According to studies, cold calling has a success rate of up to 2 percent. Does that fact make cold calling worth ones’ time? Well, despite the discouraging success rate of this method, there is also the fact that roughly 82 percent of buyers respond to salespersons reaching out to them directly. And so, there is still hope for cold calling as a backup plan for businesses looking to boost lead generation. And it is with that certainty that we have prepared this article, with a selection of eleven efficient cold calling tips that will help your sales team boost its performance.
Let’s break some myths about cold calling
It’s no secret that cold calling has become a sort of a taboo approach to marketing in the past decade – telemarketing made sure of that. However, it’s still an important part of sales tactics (almost) everywhere. There are even features being developed such as ConvertMore callback software to help you get in touch with most potential clients.
To convince you not to give up on this marketing strategy, let’s debunk some common misconceptions about cold calling:
- Cold calling is not illegal. Some countries have specific regulations about it but it’s nowhere close to being forbidden.
- This marketing strategy is not dead. Quite the opposite, it’s still an effective way of bringing in customers and boosting sales.
- Cold colling is perceived as intrusive which can be true. However, it all depends on how you make the call and how much time you’ve spent learning about the lead.
- Many believe that cold calling is all about following the script. But this doesn’t have to be the case if you make sure your sales team is properly trained and knows how to keep an active conversation with prospective clients.
Simple yet effective cold calling tips
Nowadays, most marketing campaigns are focused on ways to convert website visitors to customers but cold calling still has its perks. To prove it to you, explore the following eleven cold calling tips that will show you this marketing strategy is all but dead. Tips that will boost your sales team’s productivity and eventually, your company’s revenue.
#1 Research before reaching out
Before calling any potential client it’s important to research them by checking their company website, social media, and professional networking sites. This way, you’ll show interest in them and this will help you build a stronger bond. Besides knowing information about their company, it would be good to research the prospect, too. This will really impress them!
#2 Think of a great opening sentence
When the prospect answers your call you’ll have about 10 seconds to capture their attention. After you quickly introduce yourself, use an opening sentence that will compliment the prospect. For instance, congratulating them on their promotion. This will intrigue them and give you space to continue your conversation.
#3 Leave a good voicemail
In case you can’t reach the prospect, make sure to leave a voicemail. However, it’s important that it’s no longer than 30 seconds and instead of thinking about them replying to you, focus on grabbing their attention and arousing their curiosity.
#4 Don’t give them a chance to hang up
The goal of every sales call is to keep the potential client on the line until you close the sale. However, as your potential clients don’t know you, they might not be interested in talking to you. Therefore, it’s your job to find ways to ensure that the person on the other end doesn’t get a chance to hang up. Instead of asking if it’s a bad time to call and instantly getting shut down try to capture the prospect’s interest with personalized statements. It’s actually one of the best cold calling techniques.
#5 Rejection is nothing to be ashamed of
Rejection is a normal part of a sales process and even the best salespeople have faced rejection at least once in their careers. Even though this can be discouraging look at it as a great way to learn. Try to understand your patterns and find ways to improve your sales strategy. And always keep in mind – it’s nothing personal.
#6 Find ways to overcome objections
While talking to potential clients, it’s highly likely you’ll face different objections. So it’s important to learn ways to overcome them and keep the conversation going. For example, let’s say the person you’re talking to asks you to send an email instead. You could say yes but you could also ask them what to include in the email. This is a great way to keep them engaged in the conversation and potentially even have them open up more.
#7 Be mindful of when you call
Make sure to always check the time when you’re calling. Nothing can put off potential clients as much as calling at an inconvenient time.
#8 Learn the right voice techniques
One of the best cold calling techniques is to properly use your voice. Besides only using the right words, it’s important to use the right tone of your voice, too. As the prospect can’t see you, they will judge you by the tone of your voice so it’s important to sound confident, keep your pace at an optimum level and smile while talking. However, there are plenty of other techniques you can research.
#9 Use examples from personal experience
Always remember that other peoples’ behavior influences us, too. You can use this in selling by telling your prospects stories about clients that faced similar challenges and how your product or service showed to be a perfect solution to it. By presenting social proof, you are more likely to end your sales call successfully.
#10 Try to ask more open-ended questions
Another of our cold calling tips is to use more open-ended questions in your conversations. This way, you’ll increase the chances of getting a response instead of awkward silence. It’s essential to get the prospect talking as this way, you’ll learn about them and know what to offer.
#11 Use “we” instead of “I”
Lastly, make sure to replace your “I” with “We” as this will increase your chances to end the call successfully. By doing this simple thing you’ll bring in the spirit of teamwork. In fact, it’s been proven that saying “Our” instead of “Mine” improves the success rate of sales calls an amazing 55%.
Did you like our cold calling tips?
We hope our cold calling tips helped you boost the quality of your overall outbound sales process. Of course, this doesn’t mean cold calling should be your main and only focus. You should ask yourself “How to improve my marketing strategies and how to increase sales on my website?”. So make sure to go through our blog and you’ll find plenty of useful information you can use to help you better your marketing strategies, get more customers, and eventually, boost your revenue.
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