Nancy Knows #31: Mastering the Art of Cold Calling: Every Second Counts!
Business Etiquette: 6 Suggestions for Salespeople
There is no lack of lists of supposedly “unbreakable” business etiquette rules. The role of etiquette is to help us have smooth, respectful interactions with others. Salespeople can be particularly challenged by this because, in reality, customs may change from industry to industry and from prospect to prospect. A construction business may have different rules of etiquette from a white-shoe law firm.
I’ve found that it’s most important to know who you are developing a relationship with so that you can interact with them appropriately. What this means is that the rules of etiquette are often “situational” and not rigid.
After more than 30 years in sales, I’ve compiled some basic observations about business etiquette.
- Eliminate electronic distractions and focus on the prospect. This means that during meetings, alerts on mobile phones, tablets, and laptops should be silenced and unless they are being used to present information, they should remain out of sight.
- Keep email communications brief and responses timely. If you have concerns about what you are communicating, take a moment to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes to see how what you are writing might come across. Does it sound like the business language they use? If not, you should consider making some modifications.
- When cold calling, be genuine and avoid selling. The prospect wasn’t expecting to speak with you. Empathy and common courtesy apply here. We always avoid selling on first contact, and we acknowledge that they are speaking to somebody that they do not know. We tell them briefly why we are calling and ask for a couple of minutes of their time. This communicates that we acknowledge that their time is valuable and sets the stage for us to make an appointment with them.
- Don’t hesitate to leave a voicemail. Whether you are calling a mobile phone or a landline, voicemails are often transcribed for convenience. A brief message including your name and the purpose of your call is appropriate. It is also acceptable to ask for a callback or indicate that you will reach out to them again.
- Virtual meetings can be as effective as in-person meetings. After 30 years of working virtually most of the time, we’ve consistently established and nurtured strong client relationships. We show up for virtual meetings dressed appropriately for our audience and with an appropriate background for a business meeting.
- The definition of ‘appropriate dress’ may vary. Unless there are specific rules within your organization, salespeople should dress professionally, with attention to reflecting the style of the company that you’re meeting with. A salesperson meeting with a manufacturing plant manager might dress in business casual, while a meeting with a VP of IT for a Big 8 accounting firm might require formal business attire.
In the end, it’s important to use your judgment when it comes to business etiquette. It’s up to us as salespeople to do the research and “read the room” to understand the best approach for to a positive interaction with your prospect.
At One of a Kind Sales, we are experts at cold calling and lead qualification. If you would like to learn more about our services, give us a call at 908-879-2911.
Sandler Rule #46:There Is No Such Thing as a Good Try
What is Combo Prospecting?
At a recent Sandler Training Session, I was inspired by a Sandler trainer, Emily Yepes, who spoke about the challenges of prospecting. In this competitive environment, we all need to “up our game” to reach the prospects we believe we can help. Prospecting is often the biggest ‘pain point’ for my clients and to meet this need, I’ve become a student of different prospecting approaches.
What is most attractive about Emily’s approach, which she refers to as “Combo Prospecting,” is her simultaneous use of multiple channels to reach a targeted individual. She uses LinkedIn outreach, phone calls, and email to reach a targeted client. She also leverages video in both email and LinkedIn. What’s important is that the targeted individual is someone who she knows is likely to be interested in her solution at some point. She personalizes her messaging by incorporating a topic that is relevant to the individual – something they’ve posted about recently or even recent media coverage that impacts their business. She attempts to engage by asking a question. She does not start to sell to this person immediately. Her mission is to engage them and stand out. Doing a bit of background research on each person enables her to do this.
As an example, on day one, a targeted prospect might receive a phone call, an email, and a LinkedIn message. While this may seem like overkill, remember that your prospect is not 100% focused on any one of these channels. Some people don’t go to LinkedIn often, others never pick up the phone, and email is easily overlooked. From consumer research, we know that it takes multiple exposures to get a consumer to recognize a new brand or name. Likely, the message a targeted prospect takes away from this type of outreach is that you have prioritized reaching them. Over 30 days, you can alternate between using one or two methods every two to three days. By day 30 if there is no response you can send them a final goodbye email. Like other outreach methods, you develop a routine that you should stick to, and over time the number of responses should accumulate.
I’m trialing this approach by targeting 20 prospects. I reached out with an initial phone call, followed by an email and a LinkedIn message. In none of these contacts did I attempt to sell. My subsequent contacts will alternate between two of the three channels and will incorporate personalized videos. What was striking to me was that in just 47 minutes I was able to make an initial outreach to 20 individuals through multiple channels. Think about how long would it have taken for me to visit 20 prospects in person! And, if I only used one method to reach out to 20 people, imagine how much lower my chances of generating a response would be.
Ultimately, I believe this approach will yield great results. As I have just initiated this process, I don’t have the final numbers, but I am impressed with the productivity. (Stay tuned for a follow-up in 2024.) And what we do know is that sales is a numbers game and the more outreach you do, the greater the opportunity for a sale.
If you’d like to learn more about this approach or if you have an organization that needs help generating leads, please reach out to One of a Kind Sales – we are experts at cold calling and we can help your team generate the sales you need. Give us a call at 908-879-2911.
