Is cold calling a thing of the past? Why do franchisors and franchisees think it is such a bad idea to reach sales prospects and business owners by phone?
Cold calling is the most traditional form of marketing. Door-to-door sales have always been effective in certain business sectors, as people like connecting with people.
With the rise of social media marketing, things are changing dramatically. Both franchisees and sales prospects are becoming more attached to easy ways of reaching out. Yet, a text is so impersonal, and no one wants to deal with an automated system. They want live receptionists and decision-makers. With this in mind, here are some top tips for effective cold calling:
Understand why you are cold calling sales prospects
Are you hoping to schedule a meeting, send a brochure, or finalize new business? While all three of these steps sound encouraging, there needs to be a “why?” A strategy. How can you solve a business problem? What do you know about the company or sales prospect you are calling? These questions are key. Next, the idea of picking up the phone to sell something is sort of like telemarketing. Cold calling is different because you want to schedule a live meeting.
Understand the sales cycle
When making cold calls, it is imperative the caller understands the sales prospect’s industry sales cycle—from the point of making cold calls and knowing how many dials it takes to get the first meeting to how many meetings it takes to close a deal. Does it take 15 calls to get in the door? Does it take two meetings to close the deal? Know your numbers.
Understand your audience
Who are you trying to reach over the phone? Who has the purchasing power in the organization? These are your true sales prospects. Making random calls to random people will not get franchisees and their team very far. Knowing how to connect with the right decision-makers on their level will make the efforts more meaningful and precise.
Understand the next steps
Following up is necessary when cold calling sales prospects because it turns cold calls into warm ones. This is what it is all about. Follow the sales prospect’s lead—when they say to reach out next quarter, do so. When they say, “Call me back in two weeks,” do so. Doing what they say is the simple solution. The diligent ones get in the door, and it does not always happen on the first dial. Patience is key. Persist with a clear road map. Take good notes in your customer relationship management (CRM) system.
Understand when to move on
Knowing how much effort to spend, and with whom, comes with experience. Listen to what sales prospect tells you. Listen to their tone of voice. Some people are sincere, while others are not. The ones who are not can lead you on forever. Others have a difficult time saying no. But, hearing “no” is powerful because that response will lead you closer to a “yes” if you know your numbers. Move on when you are told to keep following up for no reason. Read between the lines.
Cold calling is a process which yields results. The idea is to turn cold calls into warm conversations over time. Be persistent. Be consistent. Getting in the door will happen with those two attributes. Polite persistence will not upset sales prospects. Making too many dials will—mostly when they tell you to stop calling. Listen to what they say. New decision-makers come and go all the time, which means new opportunities are always around the corner.
Get a copy of my new eBook: Transform Your Sales Approach: More Than Just A Cold Call. Click here; https://books2read.com/u/3kwrwW
Learn more! Email - Nicole@Prospect2Win.com
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