No one on either end of the phone line enjoys a cold call.
It doesn’t have to feel cold, and there are steps you can take to use the phone more successfully.
Put yourself in the prospect’s shoes. Under what circumstances would you want to listen and engage with someone about a product or a service?
Let’s dig into these seven tips that won’t leave you out in the cold.
1. Know who your ideal customer is.
Certainly, if all you’re doing is calling people from the phone book, well, guess what? That’s going to be a cold call. That’s why it’s so important to know: Who is your ideal customer? And that is the sweet spot that you stay focused on.
Why? Because you have the ability to understand them, and know their needs better. Ultimately you can better service them. Suddenly, that changes it from a cold call to an informed, warm call.
2. Focus on targeted prospecting.
What is a targeted prospect? Simply put, you don’t make one call and then never talk to that person again–or just send one email. Targeted prospecting means you have a plan. Each message you send is bringing a new value, something novel to engage your prospect.
You can argue that it’s cold, but I don’t think so, because if I have a problem and I know you can help me fix it, I want you to get in touch with me.
Targeted prospecting is when we’re zeroed in on people we know because they’ve been to our website, or they’ve engaged with us in some other manner. Maybe they participated in a webinar.
The tighter your target around your ideal customer profile, the more successful you’re going to be.
Read more about phone prospecting.
3. Use multiple communication methods.
People have different preferences for communication methods, so you need a diverse approach.
Social media is great in some circumstances, but please don’t click and pitch. It is about developing a relationship, and that’s why it’s called social media.
You use multiple communication methods, but it doesn’t mean you use the same strategy and the same process across each one.
Using multiple communication methods also allows people to get to know you before they decide to engage with you. This opens up a tremendous amount of doors, because again, it changes the cold to warm.
4. Have clear expectations.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, everything is cold. You might as well go stand outside and freeze in the winter, because that’s what you’re doing.
Clear expectations means you understand how you can help people, the message you’re going to bring, and to whom. All that’s left to do is execute a plan.
I’d like to help you answer these questions in my upcoming Masterclass, going live July 10th!
5. Have a clear entry point.
Having a clear entry point does not mean, “Hi, I’d like to sell you.”
It’s developing the relationship. It’s knowing how you might be able to service them because of the questions that you ask. Then, use their answers to engage the customer!
If all you’re doing is calling up people and saying, “Buy from me, buy from me,” that’s not a clear entry point. That’s a cold call, and people are going to reject you pretty quickly.
6. Leverage relationships.
We all have far more relationships than we ever realize, and I’m going to encourage you to leverage them.
They may be people who know people; that’s a typical referral. But if you’ve done a lot of business already in this industry, or with this type of household, or this area, this community, you may have a lot more leverage than you realize.
Leverage those relationships to create more relationships, because sales really is nothing more than relationships.
7. Stay people-focused.
It’s not about being focused on what you’re selling, it’s being focused on the people you’re going to help. You see, sales is about helping others see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible.
I’m sharing some content and strategies that come from our online sales training program (ranked top 10!) because my primary goal is to help you see prospecting as something that is viable and good. You don’t have to make it cold.
I walk you through the entire process because I say, “Prospect with integrity, and you will get customers who have integrity.”
Check out what The Sales Hunter University has to offer! I’ve created three levels of access to meet a diverse set of needs.
Level 3- All Access can be a real game changer. You get every Masterclass, both past and future. Plus, I offer live-coaching sessions, “drop in” office hours, and an invitation to my exclusive online community group.
Becoming a member at The Sales Hunter University could be the investment your career has been waiting for.
Where do I start when I work with salespeople?
Developing their ideal customer profile (ICP) and clearly laying out the outcomes they create for their customers. If there’s one thing that literally pays to get right in your sales process, it’s those two things.
Many salespeople don’t realize that this is the key to effective prospecting.
Knowing your ICP allows you to prospect and sell with integrity. And when we sell with integrity, we get customers who have integrity.
I’ll be sharing my guaranteed, actionable techniques to develop a powerful ICP of your own so you can create a more efficient and successful sales process.
Invest in your prospecting and it will 100% pay for itself. My ICP Masterclass launches on The Sales Hunter University July 10th. Sign up during early enrollment and receive exclusive access to my webinar on July 26th.
How are you doing with your annual plan?
I want you to achieve your sales goals this year in a big way.
This is the reason I’ve teamed up with Meridith Elliott Powell, my co-host on the Sales Logic podcast, to help you.
We’ve created a Mastermind, meeting monthly for six moths, to increase your prospecting, build a stronger pipeline, and design a flawless follow-up strategy.
Don’t wait, enroll now! Join the Mastermind here. Let’s finish the year strong, together.
Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.
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One Response
Mark, whenever I take the time to read your advice on sales techniques, I always find them helpful. Your tips are simply put, and they make great common sense in a world where common sense is less and less common. In this topic, I especially liked what you said about building and leveraging relationships and staying focused on helping people.