Cold Calling Is Dead (And Other Flights of Fancy)

The thought of cold calling can easily send a shiver of dread down anyone’s spine. 

In today’s world, most consumers and businesses hate cold calling. In this blog, we will show you how you can use that avoidance to your advantage.

Research shows that 41.2% of sales professionals still believe the phone is their most effective sales tool. You need your sales associates to fully embrace the idea of cold calling.

Keep reading to learn a few cold calling tips that can help make cold calling easier and more rewarding for your sales team.

Key Takeaways

• Sales reps should view each cold call as an opportunity to learn something new as opposed to focusing only on sales.
• While cold calls should have a script, sales reps need to sound natural and not robotic while learning how to adapt to conversations.
• Calling at the right time can have a major impact on how receptive a prospect is.

What Is Cold Calling?

Cold calling is a sales strategy businesses use to connect with potential customers who have not initiated contact or expressed any interest in the products or services. Most cold calling is done over the phone. However, it can be done in person as well.

In the earlier years of cold calling, sales staff did not have much information to work with. Today, however, salespeople usually have targeted information that can help them call the right people. This helps increase the overall success rate.

Cold calling can be an anxiety-causing experience for many salespeople. If you have sales staff who do not enjoy their cold calling experience, the tips in this video may help them transform their anxiety into confidence.

6 Effective Cold Calling Strategies

As you work with your sales team to encourage more cold calling, give them the tools and strategies they need to feel confident and be successful.

1. Turn Rejection into Action 

As a salesperson, you are going to get rejected countless times. Instead of letting that rejection get you down, turn it into a learning experience. Try these strategies:

• Collect your funniest rejections: To help release some tension, have your sales team share their funniest rejection stories. You could even offer a prize for the funniest scenario. 
• Ask why: If someone politely says no, consider asking them why they are not interested. Don’t switch to selling, just listen to their explanation.
• Practice being rejected: Have your sales team practice some extreme, rude rejections on each other. This might help the real thing feel less harsh. 

2. Focus on Learning 

You already know you won’t make a sale on every call. Instead of being focused on sales while cold calling, have a goal of learning something from every call.

• Use a script: By using a script, you will notice trends as to where you get shut down most often. You can use that information to rewrite the script until you can get through your entire script more than half of the time.
• Listen to answers: Go back and listen to your sales calls. Specifically, listen to the answers prospects give to questions. Better questions lead to better conversations.

3. Use Technology to Make Calling Easier 

If you are manually dialing phone numbers and navigating through complicated phone menus, you need to upgrade your process with a modern customer relationship management (CRM) system or at least a VoIP phone system. Technology can take over some of the mundane tasks that come with cold calling.

4. Don’t Waste Your Time 

Calling a business or person who is not remotely interested in your products not only wastes their time but also wastes yours. Before you start dialing numbers, make sure that person or business fits into your targeted demographic.

A pre-call checklist like the one below can help with targeted research before you place the call.

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5. Be an Actor Not a Robot 

After saying the same thing over and over, it is easy to fall into an automated mindset. However, the people you speak to can tell when you are not engaged in the conversation.

Read your script like a performance and use real emotions. Try these suggestions:

• Memorize your script: Actors have to memorize their lines. However, they frequently go off-script when the moment needs it. With your script memorized, this makes it easier to adapt to specific customer situations and go unscripted, when needed.
• Be prepared with questions: Have a list of pre-written questions ready. Choose the ones that best fit the dynamic of the conversation.
• Know how to respond to objections: More often than not, the prospect is going to say no and have some specific objections. Be prepared with your answers to the most common concerns.

6. Call at the Right Time 

Calling when a prospect is busy can quickly lead to rejection. However, it can be difficult to predict the best time to call. 

Research shows that when calling a business prospect, Wednesdays and Thursdays are still the best days to call. Surprisingly, the best time to call is between 4 and 5 p.m. This is seemingly because business prospects are more open to interruptions as they wind down their day.

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Cold Calling Myths

For years “experts” have been saying that cold calling is dead. We know this is not true. 

Along with this myth, here are some of the other most common cold calling misconceptions:

• Cold calling is outdated: Many industry leaders simply claim cold calling doesn’t work because they don’t take the time to figure out how to do it right.
• Cold calling is forced: Some businesses do force cold calling on their sales reps with strict quotas. A flexible sales model makes cold calling more natural.
• Cold calling is too invasive: While it is easier than ever for customers to connect with businesses, sometimes interrupting their routine with an unexpected solution can be refreshing.
• Cold calling reps turn into robots: Well-trained sales reps know how to master their sales script and use it to their advantage without sounding robotic.
• Quality is not important in cold calls: Many people view cold calling as strictly based on volume instead of quality. Modern cold calling relies on focused demographics. This leads to more calls to interested parties and higher-quality conversations.

Let Televerde Help Ease Your Cold Calling Stress

We understand the stress and anxiety that come with cold calling. We offer innovative solutions to businesses just like yours including sales outsourcing. Sales outsourcing can take over the cold calling for you so your sales staff can focus on more qualified leads.

Want to know how to catch up on your sales targets if you’re falling behind? Check out our eBook today.

Are you ready to discuss your sales goals and learn how we can help you meet them? Contact us today to learn how to get started.