Telephone cold calls happen to be one of the vital sales tools but most often it is used ineffectively which ends up being damaging both for the sales person and the company. Apparently it might not seem to be a big deal but it invariably instills a sense of fear among most sales people and they tend to avoid it as much as they can or make futile attempts which exude complete lack of professionalism. But if handled properly, telephone cold calls can be a success as well.
Following ten ways will help you to achieve success in cold calling:-
1. Proper lead generation – Try to make a proper list of your potential customers. Appropriate lead generation is important before you start your calls. Therefore, make sure you filter the right target customers.
2. Plan your call timing – Set aside your call timing and designate a particular time of the day to get through a set number of calls. Mornings are usually better when it comes to make your cold calls but other times can also be considered depending on your calls. At the end of the day it is your calling and you never know what really
clicks so more calls you make the better it is for you.
3.Your calls need a planning – You should try to connect emotionally with your listeners and therefore, you need to take care while you are making a cold call as it should not sound boring and mechanical and do not try to always drive your call towards the sales. So plan before you call.
4. Voice plays a vital role – Your voice can convey a lot and therefore, you need to create a confident voice. Experience will give you that confident voice and with more calls your delivery of message will be polished. It is better to lower your voice before you make a call and you must start your call a bit slowly and of course, in a polite manner. Remember to smile while speaking as this adds warmth
5. Do not recoil at the thought of cold call – There is absolutely no need to take the cold calls personally. You might come across recipients of your calls as rude but you must always remember that the minute they disconnect the line they will forget all about you and so do you. So make your calls without any inhibition because it is just your voice that will reach the other person across the line and vice versa and the more calls you make closer you are to more “yes” which will boost your
6. Craft your script properly – Cold calling scripts are one of the essential elements and therefore, should be simple and direct. You need to work on your script before you make the call. You can start with identifying yourself followed by a brief explanation about the reason of calling and if you are lucky enough to get a question from the other end then give a brief answer in a direct manner. Your words should emerge naturally while you speak and should not sound scripted.
7. Beware of the gatekeepers – You will come across gatekeepers while making a cold call. You need to be aware of them as not to make them your enemies and maintaining a cordial relation with them so that that you can reach your target customers. The gatekeepers tend to block your potential customers from you and they appear in the form of receptionists and assistants so when you are making your first call be polite but firm during cold calling. If this does not work then change your call timing and ask for the sales department directly or for the relevant extension next time when you are making a call. Once you are through, you must be ready with the script.
8. Hang up with the closing of the sales – You must hang up as soon as your objective is achieved with a proper Thank You and Goodbye note. You need not linger anymore and start another conversation to see the sale unravel. It might be damaging therefore, it is advisable to hang up as soon as you close the sales.
9. Make sure you are using the right phone – The phone you are using to make the sales call should not put you at a disadvantage. Most companies have caller ids and therefore, if your company’s name is what a receiving caller's caller ID says when you call then it might have a negative effect. Rather your personal name or "private" will put you at an advantage and you will be more at ease.
10. Start calling now – Get over the fear of making so many calls and get started. You will gain confidence once you start making the calls and over time you will be experienced enough which will help you overcome call reluctance. It will get easier with every single call.
Happy Calling :-)