OPPORTUNITY CALLING METHODHow to Achieve a Win on Every Dial

Keynote Speaker and Published Author, "If You Can't Act, You Can't Sell”

Successful cold calling is as simple as “A, B, C”

AttitudeKeep your attitude positive

BehaviorsDo the behaviors

BeliefsModify your core beliefs

CommitmentCommit to take risksCommit to practice

Comfort ZoneStep outside your comfort zone

ChangeThe purpose of the call…. A.I.M.

Approach Cold Calling With a Winning Mindset

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Change the Association of Cold Calling 

I’m making calls to help my prospects

The person I’m calling is no better than I am

I can’t fail when I make telephone prospecting calls

I believe that I have something that can help my prospects

I’m calling my best friend

Telephone prospecting really is fun

I’m making the call to disqualify the prospect

MANTRA: “I’m calling to speak with those people who want to speak with me.”

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RULE:You cannot fail at telephone prospecting; you can only fail to prospect.

Having a winning mindset is the most overlooked aspect of a salesperson’s cold calling and appointment-setting success, yet it is by far the most important.

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Prepare to Win FOLLOW A DAILY PLAN. Write down daily prospecting goals. For example, the number of new dials you’ll make, the number of new conversations with decision makers or the number of follow-up calls or referral calls you’ll commit to make.

PREPARE YOUR CALL LIST IN ADVANCE. In other words, prepare the night before for the prospects you plan on calling the following day.

MAKE THE DIALS. During call time, make the calls. If your call list is “ready-to-go,” you should be able to make between 10 and 12 dials per hour.

BLOCK TIME. This is a very powerful strategy for reclaiming your time. Block time to make cold calls in your digital planners, Smartphone's, and Outlook Calendars.

HAVE A TELEPHONE SCRIPT PREPARED. Create an outline or a template of what you want to say and what questions you’ll ask. Use a script to guide your words and your delivery, but NEVER read any script word for word.

SALES RESEARCH. Sales research is typically an overview of a particular prospect industry, market, and its players.

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LINKEDIN

There is no doubt that LinkedIn is the undisputed champion in the prospect research arena. With the most up-to-date employment information on an ever-expanding network of professionals, LinkedIn is a treasure trove of potential customers.

This professional networking giant has a lot of the information a Cold Caller could want or need.

By checking your connections in common, you can quickly find the most effective path forward with a prospective client.

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Target Ideal Clients

One of the cornerstones of top performing sales professionals is that they know the profile of their ideal client—the kinds of companies they seek to engage with.

Generally, ideal clients have the following characteristics and attributes. They:

Appreciate and value what you have to offer

Pay what you ask without haggling or negotiating

Entrust you to handle most, if not all, of their business

Become your biggest advocates and refer others exactly like them

Ask for your recommendations in other areas of their lives

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Connect With Screeners and Gatekeepers

Five Ways to Connect With Screeners and Gatekeepers:

1. DON’T VOLUNTEER TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Give information sparingly. The gatekeeper’s job is to screen the calls of time-wasting salespeople. Don’t make their jobs more difficult by over-loading them with too much information and wasting their time.

2. BE A LITTLE “NOT OK” ON PURPOSE. Use phrases like: “I’m a little confused,” “I’m not sure I have this right,” or “Is this something you can help me with?” People love to help people who ask for assistance.

3. USE FIRST NAMES. “May I speak with Charlie?” or “Please connect me to Bob.” If you use a convincing tone of voice, gatekeepers will think Charlie and Bob are your best friends and often will connect you with decision makers without asking lots of screening questions.

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Connect With Screeners and Gatekeepers

4. USE INTERNAL REFERRALS: For example, “I just got off the phone with Kathy in purchasing. She suggested I speak with Bill in the president’s office. Please put me through to him. Thank you.”

5. USE PATTERN INTERRUPTION: What is pattern interruption? It’s a technique that people use every day to disrupt existing thinking patterns. “Phil for John. Is he in?”

Capture the Decision Maker’s Attention

A TELEPHONE PLAYBOOK provides a PATH TO FOLLOW, from the first “hello”, through the entire phone conversation.

Introduction

Connection Step

Transition Question

Mini Interview

AppointmentClose

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Capture the Decision Maker’s Attention

Get the Prospect’s Attention The first challenge you face after getting prospects on the telephone is to secure his or her attention for the duration of your call.

1. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Introduce yourself and the company you’re calling from. Confirm that you are speaking with the decision maker and ask the prospect if you have caught him or her at a good or a “bad” time (“bad” time is a pattern interruption).

2. CONNECTION STATEMENT OR QUESTION This is your opportunity to deliver a connection statement or question and provide the prospect with a point of reference about what they stand to gain from the conversation. Example“Bob, we’ve developed a sales model that’s helping sales teams double their number of qualified appointments, improve their close ratio by up to 25 percent, and bust through sales goals.” I pause and then proceed to invite the prospective client to participate in the conversation by asking a transition question.

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3. TRANSITION QUESTION The transition question shifts the focus from you and your company to the prospect and their company. The transition question is designed to get the prospect thinking about whether or not he or she needs or wants what you are offering. The transition question provides the prospect with the first opportunity to get involved in the conversation.

4. MINI-INTERVIEW During the mini-interview step, your goal is to keep potential clients talking and to gather additional information. Ask open-ended questions to identify, explore, and develop areas of potential problems, difficulties, aims, challenges, and unresolved issues within the prospect’s organization.

Ask qualifying questions. Before investing time, money, and energy in agreeing to meet with a prospective client, determine whether the prospect is a good match for you and your company.

Capture the Decision Maker’s Attention

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5. APPOINTMENT CLOSE If the prospect meets your qualifying criteria, ask for the appointment. If you don’t ask for the appointment, I can assure you that you won’t get the appointment!

Example: “Bob, based on our conversation and the apparent fit between what you’re looking for and our solutions, it sounds like it makes sense for us to meet. I’m available to meet on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. and Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Which day and time works best for you?”

Capture the Decision Maker’s Attention

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RuleIt’s just as important to disqualify opportunities that you feel aren’t a good match as it is to qualify opportunities. I call this “going for the no.”

GET A COMMITMENT FOR THE NEXT STEP Perhaps the single biggest mistake a salesperson can make is not establishing a specific date and time for the follow-up step at the end of their initial phone call or meeting. Vague commitments from the prospective client (such as “Call me next week”) or the salesperson says, (“I’ll send you the information you requested and follow up in a couple of days”) result in missed calls, unanswered voice messages, and ultimately a longer sales cycle.

AGREE ON A NEXT STEP

Ask for a specific date for your follow-up call, and Ask for a specific time

Next Step

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Use Voice Messages To Connect With Decision Makers Some salespeople won’t leave voice messages under the false assumption that they won’t gain anything from it. The logic of this is supremely faulty simply because your prospect will never know that you called unless you leave a voice message saying so.

VOICEMAIL STRATEGIES Voice messages are an excellent way to introduce you and your company to a

prospective client. It’s your chance to leave a FREE, uninterrupted commercial

The length of a voice message should be approximately 20-25 seconds. If it’s too long, you'll lose their attention

Speak with enthusiasm. If you're not excited about what you have to offer, then how can you expect a prospect to be?

Don't give away the farm. If you tell the prospect in the voice message everything you'd want to tell them … what’s their incentive to call you back?

SLOWLY say your phone number or extension TWICE, once at the beginning of the call and once at the end

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Bernie Cronin, CMS, is a dynamic speaker and consultant with decades of sales and sales management experience to empower Top Executives to become “Top Performers.” Bernie has studied with prominent acting Coach Eric Morris and has participated in the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theater’s Emerging Playwrights group. He has also collaborated with original Blue Man Group member, Frank Licari.

Life is a theatre and whether you realize it or not, you are always performing.

Prepare and plan for every interaction Read and understand your audience Help your audience discover and believe in your

message Develop meaningful communication that resonates Follow a system to support your role

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