With the development of online marketing, cold calling should be dead, right? Wrong, it is still a powerful part of your marketing process.
The challenge in the current market is to change the way you cold call from an outdated script to one that does more to engage with customers and create a connection with them. Cold calling has been around since 1873 and it still works if it’s done right.
Tips to Improve Your Strategy
1. Define your Objectives
What are you trying to accomplish with the phone call you’re about to make? Do you want to turn the call into an appointment, invite your customers to attend a webinar, or tell them about a live demo of the products you sell? You need to have an objective when you call your customers and this should be defined in the conversation you have with them.
2. Use Triggers Related to Sales
Your cold calling strategy needs to include sales triggers that will entice the customer to work with your team. This could be letting them know about new products, new announcements, added team members, or events that are being offered. These items are time-dependent and should be presented that way. You’re going to create a feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) for the customer, making them want to learn more.
3. Use a Script, but Don’t Be Afraid to Improvise
You can write a script, especially if you’re new to the process of calling customers, but you need to allow the conversation to take different paths and expect that you’re going to need to cover more topics than you’ve written down. Don’t be afraid to be honest with your prospective customer and let them know if you’re unsure of the answer to one of their questions.
4. Call at the Right Time
There is a wrong time for cold calling and there is a right time. Many people still have regular schedules and dinner times. Some people have lives that are extremely busy and there is never a good time while others have lots of time on their hands and will be pleased to talk to you. Your research should help you understand the best times to call.
5. Collect Data and Use It
Your strategy will not be perfect from the first day and it will need to be tweaked regularly. Don’t be afraid to use the information you collect to build the right action plan to improve your calls. Record your calls and go over them with others on your team to allow others to help you improve your strategy and approach to customers.
6. You’re Going to be Rejected, Don’t Let it Get You Down
Cold calling does not come with a high closure rate. This is one of the marketing processes where you’ are lucking if you get past the first minute of a call one percent of the time and if you get a meeting or sale even less than that. For this reason, you have to understand that rejection is a huge part of the process and will happen often.
7. Handle Objections Well
Objections and rejections are two different things. Listen to why a customer is telling you they might not want to work with you or buy from you and turn that “no” into a “know” where you let them understand what the benefits are of working with your team. The best salespeople in the world understand how to turn objections into sales and handle them extremely well.
8. Practice Your Script Before Calling
When you fumble around with your script and are nervous on the phone, the person on the other end can tell. You need to practice what you’re going to say in a mirror and to another member of your team. Practice different scenarios and questions to become more comfortable making the call and going off the script. This will help your call sound more natural when you talk to your prospective customer.
9. Do Your Homework
Research is key to this process. Cold calling a random list of phone numbers has not been and is still not an effective way to market to potential customers. You need to research the person you’re calling and make a connection with them. You might not make as many calls this way, but you have a better chance of reaching them and continuing a conversation that could turn into a sale.
10. Build a Targeted Prospect List
Another part of being more successful with your calling strategy is to create a list of prospects that makes sense. Identify your customers based on their engagement with your website and social media accounts to see if there are opportunities for remarketing to these customers. You want to make calls that have a higher possibility of turning into a sale, which means you need to build the right list.
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