know the scenario,sales are behind target and sales prospecting is
always the answer. Your sales manager calls you and the rest of the
sales team in for the weekly meeting which, funnily enough, always seems
to be about how do we generate more leads.
Sales manager: ‘Folks, we are behind target! We need to hit the phones and get sales prospecting.’
You: ‘Sure, but I’ve used up all my marketing qualified leads. Is it back to trawling through LinkedIn again?’
Boss: ‘LinkedIn, phone directory… just get on the phones!’ *sounding like he doesn’t know where to start*.
You: ‘Sure, but I’ve used up all my marketing qualified leads. Is it back to trawling through LinkedIn again?’
Boss: ‘LinkedIn, phone directory… just get on the phones!’ *sounding like he doesn’t know where to start*.
Sound familiar? But one way or another,
these types of conversations are happening in sales organizations all
over the globe. So let me bring you to sales paradise island – a sales
person’s utopia, a world where every prospect would be expecting your
call and know exactly why you were calling. The conversation would be
flowing with witty banter exchanged back and forth. The genuine interest
they’ve been showing in your product or service throughout the call
would inevitably end in a sale. Easy! Right?
these types of conversations are happening in sales organizations all
over the globe. So let me bring you to sales paradise island – a sales
person’s utopia, a world where every prospect would be expecting your
call and know exactly why you were calling. The conversation would be
flowing with witty banter exchanged back and forth. The genuine interest
they’ve been showing in your product or service throughout the call
would inevitably end in a sale. Easy! Right?
Sorry but time to wake up as this is not the
reality which sales people face. As you know, a lot of time and energy
goes into simply compiling a list of prospects to call. But once they
answer, sellers are often affected by the dreaded ‘why are you calling me today?‘ syndrome. Cold calling with nothing more than a name and number leaves the sales person having to ‘wing it’ and hope they get lucky.
reality which sales people face. As you know, a lot of time and energy
goes into simply compiling a list of prospects to call. But once they
answer, sellers are often affected by the dreaded ‘why are you calling me today?‘ syndrome. Cold calling with nothing more than a name and number leaves the sales person having to ‘wing it’ and hope they get lucky.
Cold calling is an essential component in
making that pipeline grow, so it is something that sellers cannot avoid.
If only there was a way to make the whole process of cold calling a lot
easier. Well maybe there is!
making that pipeline grow, so it is something that sellers cannot avoid.
If only there was a way to make the whole process of cold calling a lot
easier. Well maybe there is!
Let me explain how cold calling can suddenly
become a lot easier with lead generation tools/software combined with
my few tips on how to approach each phone call.
become a lot easier with lead generation tools/software combined with
my few tips on how to approach each phone call.
Continuous Quality Leads with Automated Lead Generation Software
Before you can start making those calls, you
need a list of people to call. A list of relevant prospects. A recent
survey revealed that over 35% of companies claimed that they lacked
access to quality prospects. Almost 50% said they wanted the number of
sale leads to increase. Imagine coming in to your office on your sales
prospecting days to find a verified list of quality prospects, based on
relevant profiles, with contact information sitting on your desk – Sound
like that utopia that exists only in your head? Think again.
need a list of people to call. A list of relevant prospects. A recent
survey revealed that over 35% of companies claimed that they lacked
access to quality prospects. Almost 50% said they wanted the number of
sale leads to increase. Imagine coming in to your office on your sales
prospecting days to find a verified list of quality prospects, based on
relevant profiles, with contact information sitting on your desk – Sound
like that utopia that exists only in your head? Think again.
Automated lead generation services do the
hard work for you by consistently providing you with your most relevant
and influential leads with detailed information. Automated lead
generation significantly reduces the time you spend simply identifying
prospects because this technology produces a continuous supply of custom
profiles and contact information based on social data. All the data you
need to convert leads. Faster. This way, your prospects are simply an
email or phone call away, which is also supplied to you!
hard work for you by consistently providing you with your most relevant
and influential leads with detailed information. Automated lead
generation significantly reduces the time you spend simply identifying
prospects because this technology produces a continuous supply of custom
profiles and contact information based on social data. All the data you
need to convert leads. Faster. This way, your prospects are simply an
email or phone call away, which is also supplied to you!
Prospecting is essential to the sales
process. You may have the skills to sell ‘ice to an Eskimo’ but if you
are spending all of your time simply looking for prospects, and not
actually interacting with them, what is the point? As soon as you can
speed up the identification of prospects and reach the point where you
are actually talking to buyers, who are genuinely interested in your
services, every call becomes a lot easier.
process. You may have the skills to sell ‘ice to an Eskimo’ but if you
are spending all of your time simply looking for prospects, and not
actually interacting with them, what is the point? As soon as you can
speed up the identification of prospects and reach the point where you
are actually talking to buyers, who are genuinely interested in your
services, every call becomes a lot easier.
So automated lead generation software
provides you with a continuous list of who to call. But what next? What
do I say? I don’t want to be a deer in the headlights. I can’t take much
more rejection!
provides you with a continuous list of who to call. But what next? What
do I say? I don’t want to be a deer in the headlights. I can’t take much
more rejection!
Information gives you Confidence
If you are to remember one key thing before cold calling, remember this – information gives you confidence. Before engaging with each new
prospect, learn more about them and go in feeling as prepared as
possible.
Learn about the company they work for. Know exactly why your product
or service would be of interest to them. Learn some of their interests.
Perhaps you two have something in common. Incorporating these into your
initial small talk can help your prospect feel more at ease and make you
seem more relateble and human. Your lead generation service provides
you with a list of all their social media accounts so you can easily
learn a little more about them on a personal level as well as
professional.
Even the most successful salespeople don’t necessarily like cold
calls, but the difference between them and unsuccessful sellers is that
they have realized the importance of confidence. If you are always
polite and exude confidence in what you are doing, the client is more
likely to gain confidence in your company. Even if the call doesn’t end
in a sale or arranging a face-to-face meeting, you know that it is ok
because you did everything you possibly could. You approached that
individual, armed with information, strategy, and the confidence that
comes from it.
The traditional presentation-style of cold calling has proven to have
a negative effect because it creates sales pressure and treats buyers
like simply a number on a list. Creating a natural conversation between
two people is the only way to keep them engaged and interested. A
genuine approach is sure to put your potential customer at ease from the
start. While this person may be the 30th phone call you have made
today, it is important to remember that the person on the other line is
just that – A person! Be polite, genuine, and speak using
easy-to-understand terms.
If you don’t know something, be honest and admit that you don’t. You
have done your preparation on who your prospect is and what you are
calling about, but you are always going to encounter questions that you
may not have to answer to. Reply with something like, ‘I’m not quite
sure about that Ms Roberts, but I will ask my manager and have an answer
for you when I see you next’. There’s no shame in not having all of the
answers, and frankly, your prospects are sure to appreciate your
honesty and willingness to go out of your way to answer their questions.
Realizing that it is alright to not have all the answers can remove a
lot of the anxiety attached to cold calling. It also gives you extra
confidence in your approach.
What Problem Can You Solve for Them?
Once the person at the other end of the call is starting to feel at
ease, you must then clearly explain how your company can solve a problem
which this buyer/customer is facing on why you have selected them to
call. Think about it, how would you react if somebody truly understood
what you were struggling with and had ideas to solve it? If your
prospect feels that you really do understand their particular issues,
then they are more open to hearing your solutions giving you the
opportunity to see if you both are a good match.
Cold calls based on genuine helpfulness and understanding your
prospect and their needs can turn a one-way pitch into a two-way
dialogue.
In a survey, hundreds of decision makers responsible for buying business services and products were asked:
“If a salesperson calls you and leaves a message for you, what kind of message will motivate you to return the call?”
Results showed that over 40% of respondents wanted cold callers to
‘clearly explain how their product/service would benefit my business.’
See yourself as the hero that wants to rescue each prospect from
their business problems, not the bothersome sales person only concerned
about closing deals. This will make cold calling easier.
Mention a Name or Referral
As well as being confident and understanding
your leads issues, buyers are more open to listening if they hear that a
peer of theirs referred them or is using your product. Almost 40% of
buyers claim this, to be more specific. But how does one get a referral
in the first place? Here are two ways:
your leads issues, buyers are more open to listening if they hear that a
peer of theirs referred them or is using your product. Almost 40% of
buyers claim this, to be more specific. But how does one get a referral
in the first place? Here are two ways:
1) Join a number of networking groups in
which you can share leads and contacts with other like-minded people.
Groups like Business Network International (BNI), Professional Referral
Organization (PRO), and a variety of others that exist for this very
purpose.
2) Discover someone in LinkedIn with whom you have a mutual connection
to the prospect you are calling, or at least can introduce you.
which you can share leads and contacts with other like-minded people.
Groups like Business Network International (BNI), Professional Referral
Organization (PRO), and a variety of others that exist for this very
purpose.
2) Discover someone in LinkedIn with whom you have a mutual connection
to the prospect you are calling, or at least can introduce you.
I hope you have realized that cold calling doesn’t have to be as big a barrier as you think it is. Investing in Lead generation tools/software,
knowing your potential customer and understanding their problems all
combine to give you that confidence boost and creates the best possible
outcome for every cold call you make.
knowing your potential customer and understanding their problems all
combine to give you that confidence boost and creates the best possible
outcome for every cold call you make.
How to Make Cold Calling Easier | Lead Generation and Social Selling Articles and News
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