I regularly hear people say they don't cold call on the phone because it's not effective. Typically, these are people that have tried a few times and stopped doing it because it intimidated them. I, personally, believe it is a very effective sales tool and I use it regularly to attract new clients...THREE of my biggest clients started with a cold call from yours truly. Top sales executives and small business owners will tell you that, done well, cold calls are still their most effective lead generator.
Here are (5) tips that I follow to get the most out of my sales calls:
1. Schedule a Set Time Each Day for Making Calls: It is very important to make cold-calling a routine part of your day. During my daily phone time, I ask not to be interrupted and I do not check email. The results you will experience by being consistent (even just an hour per day!) will astound you.
2. Have a Script to Follow: I have been doing sales calls for 20 years and I STILL have a script in-front of me that I loosely follow for every call. I have one version for leaving a voicemail and one for when someone answers. In both versions I immediately state my name, title, and company name, provide a one-sentence blurb on what my company does and a one sentence blurb about how we can benefit them. Neither version is longer than one minute. Practice your script so it flows and so you can adlib from it!
3. Don't Ramble On in the First Call: I NEVER start rambling about our business, nor do I start asking them questions, on the initial cold call! My goal with each cold call is to simply schedule another day/time to talk when it's convenient for them. After my intro, I end with, "Since you weren't expecting my call, and I know you are very busy, I'd simply like to arrange a phone meeting or in-person meeting to discuss how we can help you in more detail and answer any questions you have. How about Thursday at 11:00?"
4. Leave Voicemails: Some people will tell you it's a waste of time, but that is NOT my experience. My rule of thumb is to leave a prospect 3 voicemails in a 1 to 2 week period of time. If they don't get back to me, I stop calling them. But if my timing is right, and they are seeking a company like ours, people WILL call me back. I've even had people keep my info and call me 6 months later, and my voicemail messages were the reason they did. People are not at their desks as much as they used to be so leaving voicemail is sometimes the only way to let them know you exist!
5. Call on Fridays or End-of-Day: Many salespeople have said Fridays are a bad day to make calls. I have found the opposite. I find people are in good moods on Friday and are more open to chatting. I also find that calling people around 5:30 pm is good because they are normally at their desks winding down their day and their office environments have quieted down.
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About the Author
Lisa Orrell, Chief Chick of Chickonomics, is a popular speaker, author, and founder of The Chickonomics Institute (
www.Chickonomics.com). Lisa has also been a sales and marketing expert for 20 years. Subscribe to her highly entertaining blog that covers news and current events related to women, and her popular podcast, Chickonomics Chat, by visiting her website at
http://www.Chickonomics.com
