Contrary to popular belief, successful sales teams still use cold calling as part of their key strategy. But their calling methods have changed a lot as it takes more time for the caller to build a rapport with the customers.
Studies have found that callers have to hold a client’s attention for more than seven minutes on a cold call for a successful meeting. So, if you have been struggling with getting those numbers up, these are 19 tips that can help you bring up the sales in 2021.
Personalized Scripts
Customers can understand when you are reading out of a script. So, make your own script that is comfortable for you. Some of the key principles to follow are:
- Sound confident and get to the point.
- Be clear on the objective of the call.
- State how you can benefit the customer.
Ask for Feedback
Countless times the prospect will hang up on you because they hate cold calls. One of the things you can do differently is to ask for feedback before the client hangs up. You can use simple statements like “I am new at this, can you please tell me what I could have done better to convince you for a meeting?”
It will jolt the customer out of their ‘hate cold callers’ mode and force them to take the position of authority. Sometimes they might even ask you, “Honestly, I am not sure, what are you trying to say again?” It allows you to talk to the person a second and lead the conversation and they’ll listen to you.
Lead With Value on Voicemails
People are not interested to know who you are or where you are calling from, so do not start with that in the voicemail. Instead, tell the customer how your company can benefit them first, and give your contact details at the end. Your customers would not care about a stranger’s voicemail unless they are truly interested.
Use Multi-Channel Outreach
It usually takes four to five calls to land a meeting with the prospective client. So use different channels other than calls to reach out to them. You should always follow up your first call with an email or a LinkedIn message that will allow your prospective client to become familiar with you.
That way, they will recognize who you are and where you are calling from, which will significantly increase your chances for a positive response.
Use a Video
Send a video through an email explaining the benefits that you are going to offer the prospective client. Videos can help you get their attention and will also make them familiar with your face. Studies have shown that familiarization with a face increases trust significantly, which helps in closing the sale.
Amplify the Message
You would often get one shot to establish trust on a cold call, so don’t beat around the bush. Instead, learn the art of capturing attention within a short time. Amplify your message with energy, emotions, and enunciation.
Lead With an Open-Ended Question
Lead the conversation with an open-ended question. That will allow the prospective client to give you more information that might be useful for you. Open-ended questions also invoke emotions that help you to understand their requirements and provide a solution for them.
Ask a Challenging Question
If the prospective client tells you they are not interested, ask a challenging question that can prolong the conversation. When a client tells you they are not interested in what you are selling, ask them if they are interested to save money or save the environment. Such challenging questions are quite effective in engaging a client who is not interested.
Make the Connection to the Bottom-Line
Everyone needs to make an impact on the bottom-line results in their lives or for their company. Therefore, show how they can impact the bottom-line results with your products or services.
Use the Right Tone
Sounding kind and sympathetic can go a long way to establish a connection with your prospects. Remember that you need to sound confident but not aggressive or condescending. Most people like having a conversation, so use that angle to develop trust before you pitch.
Prioritize the Calls Over Emails and Voicemails
Selling gets done best when you can connect with prospective clients. The chances of that happening over email are quite slim. So utilize the calls to their maximum potential instead of relying on follow-ups through emails or other channels.
Using software that completely automates dialling can maximize the number of connected calls and present more opportunities for you.
Embrace Your Failures
Selling and cold calling are not natural processes that humans are used to in their everyday lives. So, do not feel frustrated by failure. 30-40% success rates are great in cold calling. So if you have them, you are doing great. Instead, try to learn from your mistakes and work on your methods.
Don’t Wait for the Opportune Time
Do not wait for the perfect opportunity during a call to present your agenda, as it can turn into a long wait. Instead, have a plan at hand, which will help you lead the conversation towards your objective.
Make Your Questions Count
During a cold call, you will get to ask about 4 questions and talk for 40-45% of the conversation. So do not start a conversation with, “do you have a few minutes to spare?” People know that this is a prelude to a sales pitch. Instead, ask questions that can show the prospect that they are about to benefit from the conversation.
Do Your Research
Do not just pick up the phone and start calling the prospects. Instead, do your homework and anticipate positioning statements or questions before you make the call. That will help you to tell them quickly why they should listen to you.
Write and Practice Your Pitch
Only 10% of your connected cold calls will last for more than 2 minutes. That means you will have less than one minute to get a prospect to share their pain points with you. You cannot count on split-second decisions to steer the conversation in your favour. So write down pitches and practice them before you pick up the phone.
Utilize LinkedIn
Linkedin can give you a lot of information that you can use in your conversations. So research your prospects a little on LinkedIn and social media to familiarise yourself with the client.
Ask Your Customer for Help
Most prospective clients anticipate the opening questions a sales rep can ask and are prepared to say no. But they will mostly say yes if you open your conversation by saying, “Hi! I was wondering if I can ask you something” Ask them if it is a good time to talk to them, and then lead the conversation towards your offer.
Get Your Manager to “Whisper”
Many new auto dialling platforms have a feature called whispering. It allows managers to speak to the executive without it being audible to the customer. This is a great feature especially if you get stuck with words and lose opportunities as a result. Managers can help you with counterpoints and tips to score a higher conversion rate.
Remember cold calling is a skill that requires a lot of time and practice to master. However, use these 19 tips to tip the scale in your favour and better your conversion rate.