I used to hate cold calling. Probably everyone in sales hates them at some point. A big part of it, I believe, comes down to the actual definition. Cambridge Dictionary put it this way:
“the activity of calling…a possible customer to try to sell them something without being asked by the customer to do so”.
If that definition is not intimidating, then I don’t know what is. There are so many negative perceptions surrounding cold calling and we’ve all been victims of a poorly executed cold call at some point in our lives. Regardless, it is absolutely a skill worth developing as it not only trains your mindset to take risks and face your fears, but is also build the persuasive skills to get your points across in any situation. As Spanx- founder said:
I believe that cold calling is one of life’s greatest trainings
-Sarah Blakely at HIBT summit 2019
When I started working at a startup, cold calls became a crucial part of my job. I’d get a collated list of leads of providers to sign up to our platform, and had to call them one by one. Sometimes I stuttered, sometimes I’d go blank, other times I’d get a rude response, etc. It became something I was quite fearful of doing and I’d find the most creative forms of procrastination to delay the moment I had to pick up the phone.
I quickly got bored of hearing “no thank you” or “sorry we’re not interested” and decided I needed to change something. I started reading top sales articles, listening to business podcasts and completed a couple of workshops on Skillshare. Additionally, I paid close attention to how my colleagues at the office interacted with their own clients, and made a note of any phrase which I particularly liked.
Things started to change and slowly, my confidence increased. I was able to establish casual conversations, get to know the other person, fully describe our product and tailor my dialogue to fit the person’s particular struggles. What changed? I understood the most important thing: In a cold call, it is not about selling the product (well it is, technically), it is about selling the problem.
Think about it, at this point, the other person likely has no interest on your product, the business or the brand. The only thing which determines whether they want to “opt in” is whether the problems you talk about resonate with their daily experiences. In other words, you have to know your target audience inside out! This realization may be liberating or terrifying for some. In any case, the good news is that you’re in control.
The following are my recommendations for anyone starting out on cold calls. It is not an easy process, and it takes time to find your own voice (yes, we all have one), but if you make enough calls, I can promise you’ll get there. Note that while these tips can be useful for all cold calls, they are especially focused on B2B interactions, which is the area I focus on.
1. Write a script
This one seems pretty obvious, but to be honest, I managed to convince myself I didn’t need one for the first few calls. I thought, I’ve always been good at performances and presentations, I know the product, I can deal with any question. Nope! A script not only ensures that you don’t blank out, but also allows you to get to your point, fast. People don’t have time to listen to you ramble about this product, even if you do have ALL the information in your head. A script helps ensure every single sentence serves a purpose and that you’re not providing unnecessary details at this stage. Likewise, there are points you simply can’t miss, so I suggest you write and highlight them.
Obviously you are not expected to stick to the script regardless of the other person’s reaction. However it is the first step, ALWAYS. The more calls you make, the more freedom you’ll have to say what you want, but trust me, to start, a script is a must.
2. Ask and then listen
As every sales person will tell you, the best thing you can do is to get the other person talking. However, once they do, there are three particular aspects you must pay close attention to:
- Their name; make a note of it and mention it as many times as possible throughout the conversation (without sounding creepy)
- Their struggles and pains: They may not refer to them as such, but try to identify from their tone of voice, what it is that annoys or worries them.
- Their triumphs and motivations: A person’s voice will “light up” when they speak of something they are proud of or something they are passionate about.
Make notes on all of these, as they will dictate how you manage the rest of the conversation. By touching upon each of these points, you are highly likely to connect with what is most important to them and consequently earn their trust. Eventually, you’ll create a database of these and identify trends, which will make conversations easier over time.
3. Prior-research
The fact that the person you’re calling knows nothing about you, doesn’t mean it has to be the same from your side. Make sure that you have a basic understanding on what they do, who they are, etc. It is by no means necessary to know everything, but make sure you have at least one positive fact which you can easily build upon. Here’s what I mean. Say they were in the news lately, well mention that (they’ll love it). Or perhaps you know it is a family owned business, then talk about why you find that important. The idea is to find one thing you genuinely admire or like about their business, and then express it in an honest way. Don’t fake interest or admiration if you don’t feel it, this will be obvious to the other person. If you can’t find anything you like, then it is preferable to not mention anything.
4. Adjust your script
The idea of a script is not that you keep saying the same thing over and over. The more cold calls you make, the more you’ll realize the type of questions you’re getting, the lines that spark interest in people and the lines that perhaps are unnecessary. Make sure you keep changing your script to reflect all your learnings. Yes, eventually you won’t need one, but it will help you take note of what works and doesn’t. Adding/adjusting your script makes all the “no thank you’s” worth it, because you are learning something from them.
5. Be real
There is a stereotype for sales people. The type we see on TV, who are on and on about how amazing a product is, “but wait, there’s more!”, etc, etc. Don’t try to sound like this sort of sales person; it would not only be incredibly annoying, but also sound incredibly fake. Use your own voice and your own expressions to get your points across. If you are asked something, respond honestly as well. After all, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be honest. The fact you’ve decide to cold-call someone means that you have something of value to offer them.
Those are some of the initial tips I’d suggest you master before moving to more advanced techniques. Believe me, nobody is born being a cold call pro. Yes, some people find talking easier than others, but anyone can learn to cold call if you practice enough. Most importantly, remember that the best way to get better is to make one call after another.
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