Cold calls rarely produce results. Experts believe only one to three percent of these calls result in a sale. However, with the right approach, a business can successfully make cold calls. What tactics work in 2022?
Catch Their Attention
One thing that needs to be emphasized during phone sales training is a person only has ten seconds to capture the attention of the person on the other end of the call. If they don’t do so within this time frame, the person will probably hang up. To make this phone call different from a telemarketer’s, do some research on the person before calling.
Check out their social media accounts to see what is going on in their lives. Bring this into the conversation and relate it to the sold product or service. This will catch their attention and make them want to hear what is said.
The Purpose of Cold Calling
Cold calling differs from telemarketing in that the person making the call isn’t trying to sell something. They want to get the person on the other end of the phone interested in the products and services offered by the company. The person can then decide if they want to meet with a company representative for more information.
For example, a person who recently bought their home might share this information on social media. A pressure washing company could use than cold call this individual and mention that a clean home brings in more potential buyers and a higher selling price. This might be enough to have the home seller wanting to know more.
Follow Up
Don’t give up if a person appears interested in what is being offered but doesn’t make an appointment for more information. Put their name on a list of people to contact again in the future.
Take notes during each conversation with this individual and refer back to these notes during subsequent calls. Consumers appreciate this personalized touch, as it shows they are more than a name and number to the caller.
Be Enthusiastic
A person cannot sell something they don’t love. They may believe they can, but the caller will pick up cues that they don’t fully stand behind this product. Only sell those products and services that have been personally used with great success.
A person enthusiastic about a product or service will share this enthusiasm with the person they called. This individual will want to know if they will have similar results. To see if this is the case, they are more likely to make an appointment to learn more.
Be Prepared to Walk Away
If someone sounds annoyed or frustrated, it is time to end the call and walk away. Never pester this individual. They may share their experience with others, and no company needs negative word-of-mouth advertising. It’s best to consider the phone call a learning experience and move on to the next person, taking what was learned from the unhappy consumer and ensuring the same mistakes aren’t made again.
Cold calling is not easy. Many people dread this task. However, when a person takes the time to know who they are calling, the conversation becomes easier. They can share the product or service’s value without actually selling it. When a person does so, their leads will increase, and sales will take off.
