5 Tips To Make Cold Calling Effective

Brenda is a sales executive at a customer service training firm in Abuja. She has a target to train the customer service team of at least 100 retail businesses by year end. Brenda decides to call 50 companies every day. She already knows her target – retail companies. She then makes a list of retail companies by location and does a little research on the retail industry. ‘’Hello, my name is Brenda. Who can I speak with in terms of increasing referrals for your business and increasing your current customer database?’’ ‘Oh, that would be our sales manager Jide, hold on one second please’’ ‘’Hello Jide, my name is Brenda and I can help you increase referrals to your business and increase your customer database. Can we set up an appointment for Tuesday so I can show you how?’’ Sounds easy and straight forward, right? But cold calling can be a daunting task for many sales professionals. Things don’t always go as straightforward as the example above. But you can make cold calling a bit easier and more effective. In this article, I will be sharing why Brenda’s cold calling is effective, and cold calling tips from sales professionals around the world.   1. Do a little research first Before Brenda picked up the phone, she did some research. She knew her industry, and what value businesses in that industry needed. Jerry, Vice President of Sales at Modern Compliance Solutions / HIPAA One says ‘’1) Know your customer well, 2) Know their pain point, 3) Know why you are the best choice.’’ 2. Use a Script The best way to prepare for a cold call is to use a script. Know what to say before you get on the phone. And practice. Practice so you don’t sound like a robot. 3. Focus on benefits, not features See how Brenda approached her target? She didn’t talk about her company’s sales training, but what the sales training can do for her target’s business – increase referrals and their customer database. Ash, Internet Marketing Manager says “one important point I would like to share is come to the point as soon as possible and focus on the benefits your service or products can give them, not the features.” 4. Don’t try to sell on the phone Think back, have you ever made a purchasing decision on the phone with a sales person? Then don’t try to sell your product or service over the phone. Brenda was not trying to sell her training, but she was trying to get an appointment. 5. Keep it short Pamela Hill, Business Development Leader, says ‘’Don’t waste your time, more importantly THEIRS if you have nothing that speaks to IMPROVING THEIR WORLD.’’ Nuff said.   About the Writer: Mason Frederick Chegwe shares useful information you can use to achieve your marketing goals. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn    

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This article was first published on 10th February 2015

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