How to Cold Call

Cold call marketing is not a thing of the past. If used with fore­thought and con­sid­er­a­tion, it can be an effective tool. There’s a place for cold calls in sales, and there are indus­tries where it makes sense. But, old school over-the-top pushy tele­mar­ke­ter­ing isn’t the way. Times have changed; consumers want to be engaged, not talked at. Talking over people and using outdated, one-sided sales tactics may no longer work. What does work?

Be Courteous

Be polite, begin any call by asking your prospect if they have time to chat. I ask, “Am I taking you away from 20 things right now?” If they’re busy, I request a con­ve­nient time to call back. Never address a stranger by their first name. Many people are “put off” when strangers address them in this manner. If they prefer their first name, they’ll tell you. Respect their time. Don’t overstay your welcome. Be thorough, but get to the point.

Be Proactive

Ask questions and learn the prospect’s needs, wants, and desires. What problems do they have? Ask open-ended questions – who, what, when, where, why, and how — then listen to their answers.

Be Positive

Smile — believe me, it comes through the phone. This may be the most important point in this post. Be someone people want to talk to. Never share negative comments about com­peti­tors – yours or theirs. Accen­tu­ate the positive by showing the advan­tages of your product or service without down­grad­ing others.

Be Pro­fes­sional

Show your pro­fes­sion­al­ism by doing all the above and by answering questions as honestly and thor­oughly as possible. It’s not only OK to say, “I don’t know the answer to your question, may I get back with you?”, it’s the only pro­fes­sional answer when you don’t know, or aren’t certain.

Be Con­ver­sa­tional

This may sound as if it’s the opposite of being pro­fes­sional, but it’s not. People enjoy working with people they enjoy. Keep your ears open for anything they may hint at wanting to share. If they say, “Our weather has been miserable,” “I’m going to my daughter’s practice,” or, “Our golf outing is this weekend,” etc.— ask them about it.

Many sales and marketing pro­fes­sion­als don’t like to cold call. If a cold call isn’t looked at as a sales call, but as a con­ver­sa­tion in which infor­ma­tion is shared – it may not be as intim­i­dat­ing. The telephone can be an integral part of your sales and marketing plan – if used with courtesy and pro­fes­sion­al­ism to determine the prospect’s needs.