Generating Leads Through Cold Calling

Generating leads through cold calling is a tried and true method of netting closes. Instead of utilizing impersonal prospecting methods like email campaigns or social media initiatives, cold calling gives reps the opportunity to speak directly with prospects.

Establishing a personal connection with prospective clients offers reps a chance to answer questions and provide real-time solutions to customers’ specific needs. With the aid of simple cold calling strategies and research, you can turn cold calling into your most successful lead generation strategy.

How to Turn Cold Calls into Qualified Leads

Generating leads by implementing an effective cold calling strategy takes time and dedication. For many reps, the words “cold calling” are enough to send a shiver down their spine. But like any skill, the key to cold calling is practice.

Here are a few strategies to help your cold calls generate more qualified leads:

Use a Script – When we say “use a script” we don’t mean you should read a dialogue to clients word-for-word. In fact, repeating every word of a call script is usually unsuccessful, since reps often come across as robotic, stilted, or generic.

However, we do recommend following a rough outline of key talking points when making a call. Jotting down important product details, essential selling points, and helpful statistics will help keep the conversation on track. Your goal is to keep things short and sweet. By following a call outline you ensure that you cover all the necessary information without over-explaining or getting sidetracked.

Sustain Cold Calling – Cold calling is a marathon not a sprint. Most businesses only see results when they dedicate time and energy to maintaining a consistent call volume over a long period of time. This is because it’s normal for a high percentage of cold calls to be unsuccessful. The key is to keep your eye on long-term numbers, and to consistently maintain a large pool of prospects.

Be Respectful to Gatekeepers – Gatekeepers are your first point of contact when making an unsolicited call. They are often executive assistants, secretaries, or office managers in charge of fielding phone calls before they reach a decision maker’s ears. Although gatekeepers may not have the authority to make a decision about engaging with your product or service, they are still vital allies when it comes to reaching your target audience.

Maintaining a collaborative relationship with gatekeepers ensures that you have access to decision makers. Remember, the way you interact with gatekeepers will inevitably reach decision makers, so it’s essential to treat them with respect and professionalism. Having a gatekeeper in your corner is the best way to gain access to decision makers and convert cold calls into sales down the line.

Research Before You Call – Before you pick up the phone, you need to brush up on product knowledge and customer research. First things first, it’s essential to understand all the ins and outs of the product or service you’re trying to sell. This means staying up-to-date on information regarding product upgrades, new offers, and special deals. Ensure you have answers to common questions at the ready so prospects feel like you are knowledgeable and credible. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s better to admit that you need to double check the answer rather than providing a prospect with a vague or unsatisfactory reply.

Customer research entails understanding the unique needs, values, and problems of each prospective client. While it’s unreasonable to have an extensive knowledge of each company you contact, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with a few key points. This way, it’s easier to offer solutions and demonstrate how your product addresses their specific pain points.

Don’t Forget to Follow Up – As we previously mentioned, cold calling is all about consistency. This goes for your follow up strategies as well as the initial call. Remember to maintain contact with customers by scheduling subsequent phone calls, sending follow-up emails, or reaching out over social media.

Although it’s tempting to bombard a prospect with further communication efforts, remember to respect their boundaries and wishes. If they indicate they don’t want to receive phone calls and would prefer to communicate via email, then you need to adapt your communication methods to meet their needs.

Generating Leads Through Cold Calling at Acquirent

Outsourcing lead generation is a fantastic way to gain the benefits of cold calling without devoting the resources to sustaining a full-throttle cold calling campaign. Outsourced sales development services like Acquirent partner with your company to provide qualified leads that fit your unique customer profile.

Acquirent’s team of sales development representatives is dedicated to finding unique solutions for every client. By using the latest sales enablement technology, Acquirent remains a leading force in outsourced sales development, recruiting, and marketing. With the help of Acquirent, your company will be set up for a successful future.