Well it’s a brisk 40 degrees here in Wisconsin, and it’s only going to get colder. And while I’ll be keeping a warm cozy blanket here in the boberdoo office, I know that some of my coworkers may need it more than me because they’re making cold calls. But even though they are cold calls, there are ways to make sure they don’t freeze up when the phone rings. Here are a couple of secrets to success for your cold calling:
Do Your Research
There are many avenues for information about your prospective clients. Many people have claimed that LinkedIn killed cold calling, but that’s not exactly true. Really, LinkedIn and cold calling supplement each other very well, because building a personal connection with a prospect starts with finding out more about them. In addition, looking through company websites, social media accounts, and even old emails or newsletters can give you the insight you need to sell properly. That being said...
Don’t Sell on the First Call
If you’re trying to establish a real connection, selling right out the gate doesn’t help. The first call is finding out about your prospect and their company - what are their pain points? What services do they wish they had? What services do they have now that work well? Find out what they need, and your next call, making the sale, will be able to be tailored more specifically to their needs.
Anticipate Rejections
Cold calling has about a 1-3% success rate, but this can be improved by anticipating what those other 97-99% are going to say. Obviously, your product may not be for everyone, but you should know why it’s perfect for some. Know the common objections you might get (“We have a similar service already,” “My boss is the one in charge of those decisions,” “I don’t see a need for this service”) and make sure you have answers prepared.
Find Your Biggest Benefit
In addition to anticipating rejections, anticipate the feature that will appeal most to your prospect. A company without a design team might love a customization feature. A company with 500+ employees would probably appreciate something that makes inter-office communication easier. Think ahead and guess what features a company needs instead of focusing just on what your product does, and you’ll find a significant improvement in your cold calling statistics.