Cold Calling Techniques

There are 100s of cold calling technique people use to impress upon their potential customer. Some of the most usable techniques are a) to introduce yourself and your organization from where you are calling, b) directly jumping into the product details or c) by asking questions if the customer is available to speak. In most of the cases the customer say immediate ‘No’ to the cold caller. So what one should do to at least have given enough time to speak with the customer? Some of the key elements of successful cold call - I have tried to bring it to light.

These days customers are informative. They have quick access to Google for research and colleagues/neighbors to speak with. One cannot force sell. No one wants to speak with an unknown vendor. So either you should be well known prior the cold call thru advertisement or by similar means. Or you should have online presence so that you can refer him immediately if he shows interest.

Before calling any potential customer one has to prepare well. Customer are often fussy about the way sale is pitched. So practice phone call. Record your voice and listen how you can improve your pitch, intonation and voice modulation. Study about the company/individual (in-depth) and map it with your offerings before making a call.

Knowing your prospect is key. Start with an introduction of your name and company. Have a capsule script ready if your customer is not aware of your organization. Put yourself in the customer shoes before making your call. Think if you are in his place what would you do if you get a call from an unknown. Identify who can buy your product. Prepare and pitch the question which the prospect may like. Then go to the crux quickly. Hit the requirement button at once with your question. For example: if he is interested in saving tax or want to utilize the tax rebate investment limit fully? If you get an affirmative answer then proceed with product details otherwise get-off and call another prospect. Your time is as important as your prospect.

Get yourself prepared beyond the ready-made call script. Your message should be clear and crisp. Refer your portal and send email immediately with details if you find that the customer is interested in your product and try to get an appointment for a face to face discussion. Do not forget to share your name and contact details clearly and book the meeting invite at your earliest convenience.

Majority outcome of the cold calls are often negative but one should not get demoralized. Most of them are result of poor research and incomplete prospecting. However there is no second way of achieving success in cold calling other than having perseverance and hunger of getting success. 

Samrat.Biswas@hotmail.com