[wecando.biz]

Still a great way to build a good sales pipeline is cold calling. However, done badly it can be hideous exercise for all involved. So how can you make sure that you see success by engaging the people you will, rather than chessing them off?

With 20+ years experience in sales, try my Top 5 tips for cold calling success:

1.Undertake a focused campaign
To get many meetings you will need to make many, many calls. Make the task easier by targeting your campaign at people with similar roles in a single specific market sector. This makes it easier to deliver your message confidently, as you will be repeating a consistent pitch broadly relevant to everybody. Also, the more conversations you have with individuals in that sector, the more knowledge you take into the next call.

2.Consider your target audiences needs
No one drives into work wishing they will get to spend their day hearing from cold-callers! As compelling as you find your products or services, the people you are calling have jobs to do and are unlikely to share your enthusiasm. Make them want to speak to you by thinking carefully about the challenges your target audience faces and what it is they would be doing if they weren’t on the phone to you. If you can position what you do as relevant to the important tasks they need to be dealing with that day, they are more likely to give you time to deliver your pitch. Remember, most people won’t want to speak with you unless you give them a good reason why they feel they have to.

3.Use relevant and accurate data
Once you have found the right person at a target company, you will probably need a number of calls to secure a meeting. Therefore, you really want to avoid wasted calls in advance of that trying to find the right name. Using data with the relevant contacts already listed saves a lot of time. It also avoids raising suspicion with switchboards or PAs that you may be cold calling if you ask directly for the person you need when you first call – gatekeepers are there to block cold callers; give the game away and you will struggle to get past them to the person you need to speak to. Take a look at Corpdata and Rhetorik for your data.

4.Define multiple desired outcomes from the call
There are many ways to initiate a sales cycle with a prospect, not just through a face to face meeting (although this may be the most desirable). Have a number of desired outcomes defined before you start your calls to cover the risk that a target prospect may be interested but is unprepared to meet at that point – if your desired close is too intrusive, offer them a seminar invitation or a further detailed telephone call to achieve at least some of the objectives of a face to face meeting. Don’t hold out for a meeting that may take ages to happen – get them engaged in the sales cycle some other way!

5.Make the desired outcomes sticky
Once you have an agreement for a meeting or further call, make sure it happens: confirm the conversation and their agreement in an e-mail, detailing the objective of the meeting/call and confirming the date. If you can, send an Outlook invitation and watch for their acceptance – you know for sure it is in their diary then. If they don’t accept or respond to your mails to confirm, chase them by phone for confirmation. Finally, a few days before the appointment, call to confirm details (parking/train station, best number to call on) as a reminder.

If you can't pluck up the courage - or find the time! - to do it yourself, there are some great lead generation companies listed on WeCanDo.BIZ - just type "sales promoting" into the search at http://www.wecando.biz or use the new Biz Needs feature (launching Wednesday) to broadcast your need.

IH

[CPLTD]

Superb post Ian,

I'm sure members will gain from your valuable experience in sales,

[Daniel]

Thank you, really interesting.