Bright Ideas # 77 - Cold Calling Success Secrets

I’ll be the first to admit it…I don’t like making cold calls. And believe me; I’ve paid my dues as a phone jockey.

First, there were those two, painful telemarketing jobs I had in high school. Then, back before the tech bubble burst, I had a couple of jobs in high tech sales.

Unfortunately, both tech companies I worked for liked the “throw !#$*@ at the wall until something sticks” method of cold calling. In other words they pushed us sales folks hard to just get on the phone and call, call, call.

This method is nothing but a numbers game, because, on average, only 2-5% of cold calls result in sales—if you’re good.

Of course, if you’re great at it (my sister is a cold-calling machine!), it can work wonders to grow your business.

More power to you!

But let’s face it; it’s hard for most of us to get excited about being rejected all day long.

So instead of continuing to do cold calling even though it wasn’t a good fit for me, I figured out how to improve the odds…

The key is to do a bit of work before you pick up the phone. That way you can come across as a helpful professional instead of an annoying salesperson. And, you might even be able to turn your cold calls into warm calls—which are even more effective, and far less painful to make.

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What can you do to warm up your cold calls and improve your success rate?
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1) Research your target market, industry, company and key decision maker before you call them. That way you can mention specifics in your call to show you are a helpful resource who understands their needs and problems—not just a pushy salesperson.

2) Create an introduction that lets them know who you are, and then identifies something in their business you may be able to help them with. Do not start by asking “Is now is a good time to talk?” It won’t be.

3) Don’t just talk about yourself, you’re company, and what you’re selling. Ask open-ended questions that get them talking about their problems and/or goals (try to avoid asking questions that require only yes or no answers).

4) Offer something of value ASAP: Information, a referral to another professional or service, a solution to their problem. If all you want to do is make them buy, you are going to have a tough job ahead of you.

5) Remember, your goal is not to make a sale. Your goal is to get an appointment. So explain—in brief—how you may be able to help them reach THEIR goals or solve THEIR problems. Then offer a specific date and time for a meeting (like Wednesday at 2:00) to discuss these ideas further. Don’t just ask when they are available…Chances are they never will be.

6) Send an email first introducing yourself, explaining briefly how you may be able to help, and letting them know you are going to call to follow up. Title the email “Meeting” so it looks important, but not like spam. Then, when you call, reference the email as an opener.

(Here’s a handy trick for getting the decision maker’s email…Go to their company Website and look at other email addresses listed. Most businesses use a consistent formula for assigning emails, like “firstname.lastname@”, or “firstinitial and lastname@”. Once you know the formula they use you can email the key decision maker directly.)

7) Try snail mail first. Send an interesting article, odd–shaped package, something useful or something fun. But don’t spend a ton of money on this. An inexpensive trinket can be all you need to break the ice. Then call to make sure they got whatever you sent.

8) Avoid the gatekeeper by calling early, late or during lunch. Calling after hours often lets you get direct extensions from the phone tree.

9) Set aside time in your schedule to do research and make a minimum number of calls per day. But remember, one call often isn’t enough. So be sure to schedule time for follow-ups.

10) Get a referral or introduction. Nothing warms up a cold call like a name you can drop, or better yet, a personal introduction from a mutual contact.

11) Prepare a script and practice it in advance. But once you’ve got it down, don’t follow it word for word (you want to sound natural and conversational). Tailor it to each client then keep just an outline in front of you so you cover all the key points.

12) Be persistent. Research has shown that most sales are made after a minimum of five contacts. Yet most sales people give up after two or three calls, at most. If you feel like you’re “bugging” someone, try contacting them via snail mail, email and fax in addition to or before calling. Handwritten Thank You cards and relevant articles are always welcome.

Once you start turning your cold calls into warm calls, you’ll find them much easier to make. And using just a few of these tricks is sure to help you get better results.

So prepare thyself properly, set a goal, and start dialing your way to sales success.

©2002-2006 Success Stream. All Rights Reserved. www.success-stream.com

Do you have a marketing, advertising or writing question you’d like to have answered? Email me and you might see the answer in a future edition of Bright Ideas.

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