Cold Calling is one of the tried and tested ways of Marketing. For decades, salespeople from various industries have relied on cold calling to reach customers and acquire leads. With technological advancements of the 21st century, many skeptics have questioned the relevance of the practice today. The arguments against cold calling typically involve remarks about how it is not as effective as digital marketing methods like social media advertising or email marketing for example. In a previous article here, we outlined 10 statistically proven facts about why cold calling was still effective in 2021. In this article, we’re taking a deep dive into the art of cold calling, Follow through these ground breaking cold calling tips and tricks to improve the way you engage with your customers. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Tip #1. Call the right customer at the right time
If you’re accustomed to ringing up people whenever you feel like it during the day, this one’s for you. If you wait till late Thursday or Friday to give your prospects a call, don’t be surprised when you don’t get too far. Cold calling needs to be done systematically, at the right time of day. Thursday nights and Fridays are not ideal, because this is when most people are mentally preparing for the weekend. Calling them now is a sure shot way of receiving a “Not interested” pretty fast.
According to research, the two best days during the week to call are Wednesday and Thursday. As far as time goes, calling in the middle of the day (11am to 1pm) tends to work well since this is where people tend to take lunch breaks. If not, this is where they would either be getting ready for a lunch break, or returning from one. Either way, it’s likely they would not be in the middle of a project or work, and would accommodate your call. Calling at the right time doesn’t mean that the rest of the hours would go to waste. Use the time that you’re not calling prospects on research and preparation.
Tip #2. Use a high performance cold calling script!
Cold calling can be intimidating, especially if you’re not an experienced salesperson. In fact, even professional cold callers can find it daunting to speak to a CEO or senior executive at times. For this reason, you must absolutely use a script. Not just any script, a high performance script. Not only will this help you with what to say, but it also help prevent any nervousness and stuttering that may arise during the call.
Utilising a high performance script that works for multiple scenarios can make or break your efforts. Navigating through individuals and conversations is an art, one that significantly help you if used correctly. By following a script, you can deal with roadbumps along the way if the prospects says something you weren’t expecting. In case you’re unsure where to begin, we’ve got you covered. In 2019, we made over a million phone calls to design the perfect cold calling script for every situation you can think of. Grab a free copy of the ebook here and get calling!
Tip #3. Appeal to the prospect’s self interest
As humans, the truth of the matter is that everyone is looking out for their own self interest. Even someone who claims to be ‘nice’ on the surface, is only finding ways to benefit themselves in some way of the other. In order to experience better results and sales from your cold calling, it is crucial to understand the psyche of prospects. When they answer the phone and maintain a conversation, they are looking for something. They’re looking for easy solutions to difficult problems. Once you can provide this, you will see success.
Identify problems that your product or service aims to solve. Prospects may not always know their problems, you have to tell them. If you’re selling a healthy food or drink, briefly talk about its benefits. If you’re selling a software or a subscription, highlight its usability and convenience. Whatever it is you’re selling, make it sound like it’s what the prospect needs. This will induce curiosity, increasing your chances of converting them into a lead.
Tip #4. Focus on building a connection
This one may sound contrary to tip #4 about using a script, but hear us out. Cold calling is not too different from an acting performance. You’ve gotta follow a script, but still appear convincing. What do we mean? Avoid reading off a script like a robot and remember that you’re speaking to a human. It’s not that hard to tell when someone is reading off something. Fast words and monotonous voices are common identifiers. Ever heard the phrase: ‘To smile on the phone’? It really does work!
Your prospect can tell if you’re smiling on the phone. The voice changes, and you sound eager with your approach. Be sure to add emotions in your conversation and focus on building a connection. Remember that your goal is not just to land one sale, but to keep this prospect hooked in for the future. If you successfully build a connection on the first call itself, you’ll make it easier for yourself when you make subsequent calls.
Address the prospect’s needs in the most genuine way possible. You’ll see results the more you sound like a human who is able to empathise.
Tip #5. Follow up like a cold calling pro
Regardless of what your goal is with the call, you need to make an ask. The follow up steps of the cold call are just as important, if not more, than the call itself. Assuming your call has been successful and the prospect is keen know more, hook them in with an ask. Here’s the secret though: Focus on their buying, rather than your selling. Looking at the situation from the prospect’s lens, guide them through the next steps in an easy, understandable manner. Whether that’s an email flow, SMS messages, a phone call, etc. Let the prospect know that you will follow up on the next steps, and ensure that you do. Following up soon after the first call is a great way to ensure that the prospect remembers you and your business.
For more information on leading customers down your Marketing funnel, check out our in-depth article here.
Is cold calling still relevant?
Contrary to popular belief, cold calling still remains as one of the tried and tested, effective ways of reaching out to customers. Not only is it cost effective, but allows comprehensive prospect analysis and helps marketers identify and address needs with ease. Since over 90% of customer interactions happen over the phone, cold calling is a method every business should rely on to improve sales. For more information, check out our article on 10 proven figures that show why cold calling still works.
How to build a cold calling script?
A great cold calling script must include all the necessary tools you need to effectively entice the prospect and move them down the funnel. Everything regarding what to say and how to say will help you capture the customer’s interests in prime fashion. Building a script requires substantial research and testing to find out what exactly customers want to hear. Only then can you identify how to successfully get them to sign up.
Lucky for you, we’ve done all the hard work needed. Millions of split tests got us to design the perfect cold calling script perfect for every situation. Grab yourself a free copy of the e-book here.
How often should I follow up on cold calling?
Depending on the nature of your cold calling effort, you can plan out how often to follow up. It also depends on your product and service and what the next step of the Marketing funnel is. For example, if the next step includes an appointment, email exchange or a phone call, plan a schedule accordingly. Always ask the customer what time suits them to be most appropriate, then let them know when you’ll reach out. Try not to wait too long before you follow up just to ensure your business is still fresh within the prospects’ minds.
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