Think from the client’s perspective
Salespeople may have the wrong idea of the purpose of a cold call if they think a cold call is about trying to force their way into making a sale or trying to force their way into scheduling an appointment. It should be designed to start a conversation to gain awareness.
They key to having a productive conversation is to think more from the client’s perspective. A good strategy to help is to use the 3W’s:
- Who is calling me?
- Why are they calling me?
- What’s in it for me?
Who is calling me
- Who are you calling? Take a moment to find out the name of the company you’re calling, as well as what it does. If it’s not immediately clear from the company name, take a look at its website. Googling the company and its products will also help.
- What is this person’s role? Then, have a look at who you’re going to be speaking with—a receptionist, marketing manager, or CEO? Jot down their job title so that when you do get through, you won’t be caught awkwardly fumbling for something to call them by (or worse, mispronouncing their name). You’ll be able to reference your notes when making your opening comments:
- Why should they listen to me? What can your business offer theirs? Are they hiring someone like you? Do they need help with an upcoming project or event that you’re skilled in executing and coordinating? Imagine how useful you would be to this person in their office right now—how would your skillset come in handy for them personally and professionally? Be ready with one or two points about how working together could benefit both parties.
“Take a moment to find out the name of the company you’re calling, as well as what it does. If it’s not immediately clear from the company name, take a look at its website.”
Why are they calling me?
- Be sure to have a clear purpose for the call. No one likes being interrupted, so be aware of that before you dial. Ask yourself: Why are they calling me? What is the benefit to the customer or potential customer?
- Know what the customer wants, then you can sell them what they need. Before making your cold call, do your research. If you’re calling about selling a product and haven’t done your homework about the company’s needs, all you’ll end up with is an annoyed person on the other end of the line who will probably just hang up on you while muttering obscenities under their breath.
- Have a clear goal for the call, but be prepared to improvise when necessary. Going into a cold call with an outline of talking points and goals can help keep things professional and organized, but if something comes up in conversation that clearly has value for both parties (i.e., it’s mutually beneficial), don’t hesitate to delve deeper into that topic and make time later to get back on track with your initial plan.*
What’s in it for me?
When you’ve set the stage for your call and ended the introductory pleasantries, here’s a question that will make a big difference: “What can I do for you?” This is not about asking for directions or what time it is. It’s about discovering whether there is any value in continuing the conversation. The person on the other end of the line doesn’t have time to listen to you pitch him or her. Their day is too busy, and they are not interested in cold calls. In fact, they’re probably trained to hang up on people who try to sell them something over the phone. If your pitch isn’t relevant to this person, then it’s better not even to waste their time—or yours—on a long-winded pitch that has no chance of working. Once you know where they’re coming from, and what would be useful for them, then you can tailor your response accordingly: “I’d like to go through some ideas with you that could help with [X]. Is now a good time?” Cold calling can seem intimidating, but it’s a necessary part of business. Here are some tips for navigating the process:
- Do your research on the company and who you are calling. It’s important to know about them so you can understand what they do, who their target audience is, etc.
- Do your research on yourself and what you have to offer. You need to be clear about what your company does and how it could benefit the person you are calling. Make sure you have a clear call to action.
- Be concise when explaining why they should talk with you further or work with you in the future. You don’t want to rattle off too many features that don’t interest them because they will likely just move on or hang up before hearing anything of value.
Salespeople have the wrong idea of the purpose of a cold call they think a cold call is about trying to force your way into making a sale or trying to force your way into scheduling an appointment.
It should be designed to start a conversation to gain awareness and start a conversation.
A smart engagement platform, such as JeffreyAI, allows users to define carefully designed workflows to stay in touch at the right time. Using the smart engagements capability, your prospects and existing clients can automatically receive personalised messages, just as though you had crafted them yourself. Whilst the hints and tips mentioned above are no panacea, the importance of having the right sales software cannot be under-estimated. Software such as JeffreyAI delivers smarter sales engagements for recruitment agencies, that will help you differentiate your sales approach and give you lasting competitive advantage.
If you are interested in learning more about JeffreyAI or wish to speak to one of our growth consultants, please book a consultation with one of our specialists.