Definition: Use of the telephone to market goods or services directly to
prospective customers
The aspect of selling that strikes the greatest fear in people's
hearts is usually cold calls. A good way to make cold calls more
appealing is to stop thinking of them as "cold" calls. Try thinking
of them as "introductory" calls instead. All you're trying to do is
introduce yourself and your business to the prospect.
It's important to understand the purpose of introductory calls
so you have a realistic attitude about this type of business
development activity. Phone prospecting takes longer to pay off
than other types of marketing efforts, so go into it knowing you're
exploring a new frontier, and it's going to take some time to get
results.
Just as with any marketing method, you should never make
introductory calls without a plan. First, always use a targeted
list of prospects when making your calls. If your product is
household cleaning services, why call a random neighborhood if you
have no knowledge of income levels, number of household wage
earners, or number of children? If you sell nutritional products to
hospitals, why call nurses or doctors if a third-party pharmacy
makes all the buying decisions? Get the right list of
prospects.
You can obtain information about prospects from the list broker who
provides you with the list;
if you are working from your house list, you should already have
the information. If for some reason you don't, try an introductory
call like the following: "We provide mobile pet grooming for dogs
and cats. Would that be a service your customers would want to know
about, Mr./Ms. Veterinarian?"
Next, determine the best time frames for calling. If you are
selling financial services to upper-income CEOs or entrepreneurs,
wouldn't it be nice to know when their corporate fiscal years end?
Perhaps most of their investment purchases are made two to four
weeks prior to that year-end close-out. That's when they know how
much extra income needs to be sheltered in a pension plan.
Sometimes timing is your ace in the hole. Granted, follow-up
calls throughout the year may make that one important sale
possible, but knowing when to instigate the first call is a
priceless piece of information.
Third, plan by preparing a "sales script" ahead of time. Write
down what you are going to say, what responses the prospect is
likely to have and how you will reply to them. No, you're not going
to follow this word for word, but if you're nervous about making
calls, it helps to have something in front of you. Chances are,
after you get beyond the opening sentences, you'll be able to "wing
it" just fine.
If preparation for cold-calling is easy but actually making
calls is painful for you, here are seven easy steps to get you on
the phone fast:
1. Personalize each call by preparing mentally. Your
mind-set needs to be aligned with your language, or the
conversation will not ring true. You need to work on developing a
warm but not sugarcoated telephone voice that has that "Don't I
know you?" or "Gee, you sound familiar" ring to it.
2. Perfect your phone style alone before making any
calls. If you are self-conscious about calling, you need to
feel safe to act uninhibited. Try this: Gather a tape recorder, a
mirror, a sales journal of incoming and outgoing phone scripts, a
pen and a legal-sized pad. Either write or select a favorite phone
dialogue; then talk to yourself in the mirror. Do you look relaxed,
or are your facial expressions rigid? Our exteriors reflect our
inner selves. If you look like you're in knots, your voice will
sound strained as well.
Push the "record" button on your tape recorder, and pretend
you're talking to a new prospect. Play back the tape, and listen to
your conversation. Ask yourself how you could improve your
delivery. If your voice seems unnatural and the dialogue contrived,
do not despair. As you practice and participate in real phone
experiences, you will improve. Mastering the art of cold-calling is
no different than improving your golf swing or skiing
technique.
3. Create familiarity all around you. Use family photos,
framed testimonial letters, motivational quotes, or whatever gets
you in a positive, enthusiastic mood. If you like, play some music
that inspires you.
4. Use your imagination. Pretend you are a prospective
customer calling a bookstore to see if they have a book in stock.
If it helps, record how you sound to get the feel of your inquiring
phone voice. It's always easier to imagine you're a customer in
need of information than a salesperson trying to force your way
into the customer's time. The inquiry call is good practice because
the tone of the conversation is "Can you help me?" or "I need some
information." Try to convey that same attitude when you use the
phone to contact future customers.
5. Watch your tone of voice. You do not want to sound
sheepish and embarrassed, nor do you want to be arrogant. The ideal
tone is warm, businesslike, curious and straight to the point. A
good option is a question or a cut-to-the-chase statement such as:
"I've got a problem. We are offering a two-for-one special during
the next 30 days on all our coffee drinks, just to get people into
the store. I need to know if you have ever stopped in while
shopping at the mall, and, if not, why not? We have got the
greatest ice-blended mochas in town."
6. Make your goal a fast "50 in 150"-that is, 50 calls in 150
minutes. Three minutes per call is all you need. With so many
voice-mail systems intercepting calls today, this should be easy.
Never give people the impression you have time to chat. Chatting is
not prospecting. You're on a mission. Get to the point, then move
to the next prospect.
7. Take five after 15. After 15 calls, take a five-minute
break-stretch, eat, sip a soda, turn on some tunes, and pat
yourself on the back because you're making it happen. Then grab the
phone for 15 more calls.
Your initial cold call typically will not result in a sale, or
even in an appointment to make a sales presentation. One study
shows it takes an average of seven contacts, impressions or
follow-ups to make a sale. Think of each follow-up contact as a
chance to get closer to the prospect and change his or her mind
about meeting with you. Plan your follow-up contacts carefully, and
be flexible and creative.
How do you start the follow-up call? Here are some lead-in
lines:
- "I thought of a few things that might help you decide..."
- "Something recently happened that I thought you might want to
know about..."
- "There has been a change in the status of..."
- "I just was thinking about you recently and I wanted to tell
you about..."
Here are other sales tools you can use in follow-up
situations:
- A personal note: A handwritten note on your company note
cards is far more effective than a typed business letter.
- An endorsement from a mutual friend: A friend is far
more influential than you are.
- An article about your company: Something in print can
work wonders. You can even send articles about the prospect's
company or, better yet, about a personal interest of the prospect
"Thought you might be interested in..."
- An invitation to visit your facility: Bring the prospect
to your home turf.
- A meal: Meetings in a nonbusiness environment are
powerful and help you build personal relationships that lead to
sales.