If there is one thing we know as a professional outsourced sales company, it’s cold calling. 98% of our sales campaigns rely heavily on cold calling so it is extremely important that we get this right for our clients. Over the past eight years as a sales outsourcing company we have learned a few tips and tricks on how to cold call not only with success, but with confidence.
- Wear a headset. Wireless is best. Having your hands free to take notes, look up information on your computer or simply gesticulate can be incredibly helpful in allowing you to express yourself.
- Sit up straight – or better yet, stand. Is it a coincidence that our best inside sales reps are the ones standing up and sometimes, even walking around the office? Nope. Standing and movie will keep your energy up, keep you fresh and keep you going when the going gets tough!
- Don’t put the phone down between calls. Putting the phone down between calls can slow you down and impede your motivation. Keep the energy going by keeping the phone in your hand once you start your cold calling sessions.
- Slow down. One of the marked mistakes of a newbie is fast-talking. Trust us, after years of training outsourced sales representatives we have learned that nerves and lack of confidence tend to make a first time caller a motor mouth. It’s okay, just be cognizant of this and make a conscious effort to speak slowly and clearly.
- Learn from your mistakes. Even the most experienced cold callers have a bad call from time to time. Don’t sweat it! Here at Acquirent we record calls so our sales representatives can listen back on a bad call with their sales manager to learn where they went wrong and how to improve. Remember, there’s always another call – don’t laugh it off and move on.
- Be prepared! Whether it be a script, talking points or a flow-chart, make sure you know what you are going to say. In the sales outsourcing business we have learned that the more prepared our reps are, the better the call goes. This includes being prepared for potential objections and having your rebuttals locked and loaded.
- Stay positive. Smile and dial! You can hear a person smiling on the phone. If you sound positive and happy, your prospect will pick up on that. Furthermore, it is very important to keep a positive mental attitude when cold calling. It’s hard work, but remember- it’s a numbers game and you’ll lose more than you win! It’s all part of the game!
- Listen. As a professional outsourced sales company we have learned that more products are sold by our sales representatives actively listening than pitching. How will you know what you prospect wants if you don’t listen to them? Sure – you have to pitch your product or service, but don’t forget to let your client talk as well.
- Remember you can’t win them all. In the outsourced sales world we know all too well that sales is a numbers game. When you are cold calling, it is very important to stay mindful of this fact and not let yourself get discouraged after a bad streak. Every “no” gets you one step closer to that “yes” – and don’t forget it!
Cold calling is not easy, we’ll be the first to tell you that. Having run successful cold call campaigns for many of our outsourced sales clients, we know this. But if you follow these nine steps you can be sure you’ll be putting your best foot forward and getting the most out of your cold calls!
Happy selling!
