Cold calling typically refers to the first telephone call made to a prospective customer. More unusually these days, cold calling can also refer to calling face-to-face for the first time without an appointment at commercial premises or households. Cold calling is also known as canvassing, telephone canvassing, prospecting, telephone prospecting, and more traditionally in the case of consumer door-to-door selling as 'door-knocking'.
cold calling is a necessary part of selling; if you want to grow your business, you have to contact new prospects. Fortunately, these tips will help you handle cold calls like a pro:
Overcome your reluctance.
Make cold calls when you feel the freshest and most energized. For most people, this is at the start of the business day. Think of the call as a friendly conversation, not an adversarial one. Remind yourself that you have a great product that genuinely serves a need.
Research your prospects.
Check local newspapers, industry journals, and Web sites for information about the companies or individuals whom you're calling. In this way, you can start your call by discussing the prospect's business, not yours.
Prepare an opening statement.
Write an opening statement in advance. You don't want, however, to merely read it over the phone. Rather, use your statement to organize your thoughts. Since you have about 20 seconds to get a person’s attention, you can't afford to ramble or trip up once the prospect is on the line. Include a greeting and an introduction, a reference point (this can be something about the prospect), the benefits of your product or service, and a transition to a question or dialogue.
Make gatekeepers your allies.
Secretaries and administrative assistants stand between you and the decision makers of a business. As such, these women and men can be valuable sources of information; they can direct you to the right person and help you to understand how their company might use your product or service.
Stay focused.
Remember, the purpose of a cold call is to qualify the prospect and to schedule a face-to-face meeting. Don't launch into an extensive sales pitch over the phone. Stimulate interest, learn a little about the prospect, and ask for an appointment. If a prospect stalls by asking you to mail information, set the stage for the next step of the sale: "Let me ask you a few questions so I can send information that's relevant to your situation. If you like what you see, can we get together next week to discuss it in more detail?"
Avoid common mistakes.
Don't start a call by asking "How are you doing today?" or "Is this a good time to talk?" The first question sounds insincere or presumptuous coming from a stranger and wastes time; the second gives the prospect an easy opportunity to end the call.
Stick with it.
Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of salespeople give up after the second call. Follow up and keep calling. Persistence pays off.:SugarwareZ-067:
cold calling is a necessary part of selling; if you want to grow your business, you have to contact new prospects. Fortunately, these tips will help you handle cold calls like a pro:
Overcome your reluctance.
Make cold calls when you feel the freshest and most energized. For most people, this is at the start of the business day. Think of the call as a friendly conversation, not an adversarial one. Remind yourself that you have a great product that genuinely serves a need.
Research your prospects.
Check local newspapers, industry journals, and Web sites for information about the companies or individuals whom you're calling. In this way, you can start your call by discussing the prospect's business, not yours.
Prepare an opening statement.
Write an opening statement in advance. You don't want, however, to merely read it over the phone. Rather, use your statement to organize your thoughts. Since you have about 20 seconds to get a person’s attention, you can't afford to ramble or trip up once the prospect is on the line. Include a greeting and an introduction, a reference point (this can be something about the prospect), the benefits of your product or service, and a transition to a question or dialogue.
Make gatekeepers your allies.
Secretaries and administrative assistants stand between you and the decision makers of a business. As such, these women and men can be valuable sources of information; they can direct you to the right person and help you to understand how their company might use your product or service.
Stay focused.
Remember, the purpose of a cold call is to qualify the prospect and to schedule a face-to-face meeting. Don't launch into an extensive sales pitch over the phone. Stimulate interest, learn a little about the prospect, and ask for an appointment. If a prospect stalls by asking you to mail information, set the stage for the next step of the sale: "Let me ask you a few questions so I can send information that's relevant to your situation. If you like what you see, can we get together next week to discuss it in more detail?"
Avoid common mistakes.
Don't start a call by asking "How are you doing today?" or "Is this a good time to talk?" The first question sounds insincere or presumptuous coming from a stranger and wastes time; the second gives the prospect an easy opportunity to end the call.
Stick with it.
Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of salespeople give up after the second call. Follow up and keep calling. Persistence pays off.:SugarwareZ-067:
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