So, you have some cold calls to make. Don’t let that pile of contacts intimidate you. Here are 5 tips to help you make the most of your cold calling session and spend more time closing deals:
1. Do your research and start your cold outreach with good data
Potential prospects are everywhere, but you need qualified prospects in your funnel. This means ensuring that you have a good foundation of quality internal or external data sources. Accurate and reliable data can prove to be a significant advantage. Examples include:
- Accurate emails
- Social media links
- Direct-dial business or mobile phone numbers
- Reporting structure
For internal data sources, your company may already have a database of potential prospects. Third-party tools or databases are often a great way to increase the accuracy of your internal data sources.
2. Plan your talking points
Based on your research, you should plan talking points that will engage your prospect. Remember the 3×3 rule: Come up with 3 things to talk about in a 3-minute conversation. Personalize these 3 things to each prospect. Especially avoid following a cold call script. These can come off as impersonal.
3. Try different types of cold outreach
Phone calls are the primary cold outreach method. But speaking on the phone isn’t the only way to engage a prospect. Email and social media are all viable platforms to connect with prospects, especially if prior phone out-reach was unsuccessful.
4. Remember the prospect in the cold call process
Cold calling still requires a connection on a personal level. Focus on the prospect in the initial conversation, not on the sale. Plan your questions around what you know about the prospect so you can speak to their pain points. This will allow you to plan your next engagement and how best to move the prospect along the sales funnel.
5. Track and test your cold call success (and failures)
To create a high-converting sales process, you need data. That data stems from testing what you do in each cold call situation.
a) Test your medium
b) Test your cadence
c) Test your messaging
Testing should not be difficult. With the right systems and software, it can be a seamless addition to your sales cold calling process.
In closing …
Follow these tips and you will start seeing improvements in your close rates. You will be able to create repeatable systems and develop a sales cadence that can help you close the sale faster.
Don’t let cold calls wear you out – Check out our guide on How to Avoid Sales Burnout.
