Cold calling is an effective way to gain sales and get new clients, but only if it’s done right. According to data from Tech Report, cold calls typically result in a 2% success rate, even when they’re done by the most experienced sales professionals.
If you’re struggling with cold calling, we have some effective sales techniques to try that will help boost your success.
Read on to discover some of the best cold calling strategies that you can implement into your marketing plan today.
Focus on Solutions
Whether you’re selling a product or a service, it’s important to shift your focus to improve your cold calling success rate. Rather than discussing the features of what you are attempting to sell, talk about how effectively it can solve a problem for the customer.
Finding pain points and then coming up with solutions is a smart way to pivot your sales pitch. Not only will this change the perspective of the customer, but it will also give them more reasons to seal the deal.
If you can back this up with hard numbers, even better. For example, tell the customer how your product or service has helped other customers by giving them factual statistics of their success so you’re leaving a great first impression after you hang up the phone.
Cold Calling Tip: Contact the Right Person
One of the best ways to improve cold calls is to simply make sure that you’re reaching the right person. If you call a lower-level employee to make your pitch to, there’s a good chance you won’t clinch the sale.
Research your contacts ahead of time to make sure you have the direct contact information of people who can actually make these types of decisions. In most cases, the final decision-maker is the CEO or founder of the company. When you have this information on hand, you’ll have a much better chance of getting a tangible sale when you make the call.
Create a Calling Checklist
Even if you’ve been cold calling for years, having some information in front of you will make every call easier, and you’ll sound more confident to boot. Come up with a calling checklist that includes a list of points you want to make.
The point of the checklist is to ensure that you cover all bases every time you make a call. Without it, you could accidentally forget some key points or miss out on sales opportunities simply because you got caught up in the moment.
Using a checklist doesn’t mean that you can’t spend time having an organic conversation with the recipient. In fact, the more natural and friendly your conversation is, the better chances are you’ll get a sale. However, your checklist will be a helpful tool to guide you through every call so you don’t forget what’s most important about your pitch.
A Note on Communication
The term cold calling doesn’t mean that you have to be impersonal. The friendlier and more engaged you are, the more authentic you’ll feel to the person on the other end of the phone.
Practice your communication skills to make sure that you’re talking to people in a real, authentic way. Focus on things like your tone of voice and how you’re creating meaningful conversations with others, which will definitely help your cold calling success rate in the long run.
Focus on the Timing
As they say, timing is everything, and that’s also true when it comes to sales. Try to make sure that you’re calling prospects at a time that’s most convenient for them.
Most high-level management is available at the beginning of the day before they start their nonstop meetings that tend to go through to the afternoon. Mid-level prospects might be available closer to just after lunchtime or near the end of the workday.
Over time, you’ll start to get a feel for when it’s best to try and contact specific prospects. Doing this ensures that you don’t miss them and that you’re not “bothering” them when they’re busy focusing on other tasks.
Practice Makes Perfect
There are several key elements to an effective cold call:
- A strong introduction
- An effective sales pitch
- Identifying pain points and giving solutions
- Being flexible and friendly
- Knowing how to deal with rejection
One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is to practice your cold calls with family or friends. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be when you’re actually talking to people who can make or break a sale.
When you practice your calls, use a mock script and keep your checklist handy. Not only will this give you a chance to become more confident, but you’ll also be able to identify things that you might want to tweak or change until you perfect the pitch.
Remember to Follow Up
Too many people tend to “give up” after they receive a cold call rejection. However, following up regardless of how the call went is an effective way to get a sale.
Even if the person said no to you during the call, you should still send them a follow-up email. Thank the person for taking their valuable time to talk to you and include more detailed information about your product or service.
Many salespeople know that they might not get the deal done until after their second, third, or even fourth phone call. When you follow up with prospects, there’s a much better chance that they could change their minds later.
Stay on Top of Your Calling Techniques
Remember these helpful cold calling tips to set yourself up for incredible sales success. Through proper planning, finding the right contacts, and a bit of practice, you’ll learn how to polish your technique to perfection.
At Momentum, we’ve been serving customers since 2002 with a passion for helping B2B sales organizations build a culture of discipline & process in today’s challenging environment. Whether you need help with outsourcing, consulting, training, or implementing a CRM, contact us today to find out how we can help.