Sales & Marketing Authority, Bestselling Author & Business Motivational Speaker

On Friday I asked you to take a look at the number of phone calls you would need to make in order to close one sale. Calculating that number should have prepared you to sit down and start dialing again – this time with a specific coal in mind.

What I’d like you to do today, however, is make sure you have a great “cold calling plan.” Cold calling is about more than picking up the phone, hoping you get the right person on the line, and reading from your script. Here are the five things you need to do in order to be successful:

• Identify your target market. Who, out of everyone in the world, is most likely to want what you have to offer? Out of those people, who is most likely to actually make a purchase.
• Create your sales message in advance and practice it. Make sure that you write your message out the way you would speak – not as if you were writing a letter or email. Otherwise you’ll sound as if you’re reading from a script. Remember, the first 10-25 seconds of your message are the most important. You’ll either earn the attention of your prospect or you’ll earn a hang-up!
• Practice what you want to say out loud. Cold calling is very difficult, especially for new salespersons. Practice in the mirror, with friends or family, or with coworkers. Make sure you are comfortable and confident before you try to make your presentation.
• Start dialing. As we’ve already discussed, you won’t get any results unless you keep dialing the phone. Plan your cold calling time just as you would any other meeting or event. Add it to your calendar if you have to.
• Keep track of your results. Make sure you know how many times you’ve dialed, how many messages you left (and how many returned your call), how many people you reached on the first try, how many people rejected you immediately, and how many people were interested in what you have to say. You will, of course, want to track how many of those contacts actually turn into customers!

Prepare for your cold calling experience in advance and you won’t feel so awkward when you pick up the phone!

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

We’ve spoken quite a bit about cold calling and I still maintaining that using cold calls to prospect is an excellent way of generating business.

The problem most new sales people seem to have, however, is determing when to move from phone calls to face-to-face meetings.

The answer isn’t exactly cut and dry.

First of all, there is nothing wrong with conducting your entire sale over the phone. It is often more convenient to conduct business over the phone, especially if your prospect is understanding, doesn’t have time for a sales meeting, and knows what he wants. It’s also more cost effective if you would have to travel a significant distance (such as by plane) in order to meet with him.

On the other hand, not all prospects are imaginative and visual. They may be interested in what you have to say but seem as though they don’t know what questions to ask or how to go about doing business with you. In these cases, setting up a face-to-face meeting is imperative. You’ll need this opportunity in order to make the prospect comfortable with you, your company, and your product. Simply ask if you can set up a time to visit.

Of course, if the prospect you are speaking to is in the same town or general vicinity than there is really no excuse for not making an appointment to, at the very least, stop by and introduce yourself.

The key here is to remember that cold-calling is not the end all be all when it comes to making a sale. Use your best judgement and, if worst comes to worst, just ask if your prospect if he’d mind a visit. The worst he can say is no.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Here’s a quick sales tip to get you started this week.

We’ve discussed the best time of day to call prospects in the past. Usually if you call early in the day you have a better chance of getting the person you really want to speak to on the phone.

But what if you can’t call first thing in the morning?

No matter what time of day you’re making your calls, remember this – call them at the bottom of the hour.

What?! Why?!

Because almost everyone schedules their meetings and appointments on the hour, every hour. It’s human nature. With this in mind, it’s pretty safe to say that the average person will be in his or her office during the bottom half of the hour, either catching up on missed work or preparing for the next meeting.

Busy businesspersons don’t always have 1-2 hour long meetings. They often have brief meetings throughout the day, so the odds of you catching him or her are greater during these times. There will, of course, be times when you call and they’re still in another meeting, and that’s OK. Just try again later on.

Of course, this can work the other way around as well. If you have bad news, call when you think your prospect or client is going to be in a meeting and you will buy yourself some time before you have to deliver that news!

Take alook at your marketing list? Is there anyone you really want/need to reach? Try this theory out for yourself and see how it goes!

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Cold calling earned its name for a reason. Salespersons who make unsolicited calls are often met with a cold attitude that belongs in some sort of arctic climate. There are, however, a few things you can do to make cold calling work for you. Here are a few suggestions.

Send an Informational Packet

Make a list of strong potential clients and mail out some informational packets before you start your cold calling. Include a small promotional item or gift that will make you stand out from the crowd. When you make your call you’ll be able to mention your package and, hopefully, the person you’re speaking to will already know who you are. You’ve essentially broken the ice before even picking up the phone!

Make Your Calls Early in the Day

Make your cold calls as early in the day as possible. The later you wait, the more likely your intended target will be busy, frustrated, or simply unwilling to take your call. He or she will feel more energized and less stressed first thing in the morning. Make your morning hours for phone calls and save your paperwork for the afternoon when both you and your prospects will be too burnt out to keep taking or making phone calls.

Be Persistent

Did you know that most salespersons cross a name off their list after making only two phone calls? Did you know that the majorit of sales are made after making not two, not three, but FIVE phone calls? That’s a huge and significant difference – and should be enough to keep you dialing.

Prepare a Script

I hesitate to tell you to prepare a script for your call. While you don’t want to sound like you’re reading from a piece of paper you also don’t want to leave out any important points. At the very least, make a list of all of the key features and benefits of your products. Just try to avoid sounding like you’re reading from a book.

Cold calling is, again, not fun for most people – especially those who are just starting out in sales. With a little practice, though, I think you’ll get the hang of it in no time flat.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker