Cold Calling Series: Post Call Considerations
You’ve made the call and your pitch. Let’s assume you did not make the sale. Now what?
1. Try calling again later (e.g., in a few weeks). Sometimes the timing is simply not right. Perhaps at a later date, the person will be more receptive to your pitch.
2. Cold calling is a numbers game to a great extent. So keep calling!
3. No matter what happens on the call, ALWAYS follow-up with a thank you email. If they didn’t even want additional information, be courteous and offer to be available in the event they change their mind. Unless there is a good reason not too (which there rarely is), try reaching out to this person, or someone else in their company, in a few weeks or months. Sometimes things change, and a need that wasn’t there before may have materialized.
4. Follow-up your call with a handwritten note sent by snail mail—even if you send a follow-up thank you via email. While your email will be received immediately, your note sent by snail mail will give you another audience with your prospect after several days, further reinforcing a positive perception of you in the mind of your prospect. Remember that few people send handwritten notes these days, so it is a great way to distinguish yourself as someone who really wants to do business with them.
J.B.
Read MoreCold Calling Series: Dealing with Resistance (PART 3)
Here are a few final thoughts on how to handle resistance.
1. Remember that getting objections means that you are doing your job! Accept them as part of the process of making sales.
2. If they do not buy right away, ask to send along some information for their consideration. This gives you the opportunity to also ask for a follow-up call to further discuss that information.
3. Even if they are not interested in your product or service, ask the prospect if you can forward some information that relates to their industry to provide them with an advantage in the marketplace. Create a white paper, strategic tips, current industry news, etc. that will provide value to the prospect, thus increasing the likelihood that when you try again after several weeks or months, the prospect will be appreciative and more open to listening to you a second time around.
4. Ask if you can add them to your newsletter list, so they can at least stay informed of news, events, updates, and valuable information. If you don’t have a newsletter, consider starting one. It is a great way to stay in front of prospects and existing customers.
J.B.
Read MoreCold Calling Series: Dealing with Resistance (PART 2)
Here are a few more thoughts on how to handle resistance.
1. Already have a current vendor objections should be countered with a statement about how you are very pleased that they are happy with their current vendor, and that you have a high level of respect for customer loyalty, because YOUR customers are loyal to you. And if there is nothing they would change about their current vendor, then that is great, as your primary concern is that they are best taken care of. Then describe why YOUR customers stay with you. Perhaps it is your same day return phone calls, creative pricing, personal involvement on projects/orders, depth of knowledge and experience, etc. Then describe why some of your customers decided to leave their vendors to do business with you. Sometimes these examples with let your prospect better understand some of the things that can be improved by switching to you. Also, if there is a current vendor, try to identify if there are any customer needs not being met, or not being met up to the customer’s standards. If you can even fill in the gaps, you will be able to start developing a business relationship with that customer, allowing them to measure you up against your competition.
2. Be prepared to offer up written testimonials from existing customers to your potential customers. Your existing customers are best suited to praise you for the great things you have done for them, and can do for others.
3. Have objective evidence as to how your product or service can yield REAL results, in terms of increased sales, lower costs, increased employee satisfaction, increased awareness in the marketplace, more favorable perception in the marketplace. This is particularly helpful to counter the no budget objection.
4. Don’t expect an immediate sale. You goal should be a next-level event (e.g., a follow-up call to discuss information you send them, a face-to-face meeting to further discuss your product or service, etc.).
J.B.
Read MoreCold Calling Series: Dealing with Resistance (PART 1)
Overcoming resistance is a critical job of the sales professional. The thoughts below will help you understanding more about the types of objections you may encounter and potential ways to hopefully overcome them.
1. Not interested objections may be an excuse to get off the phone, or might be legitimate. If legitimate, they may have a vendor they are happy with, or don’t fully understand what it is you are selling to be able to make a prudent decision. If they already have a vendor, suggest that it wouldn’t hurt having a back-up vendor in the event there is ever a problem with their current vendor, or if they are interested in getting the same or greater value for less money (i.e., a higher value proposition). If they don’t have another vendor, then they may simply not fully understand what it is you are selling, in which case suggest that you send them some information and request a follow-up conversation to further discuss.
2. No current need objections can be countered with an example of how another company—which also didn’t have a current need—benefitted from allowing you to provide information to help them better plan for the future. Circumstances change, and sometimes quickly. Having more, as opposed to less, information will put them in a strategic position to make decisions fast, in the event they have to.
3. No budget objections are either excuses to get off the phone, or are legitimate. Legitimate budget objections can be dealt with through creative and flexible payment terms and/or FREE samples. If they won’t entertain these sorts of responses (especially FREE samples), then the objection might be an excuse.
4. Too busy objections. If it really is a bad time, in many cases, if you ask them for just a few minutes, they will give it to you notwithstanding their tight schedule (because you respected their time). If they try to quickly get off the phone because it is a bad time, then ask if you can call them at another time (getting a firm date and time is best).
J.B.
Read MoreCold Calling Series: Controlling the Call (PART 3)
Here are a few final things to keep in mind about how you should handle your call with a prospect.
1. Vet the person on the other end of the phone to determine if he or she is in charge of handling what it is you are calling about. Simply ask the person!
2. Before even getting into what you can do for them, ask about what they need. How do they currently handle a situation? What is their greatest challenge when trying to market themselves, or establish themselves as a reputable company in the marketplace? Who is their biggest competitor, and how do they try to distinguish themselves from that competitor? By asking questions, you can better frame your pitch when the conversation transitions into how you can help them.
3. Articulate what it is you are really providing: e.g., perception of honesty in the marketplace; ability to reduce costs; ability to expand their business, opportunity to provide a broad array of options for their consideration, etc. Focus on the crux of the matter as opposed to generalities.
4. Have a conversation with the person. They don’t want to listen to you speak. They will tune out, and your objective is lost. Ask questions.
5. Get the prospect thinking about how business would improve if he or she bought your product or service. Help the prospect visualize a better future by articulating a need (unless the prospect has already articulated his or her specific need), and offer a preview as to how your product or service can provide a solution. Use examples of other customers’ successes to drive your point home.
J.B.
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