Q:
I'm in the process of building our B2B prospect list and will
be contacting businesses by phone. Can you give me some tips on
what to say? I'm worried about coming across as pushy or
inexperienced.
A:
Contacting prospects for the first time by telephone, especially if
it's new to you, can be a daunting challenge. But don't
worry-there are guidelines to follow that will get you off to a
successful start.
Begin by focusing on the purpose for your calls: to qualify
prospects and uncover their needs so you can determine how to fill
them. Right now, you know very little about the companies and
individuals you've listed, so it's vital to qualify them
carefully to see that they fit your criteria for good prospects.
This will save time and money in the long run, because you
won't meet with unqualified prospects or squander your budget
on marketing to less than ideal targets.
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Before you ever pick up the telephone, it's important to set
a goal for each call. What would you like to see happen as a result
of your contact? Are you hoping for an appointment? If so, make
this your primary goal. Whatever goal you set should move you one
step closer to a sale.
Create a solid opener. For many people, the first few
sentences of a cold call are the hardest. No matter how
well-executed, a cold call is an unscheduled interruption, and your
prospect will make a quick decision in just the first few seconds
concerning whether it's worth his or her time. That's why
you need to be prepared with a three-part opener that includes an
introduction of yourself and your company and an opening benefit.
Write down the principal benefits you expect to bring to the
clients or customers you contact. Then include them in your opener.
For example, imagine you own a PR company that specializes in grand
openings and other events and you're contacting a retail
prospect. You'd say "This is Jean Jones, president of
Jones Events Inc., and my special reason for calling today is to
tell you about some ideas we have for building traffic at your next
grand opening."
Ask great questions. To effectively qualify prospects and
uncover their needs, you must learn to ask closed- and open-ended
questions. Closed questions uncover facts or can be answered with
"yes" or "no," while open questions reveal the
feelings and emotions behind the answers. The key to success is to
practice using both until you find a comfortable mix.
Get your feet wet by writing down a list of closed questions,
such as:
- "Who is your present supplier?"
- "How long has your company been in business?"
- "How many units do you purchase per year?"
Next, create a list of open questions, such as:
- "What do you like best about your present
supplier?"
- "Which kinds of grand opening activities have worked for
you in the past?"
- "In what ways do the new types of accounting software
impact your department?"
When you're ready, review your questions and make a final
list. In all, successful cold-calling comes down to asking good
questions and listening intently so you can propose solutions that
will help your prospect achieve his or her goals. It's
conversation at its best-once you get the hang of it.
Close for your goal. The "close" is where many
entrepreneurs run into trouble because they hesitate to ask for
what they want. If you begin your call with a solid introduction,
ask excellent qualifying questions and respond with beneficial
information, at the close your prospect will be highly motivated to
choose your firm. There's no need to worry about being
perceived as pushy. If, for example, your goal is to set an
appointment, you should suggest a date and time. Closing is simply
a matter of reaching agreement on the next step and then following
through.
Kim T. Gordon is an author, marketing coach and media
spokesperson-and one of the country's foremost experts on
entrepreneurial success. Her newest book, Bringing Home The Business, identifies the
30 "truths" that can make the difference between success
and failure in a homebased business. Kim offers one-on-one coaching
by telephone to motivated individuals, providing practical
marketing advice and budget-conscious strategies unique to your
business. To receive free how-to articles and advice, get
information on coaching and appearances, read a book excerpt, or
contact Kim, visit http://www.smallbusinessnow.com,
a huge site devoted exclusively to marketing your small
business.
The opinions expressed in this column are those
of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are intended to
be general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areas
or circumstances, and should only be relied upon after consulting
an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.