Cold Calling for Fun and Profit

You’re probably saying, “Has she lost her mind?” What fun is cold calling? Well, if it brings business, it’s fun! If it’s not done well, it can be a pain in the old, well, you know what.

I think of cold calling as fact-finding missions. My mission for each call is to find out if the prospect has a need that I can fill. Simple isn’t it? Yes, it’s a sales call. I’m not trying to be too cute about this. But really, the main mission is to see if they have a need that I can fill. If I can’t, do I know anyone who can? (Being a resource is a great way to introduce yourself.)

I think of cold calling as an art form. Many are great at it, many are poor. If you are seeking to grow your business, you had better ramp up your skills. The best way to improve cold calling is by practicing! Dedicating certain blocks of time during your day is my suggestion.

Following are skills you will need to develop in order to master cold calling. Note: any skills you are able to improve on the phone will help you in face-to-face encounters as well!

1. You have to have (what I call) a positioning statement. It is, in a nutshell, the concept and outcome of working with you. The prospect needs to understand what you can, and cannot do for him/her. This needs to be stated in a clear and concise way. Developing a positioning statement also makes you “get to the point”. Prospects want to know that you value their time.

2. Try to warm up the call the best you can. Can you say interject something personal into the call? Yes, this is chitchat, but it works. Where are they? What’s the weather? Do they sound like they have a cold, are tired, are upbeat. Acknowledge it. It helps build rapport.

3. Get to the decision maker. The decision maker is the person who can make the economic decision to use your product or service. How to best do this? ASK! For example, “Are you the person who makes decisions regarding ____ for your company? Make sure you go in to a company at a high level. I’d rather you be sent down the chain of command that work up. Ask for a VP, or product manager, someone like that.

4. Confirm that you are in the right place. Literally say, “Great! I’m glad that you make buying decisions for the widgets that your company uses. Now qualify even more. I call it the MOM theory. Do they have motive, opportunity and money? These should be self-explanatory. These are the things you need to know in order to ascertain interest.

5. Ask great questions! You need to know what their challenges are and how your product or service can help them. This is done with a terrific questioning technique. You need to make up a list of qualifying questions that will bring out the needs your prospect has. You need to have the answers to those needs in order to do business.

6. Persistence wins! You need to develop your ability to be persistent. In sales, the ones with the most persistence win. Be persuasive! Be persistent! Be interesting! Be a resource! Your initial call should generate interest enough to have a second call. Perhaps you can send that free report or white paper that will illustrate what you know.

7. Don’t worry about rejection. I think that rejection can teach us important lessons in sales. Namely, what we do well, and what we don’t do well! Are you making your case in compelling way? Perhaps you need more practice, or, more ammunition! In rejection, we are finding out what we need to do in order to get to that yes!

8. Practice, practice, practice. I tell my clients to practice their opening positioning statement by leaving themselves voice mail messages. Do it until it sounds compelling and energetic! Exude confidence. People like to work with confident people.

Getting your foot in the door with a prospect is how you turn them into a client. Getting clients is how you turn your business into a profit making institution!

Happy cold calling!

©Lois Creamer, Book More Business, 2009. Lois works with organizations that want to fast forward their selling skills. She can be reached at 314-professional speakers who want to book more business and make more money. She can be reached at 314-822-8225 or www.BookMoreBusiness.com.