Cold calling, and Cold Market Prospecting does not have to be intimidating or hard. The worst thing that can happen is your prospect will say “no”. If you Accept this, getting started is much easier.
Tips:
1. Know your presentation until it sounds like a conversation, not canned. Practice, practice, practice. This allows you to be interrupted without losing your train of thought and will give you confidence.
2. Call with the attitude that your time is just as valuable as theirs without being arrogant.
3. Have a good system of tracking your calls. Know who you called, when you called and how many calls you made. Without this you may think you are making more calls than you really are and wondering why you are not having more success. Just as important to know when you are headed is to know where you have been.
See what PaceTracer can do for your call tracking.
4. Ask for the decision maker. Most likely it will not be the person answering the phone so you need to make the gatekeeper feel important. Ask for the person by name if you have it.
5. When you do get them on the phone, remember that the first ten seconds they will not remember what you have said. Never start with “How are you?” Instead say his or her name and then “I know you are busy so I won’t take but just a minute of your time. Then introduce yourself. You are not asking for their time, you are taking it.
6. Do Not Talk Fast. It will not keep you from being interrupted.
7. There is no right or wrong time to call. Businessmen are available during business hours but call doctors in the evening.
8. Leave them friendly and receptive. You have the opportunity to call back. Never ask if you can call back, just assume you can. If they ask that you do not call them back, mark them off your list. Your time is too valuable to overcome that.
9. You will get “nos”. It’s going to happen. If you get enough, you will convey that negative in your presentation. Stop calling, go over your presentation and get your confidence back before you blow one more prospect.
10. Questions are good. The most difficult thing is keeping your cool when they start asking questions. If they are asking questions, you have their interest. Listen to what they are asking. If you do not know the answer, do not be afraid to say – That is a good question. I don’t have the answer at my fingertips but I will get back with you. You have their interest – Keep it!
11. This is a numbers game. The more you call, the better your chances of success. You call three a day, you fail. You call three hundred a day, you will succeed.
12. Never meet a stranger. Do not prejudge. Everybody you meet is a prospect. Learn how to get to know a stranger. You can cold call without a phone.
13. Everytime you make a sale, ask for a referral. This is a instant in with your next call.
14. The most important — Learn to ask for the sale. They will not say yes unless you help them.
Written by: Mike Carter
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