Very few of us actually like cold calling.
The idea of phoning a total stranger can strike fear and dread into the most competent SME owner. Who has not at some time been roused to rage by those ubiquitous call centre sales calls, where the caller is plainly working to a script, plainly not listening and not interacting with you?
Yet it is a crucial part of the sales and marketing activity and can be immensely effective if done correctly.
Working to a script is not the answer but there has to be a plan and a goal as this video on Linked In demonstrates. The video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL5Iab45fSo was posted by my good friend Marcus Cauchi, an expert in sales management training. You can subscribe to get more.
It is worth watching it right to the end not only for the technique it demonstrates but also for the “surprise” revelation at its conclusion.
It shows that the key to effective cold calling is to listen and to interact with people, with a clear goal in mind. The goal does not have to be to make a sale. It may be to plant a seed so that when a prospect is at the right point in their buying journey they remember the business’ name.
It may be, as in this video, to get people to think about the illogical excuses they make and commit to a meeting or appointment.
Cold calling is about creating trust and empathy so get permission to speak to your prospect, as you are effectively stealing their time.
The aim is to get them to engage in a conversation, leading them, with their acquiescence to your defined end point, in this case an appointment. So on this cold call focus only on arranging the appointment.
The call should last between 3-8 minutes. Any less and you have probably missed the mark with your 30-second commercial or blown the call with your tonality. Any longer and you are in grave danger of trying to make the full sale.
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