People may think cold calling is just dialing a number and convincing the user to make a purchase. But in reality, it’s one of the most challenging marketing strategies. In fact, an independent study by Cognism found that cold calling has a success rate of only 4.8%.
If you are a salesperson, knowing the best cold calling tips will help you make your job a bit easier. These tips will ensure that you will get better at cold calling.
22 Best Cold Calling Tips
These are 22 of the most effective tips to ace cold calling:
1. Do Your Research
You can’t converse efficiently with your prospects if you don’t know anything about them. Therefore, you must gather relevant data about who you’re calling to create a pitch that would sell.
However, it is not enough that you know their names, jobs, and recent achievements. Instead, try to learn about what they do at work and the issues it entails. Then, pitch your product as a solution to their pain points.
Knowing your prospects will also help you come up with a strong opening line.
2. Ensure Your Prospects Are Targeted
You will never sell to people who don’t need your product. The more you know who you are calling, the better your chances of generating leads.
So, before dialing a number, ensure you have a list of people who will find your product valuable. Creating a targeted list of prospects will also make you and their time more efficient, as they are more likely to be interested in your offer.
3. Study Your Offer
You can only convince a potential customer that they need your product or service if you can explain it thoroughly. To do that, you need to know what you offer, like the back of your hand.
By studying your offer, you can create a pitch highlighting its benefits and why it is valuable to your prospects. This will also allow you to answer questions confidently, convincing your prospects to trust you.
4. Customize Your Pitch
Let’s face it: people hate cold calls. But you know what makes them hate it more? Lousy cold callers who deliver impersonal messages. So, customizing your pitch depending on who you are talking to is one of the best cold calling tips.
By customizing your pitch, you can tailor your approach to your prospects. Your message should discuss their pain points and how your offer can alleviate them. This will increase your chances of converting your prospects into leads.
However, never draft an entire script. It can make you sound uninteresting and robotic, which lessens the chances of converting leads.
Experts from LinkedIn have different perspectives on why cold callers should customize their pitch.
5. Prepare Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Before calling your prospects, make a list of the common questions you got asked before. This will allow you to revamp your answers and make them more detailed if you reencounter the same questions.
It’s also ideal to list common responses you receive from prospects who try to decline your call. Come up with convincing reasons why they should hear you out. If possible, include supporting data to make your answers more valuable.
Important! While convincing a potential customer to listen to your offer is crucial, never be assertive. This can damage you and your company’s reputation, causing you to sell less.
6. Have a List of Things to Discuss
One of the best practices for cold calling is to list what you must discuss with your prospects. Whether you’re a new or seasoned cold caller, forgetting a thing or two is expected once you’re already talking to a potential customer.
Listing the crucial points you need to mention will serve as a reminder during a call. You can also prepare a pen next to you to mark the points you’ve already mentioned.
7. Know When to Call
When cold calling, you can’t just dial a number anytime and expect them to entertain you. Sometimes, prospects are busy, so they won’t be able to entertain you. Similarly, there are periods when potential customers are on their phones, making it easier to reach them.
The best time to contact your prospects depends on their industry. Knowing this will give you a better opportunity to connect with them, increasing the chances of a successful cold call.
The Federal Trade Commission mandates that cold callers can only contact prospects from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
8. Anticipate Objections
Many of your calls will lead to “no’s” before you can mention your offer. However, you should attempt to counter these objections using answers you prepared beforehand.
For instance, if a potential customer says, “We’re already using product X,” your answer should indicate why your offer is better. This will encourage them to consider your product and possibly schedule a meeting with you.
9. Accept Rejection
Rejections are inevitable in cold calling. In fact, you’ll get rejected more than closing a deal with your prospects. While constantly hearing no can be disappointing, you must learn to keep doing your job eagerly.
Remember, just because you got rejected doesn’t mean you’re not doing a good job. Instead, use those no’s to improve your sales pitch. Ask yourself why your past calls were rejected, and use that to refine your following calls.
If your potential client is kind enough to entertain you after saying no, ask them for feedback to discover what you need to improve.
10. Give Exclusive Offers
If your prospect is close to saying yes, another tip for cold calling in sales is to give exclusive offers. For instance, you can offer them a discount and tell them that most customers cannot access such.
People get attracted to good deals. So, having one will help you close a deal. If you can’t give a discount, you can offer product samples to attract indecisive prospects.
Check out LinkedIn’s article on how to create a compelling offer for cold calling.
11. Make a Good Impression
One of the best ways to create a good impression with your potential customers is to start the call with a strong cold-calling opening line. Keep in mind that you are a stranger to your prospect. So, even if they answer your call, there’s a considerable chance they’re not interested in your offer.
A good opening line can change their minds. For instance, you can greet them respectfully and ask for their help. It’s natural for people to help those in need, so this strategy will likely make them say yes, giving you time to discuss your offer.
12. Use Open-Ended Questions
Asking your prospects questions that are answerable by yes or no makes it hard to keep the conversation going. This will make it more challenging to convince them to consider your offer. By using open-ended questions, your discussion will run smoothly.
For instance, instead of asking, “Are you willing to try our product?“, ask: “What do you think about trying a new solution that can better resolve your pain points?“.
Asking open-ended questions is the best tip for cold calling, as it allows you to find information about your prospects that is otherwise unavailable on the internet.
13. Turn Gatekeepers Into Allies
A gatekeeper is a person who serves as a barrier between you and your prospect. They are the first point of contact for businesses before you can contact those you need to talk to. While this may be bothersome for some, the correct technique can turn gatekeepers into allies.
Talk to the gatekeeper respectfully while still trying to sound like a senior. Speaking confidently will make you sound experienced, making the gatekeeper think that your call is about something important.
In addition, say as little as possible to the gatekeeper. They may not let you connect to your prospect if they think you are a cold caller.
14. Show Your Prospect That You Care
Your prospects will connect with you better if they feel like you genuinely care for them. Therefore, you need to show interest in understanding their pain points and helping them solve them.
As you listen, ask relevant questions to connect with them more profoundly. This tip for cold calling can help you connect with your potential customers on a deeper level, allowing you to gather more information about them.
You can then use the information you gathered to tailor your pitch and make them more receptive to your offer.
15. Make Sure You Sound Confident
People will drop your call if you sound robotic or unsure of what you are saying. It can also cause distrust, as potential customers think you don’t know your product or service well enough.
For this reason, one of the best cold calling tips is to sound confident when talking to prospects. If you think you are not a good speaker, don’t worry! Everyone gets better through practice.
You can take some of your scripts and practice them until you become confident enough to handle conversations. You can even take online lessons and voice training.
According to WiseGeek.com, quoted by The New York Times, the more you practice cold calling, the more effective your sales technique will become.
16. Don’t Pitch Right Away
Many salespeople may think they should offer a product or service right after greeting the potential customer. This is not the case, however.
Instead, you should first build rapport, ask the prospects about their needs, and use their answer to introduce your offer.
When you pitch right away, your potential customers may find you aggressive. It may even pressure them to give you an answer, thus leading to a quick “no.”
17. Mention the Price Last
Potential customers often ask how much the product costs. Instead of answering them immediately, gently switch the discussion to your offer’s features and benefits.
When you mention the product’s price too early, it may intimidate your prospects, especially if it will cost them a significant amount. It will also rule out your chance to convince them that your offer is worth buying.
18. Use Credibility to Your Advantage
People will trust you more if you prove your company is credible. For instance, if you have worked with someone relevant to the prospect’s industry, mention them to show that big names trust you.
You can also use social proof and client testimonials to showcase your credibility further. If a popular award-giving body has recognized you, use that to your advantage.
19. Analyze Every Call
One of the best cold calling tips you should know is to analyze every call. For instance, you can check what time prospects pick up their phones the most and how many calls it takes before someone answers. You must also record the time you spend on a call per client.
When you have this information, creating a cold calling strategy that works will be easier for you. In addition, knowing how long you’re keeping your prospects on the other line will help you develop your pitch into something more interesting.
20. Offer a Trial
When your prospect tells you they are already using a similar product, don’t try to convince them to switch to your offer. This will appear like you are forcing them to buy your product, which can damage your company’s reputation.
Instead, make them feel that you understand why they’re turning you down. Then, offer a free trial for a few days and ask for their feedback. This way, they can compare your product with the one they currently use and decide which one is more suitable.
21. Know When to End the Call
While it sounds counterintuitive, knowing when to end the call is one of the best cold calling tips you can follow. Remember that not everyone will buy your offer. So, as you ask questions to discover the prospect’s needs, you should observe if you can turn them into a customer.
If not, walk away. This way, you will not waste the prospect’s time and use yours to connect with someone who actually needs your product.
22. Check Your Sales Result
The last of our best practices for cold calling is to track sales results. This move will help you analyze whether your sales technique works. If your method works, use the data you gathered to improve it. But if it doesn’t, refine it into something dedicated to your potential customers.
Remember that every rejection you have received can guide you to becoming a better cold caller. In time, you’ll develop a sales pitch that allows you to set appointments and get customers.
How to Make Cold Calling Interesting?
People are generally not interested in cold calls, so you must ensure your pitch is interesting. This will make potential customers listen to you and consider your offer.
Here’s how to make cold calling interesting:
- Be Personable.
Make your prospects feel that you relate to them so that they become more receptive to your offer. - Loosen Up.
Your brain will work better if you move from time to time. This way, you can give yourself a break for a few minutes and refresh your mind before taking another call. - Use a Friendly Greeting.
Don’t sound too salesy, as this can prevent you from engaging with your prospects. Instead, use a friendly opening line to make them feel genuinely valued.
How to End a Cold Call
While keeping the call going until a potential customer says yes to your offer is crucial, it’s equally important to know when and how to end it. This way, you can proceed to your next prospect while showing gratitude to the one you’re talking to.
This is how to end a cold call:
Step 1: Use a Positive Tone
Your voice should showcase confidence and enthusiasm. A positive tone leaves a positive impression and shows that you’re confident about your offer, which may prompt your prospect to engage more.
On the contrary, speaking in a negative tone will make your prospects feel that you’re unsure about your offer, thus making them uninterested.
Step 2: Summarize the Product’s Features & Value
Briefly talk about your offer’s features and value once more. This will be your final way to convince your potential customer to schedule a meeting before ending the call.
Step 3: Ask for Feedback
Asking for feedback is one of the most important things to do when ending a cold call. When you request feedback, you get the prospect’s experience talking to you. This will help you find faults in your script and pitch, thus allowing you to make them better.
You can also ask them for opinions on improving your pitch. As you use people’s feedback to refine your pitch, you’ll notice that you are slowly increasing your success rate in the long run.
Step 4: Tell the Prospect How They Can Reach Out
You must always expect your prospect to consider your offer even after the call. This is especially true if you feel they were close to saying yes during the cold call. Therefore, you should tell them how they can reach out to set an appointment.
Step 5: Show Gratitude
Don’t forget to thank your prospects for their time. Keep in mind that your prospect entertained you despite their busy schedule. So, if they give you feedback and opinions, show them that you value them.
Be a Better Cold Caller
Using the best cold calling tips above can help you better handle prospects. In time, you will notice that your calls are receiving positive responses, which, in turn, can increase your sales.
Remember that you don’t always have to make your prospects say yes to your offer. Instead, make sure that they understand its benefits and consider it even after your conversation.
