Phone sales are alive and well, especially with so many people living a work-from-home life these days. Beat the competition with these cold calling secrets designed for success.
Phone sales remain a crucial component to most sales jobs, especially since so many people are working from home now. And though you might not think cold calling would work, recent research found that 69% of buyers accepted cold calls in 2019, and 82% of buyers have accepted meetings that often originated with a cold call. If those stats don’t line up with your experience, we’ve got some cold calling secrets to share that can help get you there.
The best part is that these secrets aren’t complicated. In fact, their simplicity is what makes them work so well. That makes it easy to share these with your team and give them what they need to succeed.
Make more calls in less time and keep client profiles updated with Call Logic. Contact us for a free demo to learn all the other ways we can help you increase your cold calling success!
Shhh… These are the cold calling secrets your competition doesn’t want you to know
1. Go in with a plan
Before you pick up the phone, make sure you have a strategy and a goal for each call. Each customer is different, so you’ll need to adjust your approach for each one to give yourself the best chance of making a connection.
2. Know your audience
Few cold calling secrets will do you much good if you haven’t done your homework. Sure, you’ve never spoken to the prospect before, but there’s a wealth you can learn about them from the internet and other sources. Find out all you can so you can quickly forge a relationship, which you can then build upon.
3. Stick to the script
Working remotely can feel even more monotonous than working in the office, and that can make you lose focus. Using call scripts can be one of the most helpful cold calling secrets you can follow. You’ll be less likely to leave out important information, divert the conversation, or otherwise negatively impact the task at hand. Just remember to adjust scripts for different customer needs.
4. Timing is everything
Few prospects are going to take your call if it’s a bad time for them. While no specific time is a guarantee, Wednesday between 10 AM and 11 AM local time tends to be more successful than most other times. Earlier than that, during lunchtime, or later than 5 PM local time, and you’re probably flying against the wind.
5. Focus on getting the meeting
Most cold calls don’t result in a sale, so don’t make the sale your primary objective. Instead, consider your call successful if you get the prospect to agree to a longer meeting so you can dig into your offering. This also gives you a chance to refine your pitch now that you know a little more about the prospect.
6. Use auto-dialing software
Call management software ranks on the list of cold calling secrets for a few reasons. You can make more calls, which increases the likelihood of connecting with someone. With a system like Call Logic, you’ll have information about a prospect right on the screen in front of you, and you can easily add information as you get to know them better. You can even record your calls to learn from your own wins and short-falls. Staying organized and on task can do wonders for finding success.
7. Use the prospect’s name
Addressing someone by name makes them feel recognized and valued. It’s one of the most straightforward cold calling secrets, but it can make a huge difference. (Just make sure you know how to pronounce their name!)
8. State your own name
Open your call by stating your name, company, and purpose. Prospects will appreciate the directness, and anyway, it’s required by the TCPA, so a best practice regardless.
9. Be a product expert
Know your offering inside and out, so when a client states a need or makes an objection, you’re ready to respond with solutions!
10. Anticipate objections
Most prospects will push back at least a little bit on your pitch. Anticipate as many as you can and have responses at the ready to keep the conversation going.
11. Ask questions; listen
Another of the most helpful cold calling secrets is remembering to ask and listen. Yes, you have your pitch, but give yourself permission to deviate based on what a prospect tells you rather than pushing cookie-cutter information on them.
12. Mind your tone, match theirs
A drab and boring salesperson probably won’t have much success, but neither will one who is too chipper for their audience. Pay attention to your tone and theirs, and adjust accordingly during the call.
13. Show your passion
If you’re excited about your offering, someone else is more likely to be as well. Take care not to overdo it, but show prospects that you believe in what you’re selling so they can get excited, too.
14. Confidence is key
Like passion, confidence is infectious. People with fewer skills and less knowledge have been more successful than some who go strictly by the book simply because they went into their calls with the mindset that each one would be a win. Not feeling confident? Fake it ‘til you make it!
15. No easy outs
Another of our cold calling secrets is to avoid leaving prospects an easy out. Don’t ask questions like, “Is now a good time?” No, it’s probably not (even if it is). Give yourself a chance to win by taking away their opportunities to hang up.
16. Find common ground
If you and a prospect share an interest or experience, talk to them about it. You’ll feel more relatable, and therefore more trustworthy.
17. Rehearse
Cold calling is a performance. Don’t go in blind! Spend some time rehearsing your pitch, so it doesn’t sound, well, so much like a pitch.
18. Body language still matters
One of the best kept cold calling secrets is that body language affects your tone, even when you’re remote. Stand or sit up straight. Relax. Smile!
19. End with a call to action
Finally, be sure to end the conversation with a call to action. “How about I set up another call so we can go into more detail?” “I’ll send some more information as soon as we hang up.” “If I don’t hear from you by Thursday, I’ll give you a call to check in. Sound good?” You may occasionally have to think on the spot for this, but with all these other cold calling secrets up your sleeve, hopefully, that’s not too much of a problem!
Put these cold calling secrets into action and you and your team will be bringing in new customers faster than you can say, “whisper.”
Call Logic’s call management system is an absolute game-changer for any call center business. Sign up for a free demo, and we’ll tell you about all the fantastic ways we can help simplify your work and increase your revenue at the same time!