KEEP dialing – don’t be discouraged – it is a NO business, keep dialing for that YES. Knowing your KPI’s should give you an idea of how many dials you need to make before you get to that YES.
You need to engage in ACTIVE LISTENING to get to #6. Lean into the calls and actively listen to HEAR the insights that give you the edge!
Would you like additional tips on which habits to develop if you want to be successful in sales? Are there any additional habits YOU would add to these lists? Please follow me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncalabrese/ where I regularly share tips and advice and be sure to join the conversation about this post!
Cold calling success is largely based on the ability to differentiate yourself from others doing the same exact thing that you are doing. It makes sense that successful cold callers catch a prospect’s attention and build a relationship by being different in their cold calling approach. It starts with the first phone call and the cold calling script. Here are nine ways to differentiate yourself when cold calling:
Craft a script that sounds genuine, and unique. Messaging must catch the attention of your audience. Interject something unexpected. Incorporate content to make your script your own.
Catch the prospect’s attention. Successful cold callers make the first 30 seconds memorable by tailoring the message based on the prospect’s communication style.
Be likeable. Incorporate a genial approach that builds trustworthiness. Trustworthiness leads to being influential.
Inject humor. Connect with people over shared human experiences and tell stories that leave a positive effect.
Be sincere. Differentiate yourself by being genuinely interested in the prospect and the prospect’s needs and wants. Generate trust by truly caring about your prospect.
Ask the right questions. Incorporate high-value, thought-provoking questions. Pose enough deep, probing questions to really learn what the prospect needs are. Keep questions short following a response that the customer just shared to encourage them to talk more.
Embrace active listening. Pay close attention to the prospect’s words, their tone of voice and their body language. Remember, it’s all about them. Distinguish yourself by being able to truly understand and respond to your prospect and their particular situation.
Be prepared. Since prospects are inundated with sales calls, voicemails and emails, it is crucial to differentiate from all that noise. Come to the conversation with a knowledge of the prospect’s business and the kinds of challenges they face. Be ready with relevant open-ended questions. Sales is all about language that is pertinent to the prospect.
Add value at every opportunity. Offer blogs, videos, white papers, etc., to be a thought-leader, not just a “seller”. When buyers see you as an expert, they will welcome your call.
Implementing these suggestions will help you cut through the noise and really stand-out when making your cold calls – and that is the first step to setting up qualified appointments and closing sales!
Need help crafting an effective script? Or does your team need coaching and management to be more productive? Click Here to learn more about our Call Center in a Box program where we train, manage and monitor YOUR inside sales team to improve YOUR bottom line. No inside sales team? With One of a Kind Search we find well trained sales people to work for you or call us at 908.879.2911 – we LOVE to Cold Call for you!
You are making cold calls. You have picked up the phone and have reached a decision maker – NOW WHAT? What do you say to set an appointment?
Here are four important things you need to say and do on a call with a prospect in order to actually set an appointment that will convert to a sale:
Build trust
Build credibility
Clarify and re-state their needs
ASK for their business
Build Trust
Let’s be honest, salespeople can get a bad rap. Past experiences with Snakeoil salesmen and people with less than virtuous intentions can make prospects reluctant to take calls from people they don’t know. Your first task, on any call, is to put them at ease and get them to TRUST you.
Using positive words like “Good”, “Great”, “Wow” and “YES!” helps set the tone of the call and encourages them to trust you. But you MUST be GENUINE when using these or you will come off as insincere and salesy.
Conversely, negative words can lead to mistrust. Always use the affirmative, stay upbeat and frame statements positively. Use “What would relieve some of the pressure you are under?” vs “What pressures are you under?”
Salesy talk and high pressure selling tactics usually turn people off. You are there to HELP – make sure they know it!
Build Credibility
Include ‘Credibility Statements’ in your messaging. Establish your expertise and abilities in this area.
What to say to get an appointment? Use phrases like:
“Yes, we can definitely help you with that.”
And “Yes, we have helped others with this type of issue.”
“Yes, we have years of experience with this.”
Keep in mind that it is better to UNDER sell and OVER perform than to disappoint so be sure to set REALISTIC expectations. Over promising will set you up for failure.
Saying “Yes, we are experts in such and such.” when you are not, MAY lead to an appointment but it may NOT lead to a sale.
And needless to say, don’t use the words, ‘such and such’ – insert THEIR problem there! Which takes us to the next step…
Clarify and re-state their needs
Make sure you have been LISTENING so you understand their issue and their needs!
Make sure you are ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS so you get the info you need to clarify their needs, their pain points and their timelines.
Re-stating their issue and needs lets them know you are LISTENING to them – that you hear them and understand. Studies show conversion rates rise 80% when you restate needs!
What to say to set an appointment? Incorporate phrases such as:
“Please tell me more”
“What I hear you saying is…”
“You said XYZ, right?”
Don’t worry about getting it wrong. As long as you are listening, are basically on the right track and you are in a conversation – not giving a soliloquy – they will most likely correct you and give you the opportunity to rectify your statement. Take that chance and use that opportunity to build a relationship with the prospect!
And, most importantly,
Ask for the Appointment!
The next step is to ASK for the appointment! Ask the prospect to commit to the next step in the process. Only 13% of callers actually do this. Yes, it is scary – if they say no, the call could be over – but ASKING is the only way to move forward to get an appointment. Take the chance and make the ask!
And if they say no, remember, a ‘no’ is a ‘no for now’. Put them in your hold file for a set period of time and move on. New prospects await and this one may be ready next time to you reach out to them!
Yes, you can do your banking and order everything from dinner to a washing machine to nail clippers online. You can turn on your TV, adjust the volume and lock your doors, even when you are not anywhere nearby. But you really cannot replace HUMAN INTERACTION for real results, especially when it comes to sales.
We are not disparaging technology – effective salespeople rely on a wide array of technical tools to identify prospects, monitor call volume and track KPIs. We are talking about the type of personal interaction that allows you to make a REAL CONNECTION with your prospects.
Real, personal connection can be fostered in many ways. If your prospect is close by, meeting face to face is always a good way to connect with someone. Often, a live meeting can make the difference between ‘identifying a prospect’ and ‘creating a relationship that leads to SALES’.
When a client is not in your zip code, or even your state, the phone is an excellent tool. But it is only effective when the calls are made by people who are really LISTENING and INTERACTING with the people on the other end of the line. People are getting bombarded by robocalls all the time so you need to be sure to connect personally if you want to close sales.
We really like to use video calling. There are a number of easy to use platforms available including Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts and more that can facilitate meetings that are the next best thing to live!
Frequently, salespeople will lament that they have built themselves huge social networks (often at great time and expense) but they are disappointed that these efforts have NOT resulted in actual sales. Social networks CAN possibly help you identify good prospects, but if you are not connecting in person, via the phone or video calls, you are NOT really connecting.
In person, phone calls and video calls allow you to build REAL connections with your prospect, allowing them to hear the inflection in your voice and see and FEEL your passion and enthusiasm.
Yes, technology can facilitate these calls but it is the PERSONAL INTERACTION that is the differentiator you need to really succeed in sales!
If you are NOT making the connections nor seeing the results YOU need, give us a call – we can help you with your script, train you and your team on your delivery and even make calls for you if needed! Contact us at 908.879.2911 or leads@oneofakindsales.com
There are two basic approaches to selling: selling a product or selling a solution.
In my experience, selling a solution will generate more sales and cultivate more valuable, long-term relationships with your customers.
The key to successfully selling a solution is to clearly understand the prospect’s problem.
We do this by asking pointed questions and ‘actively listening‘ to the responses. And at One of a Kind Sales (OOAKS), we also train our salespeople to identify and match the prospect’s communication style so we can connect and respond more effectively.
We use a tool, called a DISC assessment, to help team members determine the buying styles of prospects so that they can then adapt their communication style to match that of the buyer.
The DISC Model
The DISC Model was first introduced in 1928 by William Moulton Marston, a physiological psychologist with a Ph.D. from Harvard, in his book Emotions of Normal People. (1).
He identified 4 profile ‘types’:
D = Dominant I = Influencer S = Steadiness C = Conscientious
Dominant Type – They typically have fast-paced speech and a strong personality. They tend to think in terms of the bottom line and often have a quicker, more impulsive decision-making style.
To improve communication with “D” types:
Don’t dominate the conversation, listen more
Create a situation to give them a win
Ask specific, targeted questions and don’t waste their time
Keep a fast pace to match theirs
Give direct answers without a lot of “fluff”
Influencer Type – They are friendly and talkative. They typically enjoy interacting with people and like chit chat. Influencers respond well to testimonials and hearing about benefits in an upbeat, positive way. They tend to be less detail-oriented and focus more on the big picture.
To improve communication with “I” types:
Be friendly and animated with your conversation
Ask for their ideas and opinions
Applaud and compliment
Don’t dwell on the details
Provide personal stories on how other people have benefited from your solution
Steadiness Type – They are patient and easy-going. You can identify these individuals by their reserved, indirect, but people-oriented approach to others. They typically have a deliberate and methodical decision-making style and may resist change or anything they perceive as a risk.
To improve communication with “S” types:
Don’t pressure them to make a decision quickly
Listen patiently and take time to explain
Speak with a sincere tone of voice
Discuss the process
Conscientious Type – They are methodical and deliberate. They tend to focus on the details and are primarily concerned about doing things the “right” or “correct way.” This buying behavior style can be skeptical and is often concerned with analytics and the effects of change.
To improve communication with “C” types:
Present data to back up claims about your solution
Avoid asking too many personal questions
Slow down and answer questions precisely
Involve them in planning
Be conservative in assertions
Use a DISC assessment to identify your prospect’s ‘DISC type’ and adjust your approach to achieve better sales outcomes.
Tools to help
There are many DISC based assessment and insight tools available. I use the Crystalintegration for LinkedIn. I find it helpful, providing me with personality insights before I meet with prospects or clients. There are others out there as well – find one that works for you.
Control What You Can
As salespeople, we cannot change or control the prospect. They decide if they want to purchase or not. But we CAN control our communication style. It’s our job to adjust our style appropriately. If we can help make the prospect’s decision-making more comfortable or easier then we can gain their trust, establish credibility, and keep the sales process moving forward. A win for everyone!
Want to learn more about how to use assessments like this to get better results with YOUR prospects? Give me a call at 908.879.2911 – we can show YOU how to effectively and successfully connect with YOUR prospects!
