While most of the businesses and the sale personal do not like cold calling. However, Cold calling is one of the best techniques for small businesses to grow, but the condition is to do it correctly.
What is cold calling?
Cold calling is a sale’s activity when the sales personals reach out to the target clients who haven’t shown an interest in the products or services offered by the businesses.
For years the cold calling techniques have helped the sales personals to achieve their targets. Today this technique has improved and differentiated itself from an essential exercise to a strategic task. Businesses now use the cold calling technique to stay in touch with their potential clients and maintain strong relationships.
While most of the marketing personals of a business are not happy with the technique of cold calling, as mentioned above, if the method of cold calling is done in the right way, it can do wonders for the growth of the business irrespective of its size. This is possible only if the salesperson does not take the rejection personally.
What happens in cold calling?
The cold calling techniques a light conversation with the clients. This conversation can either be on a telephone call or face to face. This helps the businesses to gain the attention of their clients. But the technique shall not force the people to buy a product or avail the company’s services. The cold calling should involve an upbeat yet light conversation with the clients where the sales representatives tell about the significant prospects.
The market research concludes that cold calling is more effective than sending a direct email to the clients or sending SMS or other forms of advertising. Small businesses are always looking for opportunities, so this technique allows them to directly meet and respond to the customers’ queries instead of waiting for them to come. I believe face-to-face communication is more effective even in terms of selling a product or a service.
In practice, the cold calling technique is not easy to do; its implementation is challenging. But by the end of the day, it builds a strong reputation for your business in the market. While most of the businesses and the sale personal do not like cold calling. However, Cold calling is one of the best techniques for small businesses to grow, but the condition is to do it correctly.
Let’s explore the seven cold calling tips that can help the small services business shall follow:
1. Accept the Rejection:
The general public is not ready and happy for a cold calling, so it isn’t easy to reach them and end up in something good for the business. But remember, rejection is a common practice of all sale activities. Instead of selling forcefully to your business clients, train your sales representatives differently. Train them to think that they pass information to the target clients; they are not making a sale. Also, help your sales staff to get rid of the fear of rejection.
What you can do is introduce a “funniest rejection” session in the office: the award, the person who received the worst comments during the sales campaign. This is how a business trains its staff, that rejection is standard practice before success and shall not ruin the plans.
2. Follow A Cold Call Script:
According to a digital marketing agency salesperson Shalom Lamm, train your sales team to think of themselves as actors. The cold calling technique is not less than a drama because it requires performance. What actor use for a successful drama? A script! This is what your staff needs. Provide them with a script that not gives a brief introduction of the business but is also compelling enough to motivate the customers to make the right choice.
It shall include:
Introduction of the business and value proposition.
Plan out open-ended questions- your staff shall be trained to listen to the clients.
Provide to the point and precise answers to the queries.
Motivate your sales staff to practice the script unless they are pro in it. Also, train your staff to practice handling up resistance coming from the front like, “I’m not interested,” and end of call objections like, “Just send me an email.”
3. Use Technology
Incorporate the latest technology and tools that would help your salesperson to achieve the target. Below are some of the widely used tools for a cold call technique:
ConnectAndSell – this tool includes automatic dialling, navigating phone calls, waiting on hold, follow-up schedules.
Outreach –it meets the demands of modern sales representatives. It provides full support to the team. And is featured with so many valuable things.
DiscoverOrg –this tool provides contact data, but it gives insights into buying triggers that otherwise take many hours of research.
4. Set A Calling schedule
A customer is willing to listen only if he is free. Check out when your target customer is free. Remember! The typical 9 am – 5 pm schedule is now outdated. A business needs to keep track of its potential prospects. Find out when they would be readily available for a phone call and when can they speak to you in a better mood?
Your business can record the activity timings of the prospects- mean when they have made purchases. What days did they answer your phone?
5. Leave an Effective Voice Mail:
Studies conclude that most of the successful sales were a result of cold calls in a voicemail. Your business can store the interests of the target client in the voicemail that later on can be recovered to reach them according to their preferences. Remember, the company shall not aim to make a sale at any cost; instead, the purpose is to motivate the client to call back and inquire about your business’s offerings.
Remember!
- The voice mail shall not exceed 20 seconds.
- Use a formal voice tone.
- Give a complete description of the product or service.
- Offer any discounts or packages.
- Do not insist on a sale. Making a purchase or a rejection is the client’s wish. A business cannot force them.
- Give your company details.
6. Leave Quality not Quantity:
For a cold call sale, I prefer Quality over Quantity.
- Make rejection fun.
- Practice continuously.
- Prepare a questionnaire.
- DO NOT waste time dialling timelessly.
- DO NOT call without a script.
7. Offer Multiple Options To Your Client:
The second tip for the best cold calling technique is to offer your clients multiple options to consider. This technique would encourage the customer to stop and listen to what the salesperson is selling to them. Giving your customers choices will keep them more engaged throughout the interaction.
Our Verdict!
Cold calling is difficult, but it can bring in customers and revenues for a small business if used correctly. Cold calling is not meant to disturb your customers at any time you want. If a company wants to reach and listen, the marketing personals shall collect information about the target clients, i-e, their availability online and when they make purchases. Besides, train you remarketing personals, not to take rejection personally. If they are rejected once or twice, that does not mean they are not good with it, or the company’s offering is not impressive. Rejection is a part of the marketing process.
With the above seven tips, leave an excellent reputation for your business in the market.
