In a perfect world, potential customers would proactively come to your business asking you to sell them the best productions and solutions. Every sale you made would be 100% inbound.
However, this utopia doesn’t exist—at least not now. If you’re like the rest of the salesforce, you are probably using as many outbound cold calling strategies as you can. Get the most out of your sales strategy with concrete steps every business and salesperson can use to engage with customers—from the first point of contact and beyond.
Before you start dialing, take a moment to review these cold calling tips to better understand how you can introduce your product or service to potential customers.
1. Rethink your cold calling strategies
A cold call is not about making a sale during the first point of contact—your objective is to arrange the chance to make a sale. Cold calling rarely results in an immediate sale, so don’t bank on sealing the deal right away.
Use your first call to establish a relationship with your contact. Ask questions and take notes on their answers for your future interactions. Focus on introductions, gathering information, and agreeing on a next step—an office visit, online demonstration, additional phone calls, etc.
Your goal with your first point of contact in a cold call is to set an appointment. Maybe that’s with another phone call with an additional decision-maker or an in-office visit to demonstrate your technology.
You have to hook potential customers with why they need your product. What makes your business or service different from the dozens of other pitches they hear every week? As English teachers everywhere advise: “Show, don’t tell!" Repeat and confirm your intent at the end of the call (e.g. “I will send out the blog posts and videos I mentioned right after this. Thanks!”).
2. Lay out your thoughts
Take the time to type out your notes and talking points. The act of typing and organizing information will help you retain it better later. Write out a concise intro and include a greeting with the contact’s name if you have it. The greeting should include your name, the company you work for, and the reason for your call.
For example, “Hi, Charles. This is Stacey from Work, Co. and I want to make sure you’re aware of [BENEFIT] of our [PRODUCT]. Let me send you our free software demo to get started.”
What’s the benefit of this practice? Reading short, two- or three-sentence paragraphs is easier to manage than struggling through a cold call template that’s essentially just a page full of black ink. Don’t think of your cold calling template as a script, but more like a prompt or guideline to keep you on the right path.
3. Connect with decision-makers
Aligning with the correct contact is vital to cold calling success. Be upfront and ask to speak with the manager or director of marketing, technology, development, etc. If you’re unsure of whom to speak with, or if the person on the phone is stalling, try asking the following:
“Who in your office handles software purchases? Our [PRODUCT] has saved our customers a combined $1.2 million in operating costs in the past three years! I’d love to discuss how [PRODUCT] could fit into your business plan.”
If that doesn’t get you anywhere, ask to speak directly with the office or branch manager. Keep track of the contacts you make and get on the phone with the right person faster with a Lucidchart sales accountmap.
4. Time it right
Perhaps it’s the optimism at the start o a new day or the last jolt of adrenaline before heading home, but according to LinkedIn Influence Author Linda Coles, early morning (8-9 a.m.) and late afternoon (4 - 5 p.m.) are the golden hours for cold calling. If possible, plan your cold calling attempts during these times. Want even more insight? Conduct an A/B test with calling hours as your variable.
5. Practice your craft
Very few people in this world nail something perfectly on the first try. Cold calling strategies must be practiced. Stage some mock calls as a company or departmental activity so that everyone on your team can work together to overcome objectives and work through the particular challenges you have with your cold calls. Learning to overcome objectives and selling to skeptical leads is both an art and a science: You have to create multiple approaches and test which ones lead to success. Use a Lucidchart conversation tree template to organize your notes and responses to any and all potential customer objectives.
Following these cold calling tips will help you become more comfortable when talking about your product and reaching out to new prospects. Don’t forget to use alead processing template to qualify leads and save time by pitching to a more defined audience.
Got your newly-revised cold call template finished? You’re ready to make some sales calls! Check out our post on sales call planning for more tips on getting the most from your cold calls.
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FAQs
In cold calling, clarity, consistency, and conviction are known as "the 3 C's." The effectiveness of prospecting greatly hinges on these three principles. Mastering these 3 C's enhances the likelihood of success.
What are the 3 C's of cold calling? ›
In cold calling, clarity, consistency, and conviction are known as "the 3 C's." The effectiveness of prospecting greatly hinges on these three principles. Mastering these 3 C's enhances the likelihood of success.
How do you succeed in cold calling sales? ›
Once you're prepared, use these tips to make an effective cold call:
- Contact the right person. ...
- Call at the appropriate time. ...
- Keep them on the phone as long as possible. ...
- Keep the conversation personable. ...
- Talk about them. ...
- Focus on your goal. ...
- Use trigger events to elicit interest. ...
- Ask open-ended questions.
What do you do in the first 20 seconds of cold call? ›
When you cold-call, you have only roughly 20 seconds to gain their interest. At that point you need to give them an out or you risk making a bad impression; they may be about to run off to a meeting and keeping them on the phone would be a no-no. So if you haven't interested them enough by then, you're done.
What are the 5 components of an opening line for a cold call? ›
The following components are the building blocks of a powerful opener.
- Greet the prospect. Many B2B salespeople jump straight into business, forgetting to greet the person on the other end. ...
- Introduce yourself and the business. ...
- Be grateful for their time. ...
- Ask for permission. ...
- State your value proposition.
What is the hardest part of cold calling? ›
Cold calling has a big challenge: timing. When you call someone you don't know, they may not be able to answer the phone. This is bad for both; the caller and receiver feel like their time is being wasted. Many people cannot take calls due to meetings and things.
Do and don'ts of cold calling? ›
Nine cold calling tips for 2024
- #1 Carry out pre-call research.
- #2 Write a cold calling script.
- #3 Find a good time to call.
- #4 Learn how to deal with objections and rejections.
- #5 Don't start cold calls with a sales pitch.
- #6 Calls are a dialogue, not a monologue.
- #7 Leave a voicemail.
- #8 Don't give up… too fast.
How to cold call like a pro? ›
During the cold call
- Make a strong first impression when opening the cold call. ...
- Have a strong introduction. ...
- Lead the call. ...
- Showcase your company's credibility. ...
- Use the “Try me, don't have to buy me” approach. ...
- Ask your prospect the right open-ended questions. ...
- Learn how to handle common objections. ...
- Show empathy.
How to be more confident cold calling? ›
Smiling while speaking positively affects voice tone, making one sound more confident and approachable. Staying hydrated prevents dry mouth, a common physical symptom of nervousness, improving call comfort. Focusing on the value and purpose of the product or service being sold boosts confidence and authority.
What is the secret to cold calling? ›
Open with a tone of confidence.
Confidence is key for positive prospect engagement during cold calls. It's not about being overly energized or enthusiastic but instead conveying a natural confidence that reassures the prospect.
Being Too Professional in a Cold Call
Cold calling is all about building that rapport and making prospects trust you enough to book a meeting with you. And if you sound robotic or too professional during a cold call, you are stopping yourself from achieving this.
What shouldn't you say on a cold call? ›
When cold calling, avoid asking if the person has time to talk or if it's a bad time. Assume you caught them in the middle of something. Also, try not to talk too much about yourself or your company—after clearly stating who you are, focus on solving a clear pain point for the prospect.
How I perfected my cold calling? ›
These 17 call lines have been tried and tested with amazing results!
- Introduce yourself. ...
- Be upfront. ...
- Ask how they are. ...
- Give a reason for the call. ...
- Emphasise the importance of the call. ...
- Point out that you're happy they picked up. ...
- Ask for help. ...
- Thank them for their time.
How to grab attention in a cold call? ›
7 Tips for Cold Calling in 2021
- Don't be generic. Do enough research about the prospect before getting into the call. ...
- Ask don't interrogate. ...
- Build rapport to have a two sided conversation. ...
- Call at the right time. ...
- Learning continuously and have a feedback loop.
How do I make cold calling less boring? ›
15 Successful Cold Calling Tips and Tricks That Actually Work
- Know When to Cold Call. ...
- Do the Work Before the Cold Call. ...
- Learn the Right Tone. ...
- Make Small Talk, It's Okay. ...
- Use a Detailed Script. ...
- Talk About How You Can Help Them, Not the Features of Your Product. ...
- Don't Be Afraid to Leave a Voicemail. ...
- Get a Little Personal.
What is 3 C's concept? ›
It has been used as a strategic business model for many years and is often used in web marketing today. This method has you focusing your analysis on the 3C's or strategic triangle: the customers, the competitors and the corporation.
What are the 3 C's and what do they mean? ›
What do the three C's stand for in order? In credit the three C's stand for character, capacity and capital. Typically, these factors of credit are used to determine the creditworthiness of a business or an individual before giving them loan.
What are the three C's in call center? ›
I have a similar take on the customer service and customer service world. The three keys to customer experience success are consistency, consistency and consistency. Of course, there is much more to delivering an amazing […]
What are the 3 C's of content? ›
These are the three most important parts of content strategy. It's the trinity of modern marketing.