Most marketing analysts often dismiss cold calling as one of the toughest marketing strategies to adopt. Most sales representatives dread this process since you are likely to face a lot of rejection from the calls you make before you record any success.
However, the method is highly effective and remains a key activity in making sales when done the right way. Cold calling can be tricky to navigate and has room for many errors that mostly make the process unsuccessful.
Reviewing some of the mistakes you could be making in cold calling can help you rectify and make the process successful.
Failure to Invest in Research
You need to understand the people you are reaching out to, the problems they are facing, and how you can solve them. It is crucial to research the new prospects before you contact them. You can use social media to get helpful information about the people you plan to call. Social media can especially be a valuable resource for b2b cold calling.
Failing to Follow Up
Many people will be unwilling to invest in you and the company you represent after the first call. However, by following up with the new prospect, you develop a relationship that could win their trust, leading to more deals. Investing in meaningful follow-ups will help you stand out from other competitors in your industry and get more deals.
Disregarding the Power of Voicemail
Most of the people you contact will not pick up the phone the first time they get your call. You are likely to get frequent rejection since most people do not pick up phone calls from strangers. That means you need to consider having a solid voicemail.
Use the voicemail feature to introduce yourself to the new prospect and leave helpful information about what you do. Use the opportunity to convince the person to pick up your call the next time you call.
When you demonstrate value on the voicemail, there is a high likelihood that the person will respond to your email, call or text the next time you contact them.
Making Yourself the Main Topic of Discussion
You may easily fall into the trap of talking too much about yourself rather than selling your value. Avoid talking about your credentials and services but focus on your prospect and their needs.
When your prospect answers the call, you need to focus your attention on the prospect. Remember, the call should be client-centered, where your focus should be on their wants and needs for professional selling. You are likely to get high conversions if you spend the first 10 minutes knowing the prospect and appreciating them genuinely as potential customers. You could slide in some jokes in the conversations but ask open-ended questions that invite them to contribute to the conversation while expressing their unique perspective.
Less Product Knowledge
Most sales representatives make the mistake of having scarce information about the product or service they are selling, which makes the new prospect doubt them. You need to have finer details about the product you are selling. If you cannot answer some of the new prospect’s questions, you may not win their trust.
Ensure you have all information about the latest development and updates on the product. You need to understand the product’s features for a more engaging conversation with the new prospect to lead to sales. Ensure you know to answer an unexpected question from the prospect since most buyers may already know too much about your products. Building trust by being confident in combating any objections you face from the potential buyer and understanding your product will lead to conversions.
The Bottom Line
The key to successful cold calls is grabbing the attention of the prospects immediately when they answer your call. As a salesperson, you need to create a rapport with the potential customers before you start pitching.
Make every second of the call count by showcasing value to the prospects. Researching about the client and having sufficient information about the products will naturally help you answer the client’s questions.
