\n
\nAvoid gimmicky, old fashioned questions like:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- \u201cHow are you?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cAre you the final Decision Maker?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cWhat are your priority needs?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Instead build on what \u2018hooks\u2019 your research has given you:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- \u201cI noticed on your website you are developing a new market \u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/li>\n
- \u201cAnd the reason why I am calling is we have assisted clients in similar endeavours \u2026\u2026.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cWe have clients who experienced these issues \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026. What are your challenges\/issues\/problems?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Use the right bait<\/h2>\n
Another tactic to catch your big fish may be to focus on a key differentiator later on in the conversation. This is the prospect\u2019s perception of what makes you better than your competition. Here you would talk about the benefits you offer, such as superior service, improved quality, speedy delivery times and any other attributes which make your company different or better than your competitors. Remember, the \u201cdifferentiator\u201d is what your customers and prospects find valuable, not what you believe to be valuable.<\/p>\n
Have you spent time identifying why your offering is better than the alternatives on offer? Why would your customers want and need what you offer rather than your competitor\u2019s product or service? Can you back up your claims with case studies, testimonials, facts and figures? Be as clear as possible about what sets you apart from your competition and keep your answer short and simple.<\/p>\n
6 Steps to getting that first appointment<\/h2>\n
Write your differentiators down and keep them close to hand. If your aim is to get an appointment with the right person, the person who, after thorough research, proves to be the one who is qualified to make a decision, here\u2019s a script to follow:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Introduce yourself and your company<\/strong>, and launch into the reason for your call. Example: \u201c\u2026and the reason why I\u2019m phoning is that I see you are opening a branch in Timbuktu and I’m wondering what liability insurance you have in place for the personal safety of your new staff\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n
- Pause and invite them to comment.<\/strong> Show a sincere interest in what their company is doing. Business partnering is all about putting their company first, not yours.<\/li>\n
- Put forward a reason to meet:<\/strong> \u201cWe specialise in X insurance designed specifically for expatriate staff in that new region…\u201d<\/li>\n
- Now use third-party proof (name dropping):<\/strong> \u201cCompanies like X and Y have used us extensively in this regard.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Close on an appointment time:<\/strong> \u201cSo when would suit you, early next Tuesday or later in the week, perhaps Friday morning?\u201d<\/li>\n
- Remember to restate the reason for your meeting:<\/strong> \u201cGreat, I look forward to learning more about your expansion plans (be specific), and discussing how we can ensure the safety of your team while they are away from home.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
You now have your own unique aim \u2013 are you ready to cast your line in the water?<\/p>\n
Reeling them in<\/h2>\n
As you methodically sift through your list or database of prospects, finding a responsive recipient is like finding a gold nugget. Most suspects will automatically say \u201cno thank you,\u201d when they realise you are trying to sell them something. Breaking through this defence mechanism is the challenge and is done by first arousing the prospect\u2019s curiosity and then following up with an open question.<\/p>\n
You are likely to only get one chance at this, so you need to be well prepared. Before you pick up that phone, you know that the terrain will be tough but you have the map, tools and determination to do this.<\/p>\n
The three things that your prospect wants to hear in the first 20 seconds are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Who are you?<\/li>\n
- Why are you calling?<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s in it for me?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The two types of openings<\/h2>\n
1. Product-based opening<\/strong>
\n\u201cHello, John? This is \u2018My Name\u2019 from \u2018My Company\u2019. John, \u2018My Company\u2019, which leads the field in (name your product\/service) and (state your specific benefit), e.g. reduces your cost of sales by a minimum of 20%. I see that you are not currently using our \u2018Our Product\u2019. [PAUSE] The reason I wanted to speak to you personally is to explain how this works and to give you an idea of how other people in your industry are using it.\u201d<\/p>\nAs you can see, this is a straight product call. With this type of opening, you are looking for people who are in the market for a particular product or who are in obvious need of it (though they may not know it).<\/p>\n
2. Benefit-based opening<\/strong>
\nThe second type of opening statement offers a benefit. It doesn\u2019t mention the product or service, just the benefits. Here\u2019s an example: \u201cHello, John? This is \u2018My Name\u2019 from \u2018My Company\u2019. The reason I wanted to speak to you personally is I have noticed that [insert what you\u2019ve found out about their company]. I want to discuss how \u2018My Company\u2019 can save you Rx every month in service fees by [state benefit]. How does that sound?\u201d<\/p>\nAs you can see, this is giving people a different perspective of your product or service. Both types of statements have their merits.<\/p>\n
It may take you a while to come up with the right opening. It starts with knowing the aim of the call. Can you explain your call objective in one sentence? Are you trying to close the sale in one call? Do you want permission to send info? Do you want to set up an appointment? Once you know exactly why you\u2019re calling, you can mentally prepare your telescript. Remember, not every person you talk to will want to speak to you, no matter how fantastic your opening is. Just move on, they\u2019re obviously not suitable prospects.<\/p>\n
\nTOP TAKEOUT<\/strong>
\nSuccessful sales professionals take time out to conduct all the research required to find first class prospects and then prepare a custom-designed opener. They have the discipline to make this a habit as the pay-offs are huge.<\/div><\/div>\n![\"turning-cold-calls-into-gold-calls-book\"](\"https:\/\/mypeergroup.com\/mypeergroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/turning-cold-calls-into-gold-calls-book.jpg\")
<\/a>Turn Cold Calling into Gold Calling<\/strong>
\nAsk the average salesperson what sales technique they fear the most, and the answer is usually cold calling and the fear of rejection. So why are salespeople scared to use this technique? The simple answer is that cold calling is difficult. So the easiest way to deal with it is to avoid it. In his book Turn Cold Calling into Gold Calling, Clive Price, MD of the Peer Group, outlines his tried-and-tested methods to overcome this fear and make successful cold calls. Clive has helped thousands of salespeople end their fear of cold calling by eliminating the psychological barriers and busting the myths that underpin their fears. Turn Cold Calling into Gold Calling is available as an e-book via Amazon <\/a>(www.amazon.com). Your Business Magazine will be publishing four extracts from the book in our upcoming issues.<\/em><\/div>\n
- Pause and invite them to comment.<\/strong> Show a sincere interest in what their company is doing. Business partnering is all about putting their company first, not yours.<\/li>\n
- Introduce yourself and your company<\/strong>, and launch into the reason for your call. Example: \u201c\u2026and the reason why I\u2019m phoning is that I see you are opening a branch in Timbuktu and I’m wondering what liability insurance you have in place for the personal safety of your new staff\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n