Karen from Shine Sales Solutions in Sydney really is a guru in the Australian sales world. She is practical, energetic and smart in all that she does. Here are some of her tips on cold calling – something most of us struggle with at some stage. For more information about Shine Sales Solutions visit her website – www.shinesales.com.au
How can I make cold calling easier?
Lately I have been working with a number of sales teams to help them increase the success of their cold calling and I thought I would share with you some of my tips for success:
· Use a friendly, conversational approach rather than a cold, direct approach
· Don’t try and sell on the phone; you can’t. You can, however, get a meeting or permission to send information.
· Talk about how you can help that business or how you have helped other business. Don’t try and sell to them.
· Name other clients that you are working with who are in a similar industry or who are a similar size to the company you are calling.
· Set a goal for each phone call. Would you like contact information, a meeting or permission to send information.
· Write down all the possible objections that you are likely to encounter and have an answer ready for them.
· Target a particular Industry at a time so the script can be adapted and modified to their current situation, challenges or problems they may be experiencing.
· Always treat Assistants, Personal Assistants and Executive Assistants with respect; they have the power to get you in or keep you out.
· If you get through to the right contact and they sound busy or harassed ask them “is now a good time to talk?” should I call you at a later time?
· Make your calls from 9.30am to about 11.30am and then start again around 2pm and go through till 4pm
·Set yourself a call target rather than a time target, it makes it easier to achieve.
· Don’t leave messages; it is rare that anyone would call you back.
· sk or appeal for help rather than just going straight into a spiel
· Don’t be fooled into thinking that a person asking you to send information means they are interested….. they are simply trying to get you off the phone!
· If you send information by email make sure you follow it up the next day to confirm the person received it. This gives you the chance to ask them if they have any questions and gauge their interest in meeting.
· Try and do your calls in a block of time, one after the other, after the other. After you have finished 10 calls, for example, then send out information or do follow up. This saves you reliving the ‘fear’ or the ‘pain’ of picking up the phone. After about 3 or 4 calls you will have established a habit and you will be much more confident.
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