We Love Cold Calling!

Internalizing Cold Calling Scripts

by | May 25, 2016 | Advice, Cold Calling Tips, Sales Prospecting, Sales Training

Cold calling is an opportunity to probe, build rapport and set the foundation for a long-term relationship. This involves improvising, asking probing questions and reacting to what the prospect is saying. That said, you still need to start with a script. While you don’t want to read it, you do want to use your script to prepare for the call.

 

A well written script will:

  • Remind you of what preparation needs to take place before the call begins
  • Break down the call into steps so you know exactly where you are in the process at any time
  • Provide ways to encourage conversation and get the prospect talking
  • Help you avoid leaving out any questions or areas of information that you need to cover
  • Give ways for probing the prospect to get to their pain points and other critical information and keep the process moving forward
  • Provide reminders for critical pauses in the conversation
  • Provide different call to action scenarios to maximize the outcome of the call

 

When cold calling, you absolutely want to be sure that you have a natural sounding conversation with your prospects. The only way to do this is by internalizing the script. Internalizing means incorporating within oneself as conscious or subconscious, the steps, questions and cues that you need to cover. This can be accomplished by knowing the script inside and out and making it part of you. The way to do this is by practicing.

 

What you don’t want to do is read a list of questions. Approaching the call in this way lacks the impression of genuine interest in what the prospect has to say, and your prospect will quickly lose interest in continuing the process. Reading the script will result in hang-ups, getting less information than you need, or the prospect will blow you off, either in a nice way or not.

 

Customize your scripts to address your particular circumstances and goals, and to address the information known about the prospect. This process of customizing and internalizing scripts is proven to be an effective approach in fulfilling your ultimate goal: setting sales appointments.

Cold Calling Is More Than A Handshake

by | Jan 27, 2016 | Advice, Cold Calling Tips, Sales Prospecting, Sales Training

In networking, a handshake is used to introduce yourself. It conveys a willingness to engage with someone that we don’t know or don’t know well. In the course of networking, we’ve all shaken a countless number of hands. Sometimes it leads to business relationships, but more often than not, it doesn’t.

 

 

Cold calling is like a handshake in that it is a way to introduce yourself to a potential business partner. Like networking, cold calling is the beginning of the sales process. However, the difference is that cold calling is more effective at turning introductions into business.

 

Unlike networking, cold calling, when done correctly, is directed to very specific prospects, with a very targeted message. Cold calling is comprised of a series of specific deliberate questions that engages a conversation about the prospect’s pain. Well-developed cold calling uncovers issues and challenges that can be used to formulate a more productive sales call.

 

Cold calling is a no-pressure conversation. It nurtures the relationship, which a lot of hand shaking can’t do. It is a means of digging deeper so you can learn more about the prospect and they learn more about you. The cold calling process is more productive in bringing in the highly qualified leads that you need.

 

For most people cold calling is the most avoided part of the sales process. Most would rather have root canal than undertake cold calling, but a well executed cold calling process is more productive than hours of networking and shaking hands.

How To Use The Presales Process To Improve Revenue

by | Sep 28, 2015 | Appointment setting services, Cold Calling Tips, Sales Prospecting

If you are looking for growth, (and who isn’t), it’s a good idea to pay more attention to Presales. Presales is key in obtaining, winning and keeping customers. You may not feel this way now but you’ll change your mind when you have a better understanding of what the Presales Process is and what it delivers.

The Presales Process is comprised of three steps:

Research – In the research portion of the Presales Process a list of prospective “ideal customers” – those most likely to buy the company’s products – is developed. Once those prospects are identified, you’ll collect and study relevant information such as product descriptions, prices, and competitor information. This allows you to begin to understand the prospect’s needs, and their potential as a client.

Preparing for the call – The 2nd step involves creating a call strategy and script. Including prequalifying questions in your script helps weed out those that are not a good fit for what you have to offer.  Each script is customized for each prospect.

Making the call and setting the appointment – During the actual call you are not only introducing yourself and the company to the prospect. Much of the call involves actively listening to uncover the needs and wants of the potential customers, as well as determining if they are a fit for your products or services.

The Pre-Sales Process not only identifies leads. It is an important step in building rapport and establishing the relationship with the potential client. It uncovers important information about the prospect’s business, such as goals and challenges. It is the groundwork from which the sales proposal will be made and the sale will be won. The Pre-Sales Process makes your sales team more efficient and armed and ready to close the sale.

Putting effort into your Pre-Sales Process is worthwhile. The Harvard Business Review sums it up as follows: “Souping up the presales engine can yield a five-point improvement in conversion rates, a 6–13% improvement in revenue, and a 10–20% improvement in the speed of moving prospects through the sales process.”

The upshot is that a well-run, dedicated Presales Process will improve your bottom line.  If you’d like your organization to take better advantage of the Presales Process, One Of A Kind Solutions can help.