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