Cold Calling B2B: Part 2

The next step in creating a powerful cold call marketing machine is to create the campaign.

Definition of "Campaign":  a systematic course of aggressive activities for some specific purpose.  


So to lay just a little more foundation, before you can create a "systematic course of aggressive activities" you need to know the specific purpose.  


What is the desired result of your phone call.   Poor cold calling says, "Just anything to move the customer forward."  or "I'll take a sale, an appointment, or even a request for more information."    Not very specific, is it.  And since it is not specific you will not get specific results.  If you don't get specific results you don't get a good and solid cold calling result.  If you don't get good solid results you don't enjoy cold calling.  When you don't enjoy cold calling, you suck at it and choose every other activity to take up your time.  Fair enough?


So what is the specific objective.  For each of my campaigns in the B2B world I'm trying to get one thing.  Some objectives of various campaigns have been to get a 20 minute meeting, to get a 20 minute phone appointment, or a one on one webinar.  Does that mean some will ask for information first?  Sure.  Do I give it to them?  It depends on the campaign I design.  However, when I do, I send information in the form of a link to our website that shows 90 seconds of what we do.  

An example is at:  http://www.finishlinefloors.com/floor-finishing-ultra-durable-floor-finish.html.  Notice all the information, pictures, and testimonial we give in 90 seconds.  Brevity is the key to everything in today's marketplace.  It is the key to your information packets, your appointments, and yes, even your cold calling.

Just two links for you to learn a little more about "The Objective."  A year ago I wrote on my military training in strategy and wrote a two-part series on "The objective."  

• http://unlockyourlife.blogspot.com/2010/11/strategic-thinking-objective.html
• http://unlockyourlife.blogspot.com/2011/01/strategic-thinking-objective-part-2.html

Once you have decided on your objective then create a plan on what activities you will do in order to get that objective. What are the activities you will do and in what order?


For instance:  In some campaigns I will send an e-mail first and the next day make the cold call.
In others, I will cold call only for appointments.
In others, I will cold call, send information, and have a follow up call.


Some of the activities can be: calling, email, postal mail of a reference letter with your post it note telling them you will call, phone calls, and whatever else you can think of.  In your campaign you will choose the order you feel will be the most effective.


Such as:  

• call, email, call
• email, call
• call, mail, call
• call only
• email or mail only (direct response marketing).

After you determine the order of activities you want to do the real key is to create a tracking system so you know which of the plans are the most productive.

Next time I will present a really easy tracking system that if even better than most computer programs.

Cold Calling B2B: Part 1

Yes, I know:  "No one likes to cold call."  You may also be thinking, "I'm just not a good at it.  I've tried scripts.  I've tried gadgets.  I've tried all the tricks of the trade."

Let me give you some hope.  Successful cold calling is not about the tricks.  It's not about how to pressure or manipulate people to take your calls, make an appointment with you or even buy your stuff.  Cold calling is simply calling someone you have never spoken to.  Let me change that, Cold Calling is simply and briefly talking to someone you have never met.

When you are at a sporting event or run into someone at the mall who is in the position to buy from you, most of us would not try to close a sale right there.  When we connect we would just tell them what we offer that could really help them and schedule another time where they can explore your offering in more detail.

That is all that happens in successful cold calling.  You simply met someone, virtually.  Connect and schedule something in the future. That could be scheduling a demonstration, scheduling an exploration meeting, or scheduling time for them to review some information.

Before we discuss how to make that call.  We need to establish a foundation.  This pre-work is ABSOLUTELY critical to a successful sales career.

"If you lay a crappy foundations your buildings stink." - Mike Huey

Foundation 1:  USP.

I know...you already know this.  Not so fast.  In a recent informal poll of over 200 people on linked in, most thought their USP was their customer service.  WRONG ANSWER.  Read on, my friend.

What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?  If you said customer service you need to get a new USP ASAP.  Everyone says they have better customer service.  You need to find an objectively measurable USP that your future customers can see, taste, and experience.  For example one of (notice we have more than one) the USP's at the company I work with is that our floor finish in the tile and grout area lasts at least twice as long as our competitors.  When I offer to have them do a side by side comparison after two months it is clear which finish lasts longer.  Your USP could be pricing, financing, durability, ease of ordering or many other things.  These USPs need to be seen by the customers before the purchase.  If your USP is customer service on the back end of the sale you have a harder job in selling.

Foundation 2:  Know your Ideal Customer

I know.  I know.  You already know this.  Trust me.  You don't until you read this.

You may have a product or service is everyone could use.  Heck,  maybe everyone buys it.  However, with cold calling you don't have tons of time on the phone to determine which of their needs your service will address.  So know who the 20% of your current customers are that make up 80% of your income.  Know what their specific needs are and then we can create cold call systems that goes at that market first.  As an example, we sell our floor finishes into hospitals, government buildings, universities and then into a second tier of corporate offices, nursing homes, hospitality industry and whoever has enough floors that it makes sense for us.  Each of them have unique needs.  So in the first campaign of cold calling I created a script for the unique needs for the person overseeing facilities in the hospitals.  Within 10 seconds of phone time, they know we understand their needs.  Then we can create a campaign for government buildings.  Different needs but within 10 seconds they know we know their needs.

With each ideal customer, identify their top five pains.  

Really, the top five.  Not the ones around your product but THEIR top five pains.  If you don't know their top five pains then you don't know your customer.  If you don't know your customer, get to know them.  In order to bond within 10 seconds on the phone you have to know them before they know you.  After you have identified their top five pains, does your product or service address at least one or two of them?  If yes, go on to the next step.  If no, then we have two options.  First, you have not identified the best Ideal Customer for your offering.  Find a different market to help.  Second, if you can't find a market where you can help their top five pains then you need to serious look at finding a company with a product or service that does.

After you have identified one or more top pains of your ideal customer write a ONE sentence statement that positions your offering to relieve or eliminate each pain.  Write one sentence statements for each of the pains you can help with.  Hopefully each sentence will be different.  You need this sentence because it helps you stay brief when talking on the phones.

Next week, I will share how to create the frame work on this foundation for an effective marketing campaign that utilizes cold calling.