In this new series, Marketing Basics, BizAssist takes a look at the evolving science of fundamental marketing tactics and how they are changing in the new economy. In the first installment on cold calling, we tackle every business owner’s most dreaded DIY marketing task: the cold call.
I’ve never met a small business owner who enjoyed making cold calls. But, as lean small business marketing machines, we often can’t afford outsourced telemarketing or telesales resources to do the job for us. So, we go to our trusty word processors and start writing a script that doesn’t sound the way we naturally speak, and that asks questions we know our buyers hate answering. We do this because we know that cold calling remains one of the most viable ways to jumpstart a relationship with a prospective new customer.
Why do we always think we have to turn ourselves into someone else when we start making cold calls? We know intuitively that the only relationships that stick are the ones that evolve through credible, knowledgeable interactions and informed by mutual trust and respect. It’s hard to write those into a script that you can deliver consistently and memorably, so how about taking a different approach?
The foundation of any successful cold call is all about asking the right questions – not the questions that come from your sales agenda, but rather questions designed to help the sales target “elicit” and talk about their business. Successful eliciting is what happens when you know your questions are resonating – your prospects start to respond with real information and offer up real challenges and business problems. Once the seed of a real conversation starts to take hold, your role as a telesales operator does a complete about-face – you become the listener, rather than the interrogator. Instead of an intrusion, you become a potential solution to a problem. That can take the sales cold call to an entirely different level, and it will instantly put you at ease.
Sounds easy, but how do you get there? Here’s an opening salvo that will start the cold call off on the right foot:
- It’s About Them – Don’t bother memorizing a long, scripted blurb about who you are and your company. The cold call should be about your prospect, so introduce yourself quickly and move on to something relevant about your prospect’s business. Research is key, so be sure you’ve made an attempt to understand the dynamics of your prospect’s business, such as the industry they serve, current trends or challenges, who their customers are and what their competitors are up to. Start with questions that begin with, “I noticed on your website” or “I’ve been doing some research in your industry, and…”. Follow your observations up with your first attempt to get them to elicit. Ask them what they are seeing – what is their point of view?
- Get Prospects to Go Deeper – Resist the urge start your pitch just when you start to get prospects to elicit. The deeper you can get them to go, the longer your conversation will last and the more you’ll learn about their needs. When they offer a piece of insight or an observation, use additional probing questions like, “Why do you think that is?” of “What have you been hearing from your customers?” These are questions that send the message that you want to learn, and that you understand the value of being customer centric. You’ll also sound invested in their business from early on – not concerned about making a sale, but about how you can help them.
- Follow Their Agenda & Take Their Lead – You want to get your prospects to set up a meeting and take your conversation further, but that shouldn’t be your obvious agenda. Instead of forcing the conversation down a path of calendar appointments, start by keeping your questions open-ended. A couple of options might include: “What do you suggest the next step might be?” or “How would you like to move the conversation forward?” Let your prospect suggest the next step, and then be flexible enough to accommodate their preferences. By this point, you’ve started to build the foundation for lasting engagement – don’t squander it by reverting to script.
In the next installment in our series, we’ll review strategies to keep your cold call prospects engaged throughout the sales cycle.