Five Ways to Close More Cold-Calls
Canvassing, telephone canvassing, prospecting — whatever you call it, cold-calling is a fundamental skill that all successful business entrepreneurs need to master. When mastered, cold-calling is a key limitless income potential.
It’s also one of the activities that many entrepreneurs dread most. For many, calling a prospective customer or client for the first time is incredibly nerve-wracking.
What makes for effective cold-calling? It’s not just a numbers game. Without the proper techniques and strategies, your closing rate will disappoint you.
If you don’t have these tools, cold-calling prospects and “warming” them into potential customers or clients can be difficult and downright frustrating.
In my 40 years of direct sales, team-building and business development, I’ve called innumerable prospects. I’ve learned what works — and what doesn’t.
Implement these five cold-calling strategies to help close more prospects:
1. Take a Client-Centered Approach to Cold-Calling.
Many entrepreneurs make a critical mistake while prospecting. They believe that to make the sale, they need to speak at great length about who they are and what they do. But it’s crucial to keep in mind — this is about them, not you.
Sales is about demonstrating to prospects how you can solve their problem or meet their need. And you can’t do that without learning about your prospect!
Ask thoughtful, strategic questions designed to show what key benefit will make them want to purchase your product or service. Also, ask questions that will shed light on the fears and doubts that may be holding them back from making a purchase.
Listen carefully to their answers rather than trying to speak over them or dominate the conversation.
2. Prepare Your Questions Ahead of Time.
In order to master the client-centered approach to sales, you need to come prepared. Wear your detective hat and come into the call with a list of questions that will guide your client to share what they want and need.
The more quality information you can obtain from your prospect during the cold call, the better able you will be to qualify the prospect and – ultimately – make the sale. It will also shed light on who doesn’t qualify as a warm lead.
It’s important to plan your questions and put them into a logical sequence in advance. Begin by asking general questions and then follow up with more specific questions.
3. Avoid Generic Cold-Calling Scripts!
After you’ve obtained a positive answer from your prospect to your first question, the door is open to ask more qualifying questions. Don’t pull questions from a generic cold calling script. The more personalized your questions, the more engaged your prospect will be – which means they will be more willing to open up and provide valuable information.
The key is to ask tailored questions designed to gather information that will help you show the right prospects that you have the solution to their problem.
4. Know When NOT to Sell.
The chief objective of an initial “cold-call” is information gathering! Your goal on this first call is not to make a sale. If the prospect gets the sense that you’re trying to make the sale, they’ll often put their guard up and be reluctant to answer your questions openly.
Stay focused on asking your prospect thoughtful qualifying questions and listen carefully to their responses. Be sure to take notes that you can review after the call is complete! At the end of the call, if the prospect has qualified as a lead, set up a follow up meeting or let them know when and how you will be in touch next.
5. Keep Your Prospect Relaxed.
We’ve all been on the receiving end of an forceful cold-call. When someone tries to aggressively sell us right off the bat, we close off and start searching for ways to end the call.
It’s important to keep your prospect relaxed so that you can gather the information you need to know if they are a warm lead worth pursuing. Put your prospect at ease by being amiable; asking meaningful, personal questions; and demonstrating genuine interest in what they have to say.
By taking a non-sales approach in your first call, you begin to build a relationship and come across as more friendly, genuine and non-threatening. This is critical, because as prospects relax, it becomes easier to calm their fears and doubts about investing in the product or service you offer.
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At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I teach entrepreneurs fundamental strategies proven to help produce more effective leads and close more sales.
If you want to close more sales in the final quarter of 2016 and “Double Plus” your income in 2017, mastering these strategies is absolutely essential!
Don’t let your fear of cold-calling hold you back from achieving the success – and sales – you’re capable of.
Contact me today to turn your “cold-calling” cold-feet into confidence and cash-flow.
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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with almost 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.
To learn more about Celeste, click here.
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