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.
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.
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.
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.
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