A successful marketing strategy comprises many techniques like posters, flyer distribution, digital tools, using referral networks, cold calling, and more.
Sales calling is one of the most effective ways of reaching out to a number of prospective clients. In a world of appointments and caller IDs, if you believe calling has no place, then you are probably wrong.
Cold calling is a practice where a sales rep makes contact with potential customers without making any prior interaction with them. It is a form of telemarketing that refers to solicitation by phone in the hope of getting your customers interested in your product or service.
As they have never visited your website or shown interest in the offerings, closing a deal is quite challenging. However, here are a few tips to effectively use this marketing strategy.
7 Best Cold Calling Tips:
You can make the calling effective when you gauge the customers’ interest in your product/service and successfully identify their expectations. These tips can help you to close more deals.
1. Research More Before the Call
This pre-call ritual will help you track down valuable information about your potential customers. Visit profiles of the person on Linkedin and Facebook.
You will get to know their designation in the company, their social life, their friends & relatives, the cars they drive, their handsets, etc. And most importantly, it will give hints on who is the decision-making person in their family.
2. Prepare a Script
Write a cold call script that answers key questions like who you are, the purpose of your call, the value you bring to the table, and their queries.
3. Overlook your Prospect List and Calculate Time
The very first thing you must do is check the number of people to call. Then make the priority list based on your research. Next, calculate the average time you want to spend per person. You may find people who will only waste your time. You need not spend more time on them.
4. Must Know When to Call
There is no right time. Always try to avoid Mondays and Fridays; everyone knows the reason.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are considered the best days to call a prospect. And always prefer early morning or later in the day to call. Avoid calling after 6 PM.
5. Start With a Strong Opening Sentence
The first 10 seconds is the key. Start with your introduction with a positive and clear voice. Say something about them like their recent activities, congratulate them on the promotion or for buying a new house, appreciate any initiatives. By doing this, you can build a rapport upon which you can proceed with your offerings. Follow your script and deliver like an actor, not an automated robot.
6. Rejections are Okay
The conversion rate of cold-calling is low. That means more people will react negatively to your call. But don’t be upset. Instead, let the rejections motivate you. Learn from your mistakes and never repeat them. And the most important thing is practice.
7. Always Follow Up
If someone responds to your pitch and says no, respect their decisions and react normally. Don’t cut the call immediately. Instead, try to understand that the person may not need your product or service today. Maybe they are occupied with other work or not in a mood to talk.
Ask them what’s the right time to talk or after how many days you are planning to buy. So open the door for the future by greeting them well and sending them emails for future reference. By following up, you can close deals as well.
Conclusion
Many businesses worldwide are trying to sell their products or services to their customers through different mediums using different strategies. But, with the right approach and a positive mindset, the cold calling strategy can be a huge success.
You must practice your script by keeping the above-mentioned strategies in mind. The more you talk with different people, the more likely you become good at it. It’s unarguably a secret weapon in closing many deals.
Read Also:
