1. 7 steps to a perfect cold call
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(MoneyWatch) A reader writes:
Will you share strategies that work best when breaking
the ice with new prospects over the phone? I have to
make some 20-30 calls within a 2 hour period and most
clients are rushed and hurried and I find myself racing
to get to the point, leaving very little time to build
rapport. How do I build rapport immediately in these
circumstances? I am genuinely interested in building a
relationship to learn as much as I can about their core
issues so I can build proposals that directly address
their objectives and needs. What's the best way to engage them (in 30 seconds or less I imagine),
which would cause them relax somewhat so they want to share information with you. If you would be
willing to share this, I would appreciate it very much.
Pictures: 10 best places to retire
Absolutely.
Before we get started, though, you need to be aware that there's a vast difference of opinion, among
experts and sales pros alike, about the effectiveness of cold-calling.
Cold-calling: 8 keys to success
Is your cold calling script effective?
Watch: Taking the chill out of cold calls
Many sales experts think cold-calling is a waste of time and prefer other forms of generating leads.
Others see cold-calling as a last resort, while still others see it as a mainspring of any effective sales
process.
Later, I'll discuss some of those other viewpoints. For now, let's just get the basics down. Andrea
2. Sittig-Rolf, author of "The Seven Keys to Effective Business-to-Business Appointment Setting" is an
extremely well-known proponent of cold-calling as a lead-generation technique.
When I spoke with Andrea a couple of years ago, she observed that cold-calling is all about getting
the appointment. She therefore gears the entire cold-calling process toward achieving that end.
Here's a summary of her approach:
Research a list of prospects. Before making your calls, research your prospects. Look for prospects
who have a similar profile to those who have bought from the past. They'll be easier to sell. Next to
each prospect, note any of your current customers in the prospect's industry, region, job
classification, or anything else that might help you to position your offering. Don't spend a lot of time
on this, just find out enough so that you can pitch using terms that the prospect can understand.
Build your script. Once you know whom you're going to call, focus on what you're going to say. Write
a brief script (no more than three or four sentences) that introduces who you are, what you do, and
what you provide. An effective script asks for the appointment early. Please note that the purpose of
the script is NOT to communicate substantive information about your offering. Instead, the purpose
of the phone call is to win the right to actually sell to the prospect.
Anticipate objections. Each time one of them materializes, you'll need to handle them
appropriately... and then ask for the appointment. Most objections are common to all sales
situations, so you should have little or no trouble listing them out. The trick here is to practice
handling objections until the response is automatic. Note: the most important part of handling the
objection is asking for the appointment.
Get positive and get calling. Attitude is everything. If your offering has value to the customer, you're
doing the prospect a favor by giving him or her the opportunity to meet with you. Therefore, have
confidence in your ability to provide value. That confidence not only helps you communicate more
effectively, it provides the motivation that will drive you to actually sit down and start making the
cold calls.
Leave a message (if necessary). If you end up in the contact's voice-mail system, don't despair. Leave
a very brief message based upon your calling script. However, rather than setting a time for an
appointment, say that you'll be calling back on a certain date and time, but would appreciate a
callback. The next time you call, ask the admin if the contact is in. If not, tell the admin that you've
been trying to connect with the contact and would like to know when would be a good time to call.
Handle the objections. Once you've got the contact on the line, execute the script. Don't read it! Put
it into your own words, with enthusiasm. In almost every case, you will get at least one, and probably
more, objections. Since you've anticipated these objections, you should respond to them as
necessary and then ask for the appointment again. If you receive more than 3 objections, it's fair to
assume that the prospect is not going to meet with you, so thank the prospect and politely end the
call.
Repeat the process on a daily basis. if you're determined to excel, commit to an hour a day
attempting to achieve two appointments. If it takes fifteen minutes to get the two appointments,
then you can quit early. Practice this regularly and, according to Andrea, you'll very quickly have a
calendar full of qualified prospects.
This post originally appeared on BNET.com
