Sales Techniques For Cold Calling – 6 x For Max Results
In this article, you’ll learn our six proven and effective sales techniques for cold calling.
Cold calling can be an effective way to get in touch with your ideal clients, because it allows you to cut through all the noise and get in direct contact with the potential decision maker.
Cold calling does have a bit of a bad reputation; but this is because Sales Professionals don’t know how to use it effectively.
Read on to explore out sales techniques for cold calling, and how they can help you with your sales targets and goals.
Sales Techniques For Cold Calling – 6 x For Max Results
Sales Techniques For Cold Calling Tip# 1 – Build Familiarity Prior
The first on our list of sales techniques for cold calling, is that if you do in fact need to cold call; try to build some familiarity with your ideal client first, prior to making that call.
There are a number of ways you can do this; but we like to have you find them on LinkedIn first.
LinkedIn allows you to find people in your country, city, by company and job description; so it can be a very powerful tool in finding the right person to speak to.
If possible, start connecting with them there first, so they’re at least familiar with your profile; who you work for, and what you do.
Related article: Sales Targeting Strategy – Your Complete Guide
Sales Techniques For Cold Calling Tip #2 – Reach Out, But Don’t Pitch
The second on our list of sales techniques for cold calling, is that we teach our Students not to pitch up front.
The goal of becoming familiar with them on LinkedIn, liking a post or two, and then messaging them, is to try n find a time to contact them.
If you reach out and get no response – no problem at all.
You can either go into the next step (phone call) or use a scraping tool to get their email address.
Tools like Hunter or Skrapp makes it easy to find email addresses of your potential clients; and because you’ve not come up on their radar by connecting on LinkedIn; your email won’t come across as completely cold to them.
Tip #3 – The Call
Now it’s time for our sales technique for cold calling number three – which is making that actual call. You can now do this, because you’ve built some familiarity.
When you call, it’s important to let them know up front who you are.
The reason being, is once they start asking who you are and what you want, you’re already lost control of the call and it’ll only get worse and more awkward from there.
When calling, ask how they are and let them know that you won’t take too much of their time.
Sales Techniques For Cold Calling Tip #4 – Explain Your Reason
Our sales technique for cold calling for tip number four – is something different to a lot of the other information out there.
We don’t believe here that you should start selling your product or service – in fact, it’s still too soon.
The aim of the cold call isn’t to sell them on our product or service; this is where so many Sales Professionals make mistakes, and why they think cold calling doesn’t work.
Instead, let them know why you’re calling and try to sell the next step.
The next step may be:
- An in-person meeting
- A Skype call or some kind
- A meeting with decision makers
- Learning more information on how the decision makers are
It’s crucial to know at this stage that you have no right to sell them yet; if you start selling your product or service, you’ll be committing a cardinal sin we call Premature Presentation.
You can only start selling once you have followed the sales process, and both you and your prospect know that your product or service is a need.
It’s important to emphasise on the meaning of your call, and why you want to meet with them.
Sales Techniques For Cold Calling Tip #5 – Use The Word ‘Open’
I’m not a big script person, because we’re not actors living in a movie.
However, I do like using the word open when speaking with your potential clients, and I’ll show you why.
Instead of asking them to meet with you to discuss whatever it is you want to discuss, simply ask them if they’re open to meet with you on a date or time that works for them and you.
People are more accepting to be open to something new, rather than being given an ultimatum that makes them feel like they’re being pushed into something.
Related article: Why Most Sales Scripts Suck (And What You Should Do Instead)
Tip #6 – Let Them Know You Just Want To Discuss It
Our final sales technique for cold calling, is that you should let them know you’re not going to go in for the hard sell.
Simply explain that you just want to discuss whether or not you can in fact serve their needs.
This can be a useful tool in breaking down some of the initial friction from your cold call.
Your potential client would be used to getting called day in and day out, so hearing that you just want to meet and discuss how you can help them can be refreshing to hear.
Let them know you’re not going to try and sell them anything as you don’t know if you can in fact help them yet, and that you instead just want to learn about their situation, and in fact help them get to where they want to be.
Final Thoughts
These sales techniques for cold calling will massively help you get more in person, or virtual meetings with your potential clients.
Cold calling is a great way to get in touch with your ideal prospects but they work more effectively when you do it correctly using a process.
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