The following is from an email I received from Ari Galper, 'Unlock The Game'. A sales coach who I have followed and studied from for years. This is worth the read if you are making sales cold calls and using a script:
Click Here
Showing posts with label Cold calling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cold calling. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Cold Calling Tip #4 - Get An Agreement
What is the definition of a good Cold Call? The answer is; 'Agreement'. At the end of each of your calls you should get an agreement to the next step or the next action to be taken by you and your suspect. For example; 'We will speak again on Tuesday at 3:15 to discuss my findings'. Or, 'I will call you in 2 weeks to see if anything has changed in your organization'.
Always leave the door open for a follow up to your call. These suspects then go into your calendar. If you have an agreement to a follow up then you must follow up. Your suspect will respect your professionalism based on the fact that you do what you say you will do. If you promise to send them some industry related information to their business in the next 10 minutes then make sure you send this information in the next 10 minutes. Your actions speaks volumes to your suspect on how you will be professional and responsive to their needs in the event you do conduct business together.
Getting an agreement can also be that there is not a good fit between what you offer and your suspects needs. Eventually you may have to accept that a NO is really a NO. In this situation, respect that decision with acknowledgement of the NO and remind them that if anything changes in the future to please contact you or refer you to any person they know who would benefit from your product or services. Offer them a referral incentive like a dinner for 2 at their favorite resturant. Be creative with your incentives but make sure it is what they would appreciate as a reward.
Too often I have heard from an excited sales person how they had a great call with a suspect where they connected at an emotional level and as a result the sales person didn't follow their agenda for the call and, didn't get the agreement to the next step. If you end a call not clear on what actions are to be taken next by both of you, including when you will speak again, then it was not a good call.
Remember that an agreement is where both parties agree to the next step. When you said you will follow up in 2 weeks on Tuesday at 3:15 did they respond "Yes that works for me"? If not, then you don't have agreement.
Get an Agreement on each Cold Call you make and watch your closing ratios increase. Watch your client list increase. Watch your revenue increase. Watch your life change.
Always leave the door open for a follow up to your call. These suspects then go into your calendar. If you have an agreement to a follow up then you must follow up. Your suspect will respect your professionalism based on the fact that you do what you say you will do. If you promise to send them some industry related information to their business in the next 10 minutes then make sure you send this information in the next 10 minutes. Your actions speaks volumes to your suspect on how you will be professional and responsive to their needs in the event you do conduct business together.
Getting an agreement can also be that there is not a good fit between what you offer and your suspects needs. Eventually you may have to accept that a NO is really a NO. In this situation, respect that decision with acknowledgement of the NO and remind them that if anything changes in the future to please contact you or refer you to any person they know who would benefit from your product or services. Offer them a referral incentive like a dinner for 2 at their favorite resturant. Be creative with your incentives but make sure it is what they would appreciate as a reward.
Too often I have heard from an excited sales person how they had a great call with a suspect where they connected at an emotional level and as a result the sales person didn't follow their agenda for the call and, didn't get the agreement to the next step. If you end a call not clear on what actions are to be taken next by both of you, including when you will speak again, then it was not a good call.
Remember that an agreement is where both parties agree to the next step. When you said you will follow up in 2 weeks on Tuesday at 3:15 did they respond "Yes that works for me"? If not, then you don't have agreement.
Get an Agreement on each Cold Call you make and watch your closing ratios increase. Watch your client list increase. Watch your revenue increase. Watch your life change.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Cold Calling Tip #3 - What Did I Learn
The fear of cold calling, prospecting for leads, can be over come by learning the objections, writing them down, preparing a great response to each objection and then practicing the responses. This sounds like common sense and it is but, like most common sense ideas, they require execution.
There are two great helpful hints to over coming the fear of cold calling in this tip. The first is that you learn the objections from each call you make. This means that you go into every call not with the objective to sell something and deal with the fear of rejection but rather with the objective to learn and improve. This mind set allows you to look at every call in a more positive and rewarding attitude. Therefore every call is now a successful call.
Secondly, if your call ends with no appointment then what did I learn from the call. What objections did the prospect have and how did I respond? How could I have answered the call differently? Write down the objections immediately after the call and then think about a better response you could have given if you had the opportunity to conduct that call again. Do some research if necessary to prepare a better response. The internet, your product marketing material, your existing clients, etc., can all contribute to crafting the perfect response. Once you have crafted the perfect responses then practice out loud.
The use of a digital recording device is great. Replay it, evaluate it, correct it, record it again and again, and again, honing your response until you don't have to think about. When you reach the point where you can respond to each objection automatically without thinking about your response then you are ready. You are now ready to try out your new skill on the next calls. In a week or two you can even try out your objection handling on the prospects you first learned the objections from. Always remember that any prospect worth calling on once is worth calling on again.
There are two great helpful hints to over coming the fear of cold calling in this tip. The first is that you learn the objections from each call you make. This means that you go into every call not with the objective to sell something and deal with the fear of rejection but rather with the objective to learn and improve. This mind set allows you to look at every call in a more positive and rewarding attitude. Therefore every call is now a successful call.
Secondly, if your call ends with no appointment then what did I learn from the call. What objections did the prospect have and how did I respond? How could I have answered the call differently? Write down the objections immediately after the call and then think about a better response you could have given if you had the opportunity to conduct that call again. Do some research if necessary to prepare a better response. The internet, your product marketing material, your existing clients, etc., can all contribute to crafting the perfect response. Once you have crafted the perfect responses then practice out loud.
The use of a digital recording device is great. Replay it, evaluate it, correct it, record it again and again, and again, honing your response until you don't have to think about. When you reach the point where you can respond to each objection automatically without thinking about your response then you are ready. You are now ready to try out your new skill on the next calls. In a week or two you can even try out your objection handling on the prospects you first learned the objections from. Always remember that any prospect worth calling on once is worth calling on again.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Cold Calling Tip #2 - Know Thy Self
Cold calling sales prospects should be part of your prospecting plan. Your plan to generate leads may include networking, trade shows, seminars, referrals, etc. Cold calling is just one method of many lead generation tasks you should employ. Therefore, it should also be part of your weekly/daily plan. Let's say for example you plan to make cold calls for 1 hour per day each morning. This would then be the first task on your daily agenda or calendar. I don't know about you but some days my mood or energy level is higher or lower than others. Know Thy Self.
I may plan for one hour of cold calling each morning but if I'm at a high energy level I may extend this period when I have the time available. Alternatively, if my energy level is low I will only make a few calls. Why? Because my prospects are important to me and I don't want to jeopardize a new relationship because I said all the wrong words or did not express my objectives clearly or passionately enough to generate enough interest from the prospect to learn more.
I also don't want to carry over the negative energy from one bad call to the next call. If I have a bad call I will take a short 15 to 30 minute break from the phone and do something to clear my head and change my mood. For example; I do another task or take a walk. It is important to be in the moment with each and every call. I can't truly listen and engage with someone new if my mood, my energy and my thoughts are somewhere else.
Know Thy Self!
I may plan for one hour of cold calling each morning but if I'm at a high energy level I may extend this period when I have the time available. Alternatively, if my energy level is low I will only make a few calls. Why? Because my prospects are important to me and I don't want to jeopardize a new relationship because I said all the wrong words or did not express my objectives clearly or passionately enough to generate enough interest from the prospect to learn more.
I also don't want to carry over the negative energy from one bad call to the next call. If I have a bad call I will take a short 15 to 30 minute break from the phone and do something to clear my head and change my mood. For example; I do another task or take a walk. It is important to be in the moment with each and every call. I can't truly listen and engage with someone new if my mood, my energy and my thoughts are somewhere else.
Know Thy Self!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Weekly Cold Calling Tip #1
Every week I will furnish you with a new cold calling tip. Starting today with tip #1; Compliments of the house.
The truth is 'cold calling' has become a nasty phrase because we are thinking sales. We have to sell something on the call and I know I will be rejected. It is this negative mind set that gets us in trouble. Why not call someone just to explore for possible opportunities. Don't call to make a sale. Call to ask questions about their business and their industry. Offer them a complimentary gift for their time with you on the phone.
Let them know that you are exploring a good fit with your product and/or services to their industry and you have identified them as a respected leader in their industry. State the reasons why they are seen as a leader. You can source 2 to 3 reasons for calling them in most cases right from their website. If you have a name to drop even better.
Have your questions prepared in advance and make sure they are powerful thought provoking questions that get the prospect to explore their own business challenges. Perhaps so much so they ask to learn more about your products and/or services.
At the end of the 5 minute call you don't sell them anything. You only confirm their complete contact information so you can send them out the complimentary gift such as a free attendance to a seminar you are conducting in a couple of weeks or an industry white paper that is relevant to their business or even a gift basket which includes one or two items with your company logo and a business card.
Make sure to follow up with them after they receive the gift to make sure they received it and thank them again for their time. In another week follow up with them to offer them a white paper you wrote on your findings. Or a white paper you found that may speak to a challenge your prospect spoke to you about on your first call.
This method of follow up calls with a reason to call starts to build a relationship that brings all your cold calling to a new level. You are now calling people you know and who now know you...warm leads. In time they will get to know what you do better and eventually you will be in the right place at the right time. There is no such think as luck. Luck is made by frequent follow up calls to your targeted prospect.
Always remember the value of a gift by remembering how you felt when the restaurant owner said to you; "...Compliments of the house."
The truth is 'cold calling' has become a nasty phrase because we are thinking sales. We have to sell something on the call and I know I will be rejected. It is this negative mind set that gets us in trouble. Why not call someone just to explore for possible opportunities. Don't call to make a sale. Call to ask questions about their business and their industry. Offer them a complimentary gift for their time with you on the phone.
Let them know that you are exploring a good fit with your product and/or services to their industry and you have identified them as a respected leader in their industry. State the reasons why they are seen as a leader. You can source 2 to 3 reasons for calling them in most cases right from their website. If you have a name to drop even better.
Have your questions prepared in advance and make sure they are powerful thought provoking questions that get the prospect to explore their own business challenges. Perhaps so much so they ask to learn more about your products and/or services.
At the end of the 5 minute call you don't sell them anything. You only confirm their complete contact information so you can send them out the complimentary gift such as a free attendance to a seminar you are conducting in a couple of weeks or an industry white paper that is relevant to their business or even a gift basket which includes one or two items with your company logo and a business card.
Make sure to follow up with them after they receive the gift to make sure they received it and thank them again for their time. In another week follow up with them to offer them a white paper you wrote on your findings. Or a white paper you found that may speak to a challenge your prospect spoke to you about on your first call.
This method of follow up calls with a reason to call starts to build a relationship that brings all your cold calling to a new level. You are now calling people you know and who now know you...warm leads. In time they will get to know what you do better and eventually you will be in the right place at the right time. There is no such think as luck. Luck is made by frequent follow up calls to your targeted prospect.
Always remember the value of a gift by remembering how you felt when the restaurant owner said to you; "...Compliments of the house."
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Cold Calling Tips?
I've written on 'cold calling' as part of the sales process or prospecting for leads before and when I published my posts as articles at ezine they became my most read articles. When most people think about sales they think about cold calling. Regardless if they have conducted cold calling or been on the receiving end of a cold call, the topic brings negative emotions. In response to this great interest, I want to collect your cold calling experiences, good and bad. Post your experience as a comment to this post and perhaps we can create together some great cold calling suggestions and tips to make the experience more positive.
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