Cold calling involves contacting a stranger, engaging them quickly, and convincing them to buy a product or service from you.
In all honesty, cold calling is a challenge and It’s even harder to be consistently successful.
While cold calling can be challenging, it has some unique benefits.
In contrast to email or social media, it lets you connect with someone personally. Additionally, you will get immediate feedback and can make follow-up calls without waiting for email responses.
Some may find cold calling intimidating as It’s a pitch you’re making to someone who has never expressed interest in your product or service before.
However, cold calling can be extremely lucrative with the right approach – particularly in an increasingly remote business world.
Clients rely on More Than Words Marketing for our outbound telemarketing expertise for targeting UK businesses, public sector and education organisations.
Here are our best telemarketing tips for closing calls.
Research your prospects – then research some more
You’re more likely to succeed at cold calling if you are able to connect with your potential customers.
Cold calls often lead to meetings.
In fact, 75% of prospects have attended events or scheduled meetings as a result of cold calls
Research should always precede outreach, and conducting research before a call is a must.
Determine what your client’s pain points are.
Identify what they want, try to understand what they need – and find out what you have in common.
Your cold call will be more valuable when you have done your research, and your potential customer will appreciate that you are in tune with their needs instead of making a generic cold call.
Source: Briantracy.com
Solve problems
When pitching, you should offer solutions, not leave the client wondering what to do next or why you have called them.
The client should feel satisfied that the problem or pain point they were experiencing prior to your call has been resolved – or could be.
During a B2B telemarketing call, take the time to understand exactly what the client does and how your product or service can benefit them.
Simplicity is key
Keep things simple to ensure you are providing a comfortable sales process for the buyer.
Buyers want to feel in control when they are buying, so make sure they understand what they’re buying and how it will benefit them.
Since a B2B telemarketing campaign should use highly qualified prospects, you can assume a genuine interest in your offering.
Keeping your pitch simple and focusing on building real connections is the best way to engage your prospects.
Moreover, the light, friendly approach is a great way to end a call.
Don’t forget to follow up
It is estimated that 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up.
But it takes at least 5 follow-ups and multiple calls to close 80% of successful deals.
Call them back, no matter if they answer right away or if you need to leave a voicemail.
Don’t wait for them to contact you.
You’re the one trying to sell to them, not the other way around. It is up to you to maintain contact.
Quick closing tips
End the call
If the prospect wants to end the call, end it!
Don’t be afraid to end a sales call without a firm answer.
Acknowledging the value of the buyer’s time is an uncommon but very effective sales technique.
Then, you can end the call on your terms, summarising what you have discussed so far and any agreement that has been made.
This technique will leave the door open to progress the sale later, even if you are unable to close immediately.
Resolve objections
A sales objection is a concern that prevents a prospect from buying from you, and you should be prepared to handle last-minute objections when closing a call.
Your most important task when confronted with an objection is to listen. This will enable you to better understand the objection and respond appropriately.
In order to close your customers, it’s best practice to welcome objections during the call – and be prepared to handle them appropriately.
Onboarding timeline
Setting a clear timeframe with your lead is helpful. You will increase your chances of doing business with them when you present a clearer picture.
The unfavourable image of traditional sales calls is that they are aggressive and overly positive, since they want to close a deal before a client changes their mind.
But today’s prospects need to know what they can expect if they choose to work with you.
Ensure they understand:
- any information they need right now, or need to provide you on follow-up,
- how the process works once they make an order, and
- what you will do next and when they can expect to hear from you again.
More Than Words Marketing can help you to make more successful cold calls to your target market.
Get in touch to find out how our sales team can improve your marketing calls on 0330 010 8300.