8 Tips For Successful Sales Cold Calling

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “cold calling”?

Do you cringe? Do you immediately think of a sleazy salesperson trying to sell you weight loss pills? Do you get angry that someone has the audacity to ruin your dinner with an annoying phone call?

Many individuals would gladly advise you to never bother cold calling. Typically, these individuals are either inept at selling themselves, have never sold professionally, or stand to gain financially by discouraging you from doing so.

Or maybe they’ve been burned by too many salespeople who were terrible at cold calling.

But cold calling doesn’t have to be painful or downright terrifying.

Cold calling, when done correctly, helps you recruit, build connections, and increase conversions. I’m going to share with you why it is still relevant and how you can become a successful cold-calling powerhouse in no time.

8 Secret Tips on Cold Calling

Cold calling may be very tough, particularly if you have little to no experience with it. After all, today’s younger generations get turned off by the idea of making a phone call to even their closest friends. If it’s not a text or social media message, they look like a deer caught in headlights.

Now I’ve phoned a lot of prospects, so I’m going to teach you some cold calling techniques that will make the process a lot simpler and even fun. Check them out and let me know what you think.

Tip 1: Concentrate All of Your Questions on Your Client Rather Than on Yourself

Concentrate all of your attention and inquiries on the prospect during your first encounter. Don’t discuss who you are or what you do, nor your business or any other companies.

Remember, it’s all about them, not you. Professional selling is client-centered selling. When you speak to your customer about his or her desires and requirements, you are simply selling professionally.

Tip 2: Make a List of All of Your Questions Ahead of Time

More sales means more information. The more information you can extract while cold calling, the simpler it will be to qualify the prospect and subsequently close the deal.

This is when questioning comes into play. Your questions should be thoroughly planned ahead of time and arranged in a logical order, from the most broad to the most detailed.

Spend more time with a list of your top prospects to learn how to sell effectively. Click here to get my free Sales Prospecting Checklist.

Tip 3: Try Cold Calling Scripts

When a prospect responds positively to your initial inquiry, you ask them questions about their company, market, budget, and so on. People will often offer you all of this information in return for the advantage promised in your initial inquiry.

Ask questions like the ones in the cold calling scripts below to obtain solutions to these issues from your prospect:

  • “What three of your greatest issues in your company or market would you miraculously eliminate?”
  • “What would you alter if you could create the perfect environment for your business?”
  • “I’d like to meet with you in person to discuss your company requirements and how my product might help you. How about 2 p.m. on Wednesday?”

Always keep in mind that cold calling, as well as sales in general, should be extremely personal. On a case-by-case basis, you should concentrate on your customer’s requirements as an individual.

This is how you develop connections with your customers and establish long-term sales partnerships. Using cold calling scripts may make the call seem less personal, which you should avoid.

Tip 4: Don’t Overburden Your Prospect at the First Meeting.

When you have your first “cold meeting” with a prospect, one approach is to “go in nude.” (And I don’t mean in your birthday suit!) This implies you’ll be carrying a basic folder rather than a briefcase full of brochures or samples.

If the prospect is intrigued and requests a presentation and additional information, you may simply walk back to your vehicle and get what you need and bring it in. However, going in without a briefcase reduces the tension of early sales resistance, allowing the prospect to relax and open up to you sooner.

Tip 5: Don’t Make A Sale On Your First Cold Call

Never try to sell on your first call. Instead, concentrate on collecting information. Unless you’re selling something cheap that takes little thinking, you should conduct an interview with the prospect by asking questions.

Take notes and inform them that you will get back to them as soon as possible. Concentrate on developing the connection and come off as nice, pleasant, and non-threatening.

Tip 6: Maintain Your Prospect’s Comfort

The longer your prospect stays comfortable, the more they open up to you, and the more probable it is that you will close the deal in the end. If you’re cold calling on the phone, check out my prior blog post on how to get prospects off the fence which I employ often. It will allow you to relax and be more confident during all of your sales calls.

Tip 7: Determine Which Benefit Will Persuade Your Customer to Buy From You

With each client, there is a crucial advantage that will pique the customer’s interest and lead them to acquire your product or service.

At the same time, there is a major worry or uncertainty that will prevent the consumer from purchasing. Your first task in your first cold contact with a prospect, and the key to qualifying them, is to figure out precisely what advantage would lead this consumer to purchase from you, and just what fear or uncertainty will keep them from purchasing from you.

Tip 8: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For More

Don’t be scared to inquire. The key word for sales success is “ask.” You may even add, “Dear Prospect, we’ve discovered there is always a significant advantage or big reason why someone would buy our product or service. What might it be for you?”

If you are upfront, honest, and sincere in your inquiry, you will be absolutely amazed by the responses. Prospects will often provide you with all of the information you need to make a sale. So again, the key for you is to inquire.

Wrapping Up

Follow these cold calling techniques to increase your sales, generate more leads, and build long-term connections with your customers. The last piece of advice, however?

Just do it. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll become, and the more success you’ll have in meeting your sales goals.


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About the Author: Jeff Shore

Jeff Shore is the Founder and CEO of Shore Consulting, Inc. a company specializing in psychology-based sales training programs. Using these modern, game-changing techniques, Jeff Shore’s clients delivered over 145,000 new homes generating $54 billion in revenue last year.