerships too. For example:
- You have an entrepreneurial friend who’s planning on opening up her own bar/restaurant but has no idea where she should start with finding suppliers or contractors etc.;
- Your friend doesn’t have any money but knows someone who does (and vice versa);
- Both of you would benefit financially from working together long term
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Say No To People Who Waste Your Time Or Energy
If you’re being asked to do something that doesn’t feel right for you, don’t do it. Asking someone else to do what you are not willing to do yourself is a surefire way of creating friction between people and destroying rapport.
You want your calls and meetings with prospects and clients to be mutually beneficial not one-sided.
Don’t Waste Other People’s Time:
Don’t give false promises or talk about things that aren’t realistic or possible in order to get a prospect interested in meeting with you. If they say no, don’t push them further by asking questions like “Why?” or “What if?”
Instead, let go of any emotional investment in whether they say yes or no and simply acknowledge their decision as one made by them alone (even though there may very well be factors beyond their control influencing it).
Always Follow Up and Send Thank You Notes
You have to remember that people are busy, so even if you have a great conversation with them, don’t expect an immediate response. This is why it’s important for you to follow up.
Not only will following up show your commitment and dedication, but it will also make you stand out from the crowd as someone who understands what it takes to build relationships with prospects and customers.
If you want more leads, then sending thank-you notes after every sales call is crucial! But what makes a good thank-you note? A simple but effective one should include the following elements:
- Thank them for their time
- Ask how they’d like to move forward (i.e., next steps)
- Ask for referrals/testimonials
Stay Focused And Positive, Even When Rejected
Stay positive. The best way to get through a cold call is by remaining calm and upbeat. When you’re feeling down about being rejected, it can be tempting to want to give up and go home, but you need to stay focused on the positives of what you’ve learned from this experience so far.
Don’t take rejection personally. You might think that someone rejecting your offer means they don’t like or trust you as a person, when really all they’re doing is saying no to something specific (for example: “I’m not interested in buying this widget today”).
So try not to take it personally it doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with you!
Try again! If someone says no once, ask them another time if they would like more information or a demonstration of your product/service; then keep trying until someone says yes!
You’ll find that people will often say yes if asked again after some time has passed since their initial refusal and sometimes even after multiple attempts at asking again over time as well!
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Put Yourself In Their Shoes, Then Find Common Ground
Understanding their problems and needs:
Whether you are cold calling to sell your product or service, or simply trying to get information on a potential customer, you need to understand what the person is going through.
Being empathetic:
Empathy is one of the most important qualities in a salesperson because it allows them to connect with their customers on a level that isn’t possible if they don’t care about others. You can’t fake empathy; if you don’t feel it for someone else, why would they trust your judgement?
If there’s any doubt about whether or not something will help someone, find out before saying anything else. It could be as simple as asking open-ended questions such as “How did this problem affect your life?” instead of closed ones like “Did this affect your life?”
Remember: the more understanding you have about what people’s needs are (and how those needs relate specifically), then the better equipped
you’ll be at helping them solve those problems!
Know Their Problems And Needs Like The Back Of Your Hand
Expert salespeople know what the problem is and how to solve it. They understand the underlying reasons behind their clients’ issues, which allows them to create a plan that addresses the root cause rather than just treating the symptoms.
It’s not enough just to listen; you have to ask questions that help peel back layers of knowledge so you can get at what they really need.
Thank Them For Their Time Before They Say Goodbye
If you want to end the call on a positive note, thank your contact for their time. You can do this by saying something like “Thanks for sitting down with me today and sharing your views. I really appreciate it.”
This will leave people feeling good about themselves and will make them more likely to help you out in the future.
You can also ask for a favor at this point whether that’s asking someone “Could I get another minute of your time?” or just asking outright “Can I ask you one last question?”
This shows that they’re still important enough to you that you’re not going anywhere yet and allows them to feel like they’re still being listened to even though there isn’t anything left for them to say (at least not right now).
And if all else fails, just ask more questions! Your job is selling yourself so if there’s no way around it then go ahead and sell yourself some more! All joking aside though: when it comes down
Learn From Your Mistakes – Yours And Other People’s
It doesn’t matter how many times you hear this. It never gets old, or less important:
Take Notes On What You Did Wrong
This is incredibly important because it helps you learn from your mistakes and makes sure that the next time around, you don’t repeat them.
Don’t be afraid to take notes on everything – from how your pitch went down to what questions they asked and how you answered them. Also write down what went well, so that you can replicate those actions later on in your cold calling campaigns!
Conclusion
The more you cold call, the easier it will get. You’ll be able to do it more efficiently, with less stress and anxiety.
But the key is to keep in mind that your goal is not simply to make a sale but also to build relationships with people who may one day buy something from you or refer others who will.
So always remember: don’t rush through calls, create value for others, and stay positive and focused on what they need rather than what they want (which might not really be aligned with their true needs).
Always follow up after each call regardless of outcome and send thank-you notes when appropriate!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you further improve your cold calling and communication skills:
EngageBay’s Cold Calling Tips: Discover expert tips and techniques to enhance your cold calling success and build meaningful connections with potential clients.
Mastering Cold Calling with Mailshake: Explore insights and strategies for effective cold calling from Mailshake’s blog, helping you refine your approach and increase your conversion rates.
3-Step Guide to Successful Cold Calling: Dive into a concise guide that outlines a three-step process for successful cold calling, empowering you to approach prospects confidently.
FAQs
What is the key to successful cold calling?
Successful cold calling hinges on a combination of effective preparation, personalized communication, and active listening. Engage with potential clients by understanding their needs and tailoring your pitch accordingly.
How can I overcome nervousness during cold calls?
To overcome nervousness during cold calls, practice and preparation are crucial. Familiarize yourself with your script, research your prospects, and remember that each call is an opportunity to learn and improve.
How do I handle objections during cold calls?
Handling objections requires a positive attitude and the ability to empathize with your prospects’ concerns. Acknowledge their objections, provide relevant solutions, and focus on the value your product or service offers.
What’s the ideal timing for cold calling?
The best timing for cold calling varies based on your target audience and industry. Generally, calling during mid-morning or late afternoon when prospects are likely to be available can increase your chances of connecting.
How can I track the effectiveness of my cold calling efforts?
Utilize call tracking software or CRM tools to monitor and analyze the outcomes of your cold calling campaigns. These tools can help you measure conversion rates, identify trends, and make informed adjustments to your approach.
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.