Cold Calling Ideas That Actually Work
Practically everyone hates businesses cold calling them out of the blue. It’s intrusive, annoying and awkward. Many people simply put the phone down.
But cold calling isn’t dead. While there are many ways to sell to people, talking to them over the phone directly has some distinct advantages.
In this post, we take a look at some cold calling ideas that actually work. Check them out below.
Leave Voicemails That Work
The first stage is for business owners to learn how to leave voicemails that work. If prospects don’t recognize your number, they will often leave it to ring until the phone forwards you to their answering service.
Far from being a disappointment, this is actually an opportunity. It’s a chance for you to record a personalized message to a prospect that they will almost certainly check later.
It’s a good idea to script your voicemails to maximize the chance of a sale. Keep it upbeat, short (under 20 seconds) and include a sense of urgency in the calls. For instance, they may only be able to use your services for a limited time only.
Contact The Right People
You’ll also want to make sure that you’re actually contacting the right people – not their neighbors or somebody else. Unfortunately, company databases can sometimes get a little confused, attaching the wrong contact information to client entries.
Here is where batch append can help. The idea here is to correctly match up customers so that you always wind up calling the right person whenever you ring. This way, you avoid awkward conversations where you accidentally address the wrong person.
Set Out Your Conversion Funnel
Cold calls also require a well-specified conversion funnel. This process is where you outline your next steps during the call, instead of just leaving it without a sale. The best approaches seek to guide customers through the buying process, showing them what they need to do next to benefit from your products and services.
Use Call Scheduling
When you call is also important. If you’re calling prime working-age customers, then phoning them during regular daytime hours doesn’t make a lot of sense. Instead, you need to contact them when they are most likely to be available, either on their lunch breaks or after they get home from the office.
Don’t Sound Like A Robot
Even if you read from a script, don’t make it sound that way. Talking like a robot going through the motions is a major turnoff for customers and doesn’t help you make a sale. It comes across as inauthentic – not what you want.
Instead, focus more on being an actor. Treat every call as a fresh opportunity – not just another contact to strike off the list.
Don’t Waste Your Time
Lastly, when cold calling, be mindful of your time. If you’re on the phone to a customer for a while who doesn’t intend to buy, then politely end the call. The longer you spend chasing after disinterested prospects, the less time you’ll have for leads who really want to buy.