I’m not a fan of cold calling, but as a business owner who wants to sell his services, it is a necessary part of doing business. Even through I spent much of my early career on the phone working in and even running call centers, it’s still not something I’m quick to do, even for my own business. Over time, I have learned a few things that make it a bit easier and more effective.
Cold calling can be a challenging task for even the most experienced salespeople. However, with the right mindset and approach, it can become a powerful tool for growing your business. Here are a couple of tips.
Prepare in advance: One of the most important aspects of cold calling is preparation. Before making any calls, you should have a clear understanding of the product or service you are selling and the needs of your target audience. When I worked at the call center, we never just put reps on the phone. We trained them and provided them with scripts. You should also have a script or talking points prepared, so you know exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it. Once you have your script, it’s important to practice it several times. Practice will help you to become more confident and comfortable with the content, and will also help you to identify areas where you may need to make adjustments.
Focus on benefits: You’ll hear this often, especially when it comes to selling anything: in person, in writing, or on the phone, but when making a cold call, it’s important to focus on the benefits of your product or service, rather than the features. Prospects are more interested in how your product or service can help them solve a problem or achieve a goal than they are in its technical specifications.
To make your cold calls more effective, focus on the benefits that your product or service can provide. Explain how it can save the prospect time, money, or effort, or how it can help them achieve a specific goal. By focusing on the benefits, you will make your product or service more appealing to your prospects, and they will be more likely to listen.
Use a CRM system: A customer relationship management (CRM) system can be a valuable tool for making cold calling easier and more effective. A CRM system can help you to organize your leads and track your interactions with them, which can make it easier to follow up with prospects and identify which leads are most likely to convert. Additionally, many CRM systems offer features such as automated dialing and call recording, which can save time and help you to improve your performance. Using a CRM can be a much more organized way of tracking your progress, and when you see that you are making progress, you’re more likely to continue.
Be thick-skinned and soft-hearted: Finally, don’t take rejection personally. Cold calling can be tough and it’s important not to take rejection personally. By now you should know that not every call will result in a sale, and that rejection is a natural part of the sales process. Getting to the “no’s” quickly get your that much closer to your “yesses.” Instead of getting discouraged, use each call as an opportunity to learn and improve your approach. Consider asking the prospect for feedback on why they’re not interested, and use that feedback to refine your pitch for future calls. By adopting a growth mindset and focusing on continuous improvement, you can make cold calling easier and more effective over time.
Cold calling can be challenging, but with the right approach and mindset, it can become a source of additional sales. By preparing and practicing, focusing on the benefits of your product or service, and tracking the quality and quantitiy of your calls, you can make your cold calls more effective and easier to handle.
If you were hoping we’d make your cold calls, sorry! But we can help find more leads to call. Made for You Media is a digital marketing agency based in Winston-Salem, NC that helps businesses get more qualified leads. If you want to know how a lead generation strategy can help your business, download our guide, Get Leads While You Sleep or call us today at (336) 303-0640 to discuss your needs.