Cold calls. Cold calling technique

Someone loves them, and someone terribly hates.

At the same time, x Cold calls in conservative industries and narrow niches remain one of the best ways to find new customers and customers.

Even an experienced manager on the phone experiences some stress during a phone call. But all the experiences are more than paid off by inner delight and jubilation from closing the sale after cold calls.

In this case, everything happens according to the well-known law of nature: you must first give in order to receive something. You are investing your personal emotions and energy in developing business success.

Online marketing is now becoming the default tool for most companies that want to get new leads and new customers quickly and inexpensively.

Cold calls have lost their place in the ranking of the popularity of promotion tools over the past 10 years. However, they remain an extremely profitable form of marketing when properly configured for you.

In this post, I will show you 10 ways to improve your productivity on your phone. The material is based on personal research and on advice that I have collected on the net and that I have been able to test in my work.

To become a master of cold calling, use these tips and you will definitely collect the contacts of the right people and start working with the most profitable buyers.

Find out who to work with

Without up-to-date data on the industry of your potential customers, even the most talented manager will not get results.

I didn’t do this before, but now I see a deep sense in lingering at the start in order to save strength and energy. The first thing I do when preparing for a cold call is to research the industry or field of my choice. The most inhuman alternative to this step is to call everyone indiscriminately from the directory.

If you do not have data on the decision maker ( Decision Maker), his full name and position. You do not know the role of the decision maker in his company. First you need to find out how working in the selected companies is related to the questions that you plan to ask.

First, collect information and find "points of entry" in the interests of your chosen group of clients. To do this, use search queries and information about the industry from Wikipedia, LinkedIn, Facebook.

Find relevant posts on forums, job openings and resumes on job search sites, discussions at industry events, and other information about how your potential clients solve problems.

The collected information should meet the basic requirement - in given industries they use and purchase similar services or goods that you plan to talk about.

Learn how to use search engines before you start making calls. At the beginning, it may be difficult for you to digest a large amount of information that is not relevant to you, or you may be faced with a complete lack of necessary information.

Narrow your search, use key phrases + industry name. Constantly upgrade your research skills.

For example, I really want to believe that companies from the oil sector use translations from foreign languages ​​when conducting business correspondence and preparing documentation for export deliveries. Previously, we have not worked with this industry, there are only assumptions.

How to choose the right keywords for requesting information about translations? First, I am looking for vacancies for full-time translators in this area.

I collect information on the Web about their level, qualifications, and the requirements of employers with such requests: “an oil company is looking for a translator from a foreign language”, “an oil company is looking for a vacancy for a foreign language translator” and I receive a sample of answers and several resumes of translators from the oil industry.

I look through vacancies and resumes and see that a full-time translator closes most of the issues related to translations in the company.

This means that there is a lot of work and it is preferable to keep a full-time translator than to work under a contract with a company. Therefore, it is not worth asking the question about the expediency of transferring written translations to our company. They will answer me - we have a full-time translator.

This scenario will be repeated over and over and I don't want that.

The only way to get started with such a company is to help out with a full-time translator, who may not be able to keep up during periods of stormy (seasonal) activity. Or who will be able to transfer his routine "to the side."

You can test this hypothesis on forums or social networks by asking industry translators about the need to help them.

After reviewing the information and conducting a brief survey, I decided not to test my hypothesis with further calls. The industry was "closed". Negotiations and correspondence have a high degree of confidentiality. Remote assistants are rarely involved. "The game is not worth the candle" - this industry is not for us. At least for the entrance "from the street."

It took me only 1.5 hours for this investigation. I would not have learned even a share of such information, even if I had called for 1.5 days.

Make a plan, not a script

The rules of cold calling, imposed on us by marketing and sales gurus, state that success or failure depends on the quality of your script. That's right, you can do a script with verbatim phrases for cold calls. But when you start to pronounce it on the phone, it looks like a monologue of a telephone robot reporting a debt.

Such a dialogue sounds uninteresting and even offends your interlocutor, and therefore deprives you of the prospect of establishing contact with him.

Create a plan instead of a script. General map of your calls. And approve the rules of permissible freedom in communication.

Some calls require spontaneous thinking. To successfully and sincerely overcome objections - the script will not help.

The cold calling map allows me to digress from the topic, but eventually return to it again. I personally don't like hard scripts.

Remember what happened at school. We stubbornly crammed the correct answers, retold and rewrote word for word, exactly the same. But many things remained serrated, but not understood. A understood and accepted plan with key phrases distinguishes a successful manager from a market-scanning robot.

Managers don't like detailed scripts because they have to speak their own language. And managers are right when they say that scripts don't give them the wiggle room to answer a potential client's questions. Instead of working on the map, you constantly adjust the conversation script and still have questions. It's also annoying that after working on a script for a long time, you can stop noticing new objections, new facts and events.

Refusal does not mean offending

Very often they “hang” me on the first bitch, do not answer my questions or do not switch (although they say they do). It is important to understand here that this will always happen.

Even if the offer is completely free or carries fantastic benefits. People working in the IT field who have developed a new unique product or service will understand me now. Even from an indefinite free test drive, people refuse.

But this does not mean at all that no one wants to deal with you personally. You just have to get used to the fact that it is not you who is rejected, but your call.

The market in some industries is “scorched” by cold calls. The subscriber on the other end of the wire often subconsciously rejects all attempts to start a dialogue.

Still there is a call to the wrong place, out of business, at the wrong time or at the wrong address. Don't let yourself be convinced that your product or service, idea or opportunity is useless.

Yes, several people refused. Use denial for personal learning. Record failures in a notepad or save audio recordings of failures on your computer.

How can you use the rejection to your advantage?

When your presentation has already failed, don't hang up - ask the person why they said "no, not interested." Through such a simple survey after unsuccessful calls, you will learn a lot about what makes people refuse.

This unexpected technique I often use in new industries. And it is very important not to make assumptions for the client: “They probably have full-time translators. Yep, that's understandable."

Don't do it! Let the customer speak for himself!

For example, use such a direct question: “Let me ask, why is it “not interesting”? So I can understand your specifics ... "

And very often they answer me like this: “In general, we are a branch, and all services are purchased from the parent company. You can call there. Write down the phone."

Stand up when the conversation is important

You should not think that since the interlocutor cannot see us, then you can lie in an armchair with your legs on the table.

People are sure will hear your insecurity or arrogance over the phone. Believe me, the person lying in the chair can be heard. I listened to my audio recordings. I didn't want to talk to myself!

Once upon a time, at one of the first sales trainings, we were recommended to get up with the phone handset if an important contact occurred.

When I do this, I feel like I get extra energy. A straight back makes my voice clearer and more persuasive for discussing details. I understand that I am already participating in serious negotiations, and this technique allows you to catch the right wave at the physiological level.

This is a psychological trick, just like smiling during a conversation.

It also helps me to remember those people who managed to influence me personally in a conversation or during a meeting.

Try to imitate the body language, tone of voice and confident phrases of such people “on the screen” during cold calls.

You won't be able to do it right away. But each time it will get longer and better.

These are learned skills. Start by simply getting up from your chair.

Prepare responses to objections

Very few clients will say “Oh, we just need this!” from the first call. Almost every call will have objections from customers.

Of course, more often than not, we ourselves disagree when someone slips an opinion that is not adapted to our needs. Or when they ask questions that distract from current affairs.

But if you tell more about yourself or your way of helping in an original way, then you pass the test of trust and expertise. The client becomes interested enough to be distracted for a few minutes from their affairs.

The key to overcoming objections is to know ahead of time what they will object to. Just as you plan a conversation, prepare strong arguments and colorful explanations in your favor.

If you cannot address all objections immediately, then, as I said above, collect and accumulate them from the very beginning of your work. This way you can prepare and test good answers on the next call.

Every objection is important to use!

If you hear - "It's too expensive!" - do not try to declare your (as it seems to you) “features” without a clear example, such as the high quality of the product or an acceptable price.

And do not try to tell the client about the strong personality of your director, who is known to everyone in the city.

Clients know that the strong personality of your director will not help them in any way, that today the quality of services is on average similar across industries, and reasonable prices and high speed - all this needs to be proven first!

Most often I use the technique: “Divide the price into components”
It is so convenient to show the client what he refuses if he wants to save money.

Consider the example of my typical dialogue with a client (there will be question templates in parentheses to adapt to your needs)

Client: We are now translating 300 rubles per page, and you have 450 rubles in the price list. It's too expensive for us.
I: So, let's stop there. Do you order translations from an agency or from a private person? (Who are you paying? What level of current competitor?)
Client: In the company, under the contract. Looks like Translife.
I: Great, but what volume of translation are we talking about now? And what are the deadlines usually? (Request for the volume and urgency of execution)
Client: Our volumes are 1000-1500 pages, project documentation. Within 2-3 weeks, it usually "endures". There are a lot of repetitions and identical tables, but they edit and finalize everything for us at this price.
I: Great! If such serious volumes and with numerous repetitions, I think that we can agree on 300 rubles per page. Can you send a sample with a document for an accurate calculation? At the same time, look at the level and quality of work of our translators. It will be free.
Client: Well, the quality really does not always suit us. We finalized the last project for another whole week. If you can do better and at the same price, we can try to work together.

Break your objection handling into a series of small clarifying questions.

You kind of say to the client - I'm not just calling the base on the list, I want to work with you, I want to make cooperation profitable for you, I know the market and will seek a compromise.

Offer to do a free quote based on a recent project that has already been completed with your competitors so that the client can appreciate the big picture.

The usual comparison of positions in the price list is biased!

Also, immediately clarify whether everything was perfect in working with a competitor, or there is something that you would like to avoid in the future.

With the original wording of the answer to the objection, you have the opportunity to show the client that you are not like other managers who constantly call the office.

Perhaps a masterfully crafted objection is the best opportunity to continue the conversation and build trust.

Get my bonus list of top customer objections for free

Prepare your original answers instead of the suggested ones and become just an unstoppable phone salesman!

The habit of hearing "no"

In the world of sales, rejection doesn't always mean you don't stand a chance. Many interlocutors answer “no” as soon as they identify you as a seller. This reaction is more like a reflex than a reasoned response.

Don't worry just because you got rejected in the beginning. This does not mean that they will not agree with you later, after hearing your arguments or clarifying questions.

There is a rule: "Use refusal as an invitation to ask questions." Do you think the client needs more information? Maybe yes, maybe not. In any case, this is not at all an excuse to “apologize for the bother” and end the phone call.

Do not persist right now if you feel that the moment is not the best.

Often, when I get rejected for no reason or even “rude rejection”, I just set an alarm for another date.

Toward the end of the day or even the end of the month.

So I check that that hasty refusal was not due to seasonal or weekday peaks of a person's load on the phone.

I've turned down calls myself, simply because it wasn't convenient to talk, or because I'd already talked to a few salespeople, or because the kids were too noisy around me.

You understand, the first refusal is not real. Like make-believe. Instead of giving up immediately without a fight, ask clarifying questions about the reason for the refusal and then use your plan to answer the objections received.

These phrases are like shots: “no”, “we don’t need it”, “not interested”, “don’t tell, it’s not necessary” can be intimidating and numb for novice managers. But their pluses are that tremendous opportunities lie behind them.

Alas, in order to make sure of this, it will take some time and regular practice.

Talk to the secretary

In the corporate world, the manager traditionally shields himself with subordinates and assistants. Almost all incoming calls go to secretaries and administrators.

In sales, these are the people who stand at the “gateway to the company” and ruin all your great plans. The answer to your offer or question is often the default “we are not interested”.

Despite the secretary's immediate reaction, they, like everyone else, react to proven psychological tactics.

One of the best ways to get the right information or action is to introduce yourself as a client or partner of the company.

Ask the secretary for help finding the information you need. When they switch you and they answer there, say that you don’t know why you were connected to this department and ask them to connect you to the department that you were originally looking for.

Here, the expectation is that the internal employee recognizes the secretary's mistake in dialing the number and performs his function smoothly and without objection.

Good afternoon, Sergey Sedykh! Please tell me, do you have an estimate engineer in your company? Do you calculate custom projects? Who can I discuss my project with?

... Switch to the budget department

Good afternoon, Sergey Sedykh, SPHERE company, is this the department of foreign economic activity? No? Where did I get to? And how can I get into the foreign trade department now? Can you switch?

This trick works because it slightly changes the usual notion of "secretary's passage". All secretaries and administrators are used to being “pushed through” or asked in a friendly way to connect with a specific person.

And when someone asks them for help, it breaks the stereotype of a brazen or cunning salesperson. After all, only clients or partners ask for help. Try this tactic with those who have turned you down before and you didn't know how to approach them.

Know Your Product

There are only three types of customers who buy from you.

The first ones, the most numerous and the most unreliable in the long run, become customers because of the low price.

The latter become customers thanks to a convincing presentation and technical boost from the fourth or fifth attempt.

Still others always want to know more about the characteristics of the product and how to use it before you buy.

The most valuable “for life” customers are the third ones who need to know the technical details and how to use the product or service after purchase.

You are selling these customers a new world, in which you describe in detail its new opportunities from using your product or service.

And they live in this new world thanks to you! They are grateful to you!

This rule is even more true if you are selling a technical product or a specific service.

Consulting, auditing or new IT infrastructure may not fit into the current needs of the company. In this case, knowing the technical data and exceptional features of your product will help you close the deal with your most valuable customers.

Instead of focusing solely on mastering sales techniques, speaking culture, and writing cleanliness, rather than endlessly overcoming objections and rejections, take the time to learn about your product's key technical features and know how valuable they are to your customers.

Prepare a special offer

Each of us loves to get something for free.

What could be better than getting a discount on the right product or service. Especially if you feel that this offer is exclusive, and even with a limited duration.

One of the best ways to negotiate a deal over the phone is to offer a bonus or discount for those who are still hesitant or hesitating.

How excruciatingly painful and insulting it is when you sell a new world to your client and he mentally buys it, but delays paying the bill.

And he pulls because he needs this world, but he really wants to get a small discount. Tiny.

But you think that you can not give it. And you lose the deal because your competitor gives you a discount.

When there is a fundamental decision that the client cannot live without your product or service now, swing the swing of the transaction in your direction. Just use as an argument not the amount of the discount, but its exclusivity or limited duration.

Prepare in advance two or three justifications for additional bonuses for new customers - from free samples to a physical discount. Use them only to overcome the indecision of a potential client.

An additional five percent "new customers only in March" discount is often all it takes to get started with your new customer.

Track call results

Analyze the results of your work. Think about what methods work and what don't. This way you can gradually increase your level of performance.

Factors such as the time of day you call, which departments you are transferred to, who you spoke to in terms of position, which conversation plan worked best - all this will allow you to notice the difference.

This will allow you to see which combination of variables works most effectively. This way you can optimize your next steps.

Based on the statistics of past years of work, I determined for myself that calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 pm to 3 pm have the maximum efficiency. This does not mean that I do not call at other times. But if I need to leave for a meeting, then I will schedule it for the morning or evening so that I can devote myself to calls at the best time.

Recording cold calls becomes easier with a CRM system. There will be a lot of phone calls. In addition, we experience work stress and often forget who we called a week or a month ago. I demonstrated a convenient CRM for cold calls with a recording of negotiations.

1. Reread this post again

2. Choose for yourself those items that "respond within you"

3. Start Making Other Cold Calls

Personally, I love cold calling. Cold calling is scary right from the start.

When you found confidence in yourself, realized that rejections and objections are your opportunities, and not obstacles at all - cold calls become a favorite way to acquire new orders and customers.

The telephone is a tool, and whether the manager builds an effective dialogue with a potential client or not depends on the ability to use it. No one likes when they call him and impose something that he does not need at all.

However, cold calling is not a waste of time. They can and should be made effective by hiring the right managers who will not turn the whole process into a banal phone call. In this article, we will look at what cold calls are and the rules for their implementation.

What is cold calling in sales

All calls can be divided into two broad categories: cold and warm. Warm calls are contact with a client who already has an idea about your company. For example, he previously purchased a product, or was simply interested in services. The purpose of warm calls is to remind you of yourself in order to restore cooperation. Warm calls imply that the operator already knows who his buyer is, as well as how he can be interested. What then are cold calls?

Another thing is cold calling. Here the operator knows almost nothing about the client. Communication goes according to a script written in advance. The operator calls the database of potential customers and offers the company's product. As a rule, cold sales have low efficiency, however, sometimes they are the only way to get through to the head of the enterprise.

According to statistics, only 1 client out of 100 "falls" on the hook of the operator and performs the action he needs, for example, purchases a product.

In what cases are used

The B2B industry is not complete without cold calls. So, this sales technique has just begun to gain momentum. What is it for?

• for a constant influx of new customers into the company;
• to announce that a new company or service has entered the market;
• in order to update the client base;
• to select the most promising potential customers.

Video - how to write sales scripts for B2B:

In Russian practice, cold calls are most often used in such areas as advertising, manufacturing, wholesale, as well as everything related to real estate.

Advantages and disadvantages

Although seemingly ineffective, this method of telemarketing has several advantages. Let's consider the main ones.

• Such telemarketing much more efficient than distributing flyers and other printed materials. Moreover, it is through a telephone conversation that you can ask for a personal meeting with a responsible person.
• Client automatically set up for business when communicating on the phone, and this also helps to sell a product or service.
• Telemarketing is effective way to do research. So, even if the operator failed to persuade the client to buy a product or service, then his interlocutor probably answered some questions, on the basis of which a more accurate map of the target audience can be made.
• The effectiveness of cold calls directly depends on the manager who implements them. So, you can increase it by hiring the right competent specialists.

Video - examples of cold calls for a manager:

Options for organizing sales in the form of calling customers in the database

In order to organize cold calls, you can either involve the managers of your organization, or outsource this process, for example, to the Call Center. Both options have both pros and cons.

Own managers

How good are your managers? They know everything about their product. So, you will not need to give them information about what you are going to sell over the phone. Also, the organization of calling the base by your own staff is a cost minimization, because you do not need to pay a third-party organization. In addition, there are the following nuances when organizing telemarketing with the help of your employees:

• Human factor. When making about a third of cold calls, the operator is faced with negativity: people on the other end of the phone are rude and just hang up at the most inopportune moment. If you do not want your employees to be negatively affected by nervous secretaries and negligent directors for the next few weeks, then it is better to outsource cold calls.
• You'll have to on your own write a conversation script, according to which the call will be made.
• Ordinary managers most likely not familiar with active sales techniques and therefore the effectiveness of cold calling performed by ordinary employees will be somewhat less than if you entrust it to professionals.

Cold calling through regular employees is effective when the customer base is small and you are in the mood for a good return on telemarketing.

Agreement with a third-party CALL center

Outsourcing a task has several obvious advantages, chief among which is efficiency in making calls. Call center operators have developed a sales technique for themselves and it is easier for them than for company managers to reach out to the decision maker. The services of a third-party company should be used if the client base for calling is very large and the process will take a long period of time.

You should not assume that since Call-center employees do not have an idea about the promoted product, they will not be able to complete the sale. In fact, in cold calls, it is enough to know the technique of conducting them, and not information about the product being promoted.

The disadvantage of this method of conducting cold calling can be called monetary costs, since the services of outsourcing companies are quite expensive.

Cold calling as a telephone sales technique

Cold calling in marketing is a whole science that has several sections. So, one of them is the conversation pattern. If you call the company, you will most often get to the secretary or operator. But how do you get to the contact person you need?

Universal Conversation Scheme

Almost every cold conversation consists of several stages. So, when you call the company, you get to the secretary. As a rule, more than half of cold calls end here, because a competent secretary will never let a "salesperson" to the manager. If the manager successfully bypasses this stage, then he faces the following tasks:

1. Get to know the decision maker and try to establish contact.
2. Understand what the potential customer needs. Talk about the company's product or service. Respond to all objections.
3. Set up a meeting with the goal of closing it with a sale.

LPR - what is it in sales

The decision maker (decision maker) is the person in the company who can approve or, on the contrary, make adjustments to the project. Do not assume that this person must necessarily be a director. So, sometimes this person is the deputy director, commercial director, head of the sales department or just the general manager. It all depends on how the hierarchy is built in the company.

It is not easy to find an approach to such persons, however, with a competent conversation, the operator has the opportunity to bring the decision maker to a cooperation agreement, or at least to the fact that he agrees to accept the manager in the office.

Video - how to arouse customer curiosity in the first seconds of a cold call:

In order to calculate the decision maker in the company, you must be a "scout". Your questions to the secretary or trusted person will determine whether you understand who to contact in order for the purchase of your product to be approved.

The operator must be resourceful and bold in order to clarify who makes the decisions. This can be done, for example, through the accounting department or the purchasing department. Do not be afraid to ask the last name and first name of the responsible person, this will only increase loyalty to you.

An operator who is trying to convey the importance of purchasing a product must also be a marketer in order for his unique selling proposition to be truly “unique”, and not copied from competitors.

You should be prepared to explain the benefits to a potential buyer, and, knowing his pains, convey the benefits of acquiring the company's product.

If these conditions are met, the decision maker will make contact on his own, without waiting for the final part of the manager's speech.

In order to reach the decision maker, you need skills such as ingenuity, creativity, a fresh look at things, a high level of communication.

How to bypass the secretary when cold calling

There are many scenarios for bypassing the secretarial barrier. Thus, the task of the sales manager is to determine which approach will be more effective in communicating with a particular secretary. What can be done so that the secretary connects with the decision maker?

Enchant

In order to bypass the secretary, you can use flattery. A couple of compliments should be thrown in his direction regarding his professionalism in his work. In most cases, this immediately increases the secretary's loyalty to the operator, and he will be ready to connect him with the decision maker.

Recruit

You can pretend that the director/sales manager/deputy boss himself asked you to call him back. In a dry and persistent tone, you need to introduce yourself to the secretary and say that the decision maker is waiting for a call from him. This trick often works.

Video - 11 tricks for passing a secretary with a cold call:

However, it will not work to “recruit” a secretary who is no longer young and experienced. As a rule, at large enterprises, the director is “protected” by a woman of Balzac age, who immediately sees through the recruitment attempt. If the operator feels that this method will not help here, then the only option left is to be polite and courteous and ask the secretary for help.

cheat

Not everyone can cheat, however, this technique also works. For example, you can call the secretary and say that such and such a company is preparing a business letter for the purchasing manager, but cannot find his last name, first name and patronymic, as well as contact details in order to transfer the business letter. The secretary can not only suggest the name of the right person, but also give an e-mail or even a phone number.

Show resistance

Not everyone can apply pressure, but power techniques work great. The main component of such a technique is the "staging" of the secretary in his place. So, after he refuses to connect you with the decision maker, you should ask who exactly is involved in the decisions, and also clarify that this information will be reported to the company's management. The secretary will return to his post and it will be possible to continue the usual live communication.

You can find out contacts not only from the secretary, but also from other employees of the company. As a rule, they have less contact with "salesmen" and it is for this reason that it is much easier to find an approach to them.

Using scripts

A script is a pre-planned sequence of actions that is executed as the call progresses. A scenario can be called a script, where the choice of this or that action depends on the action of the “opponent” (DM or secretary).

Scripts help to conduct a conversation as fruitfully as possible: for example, practice has shown that working with scripts increases the likelihood of a sale up to 30%.

Scripts come in two types: rigid and flexible. Hard scripts suggest that there are not so many options for the development of events. Rigid scripts are used when the promoted product has many advantages and it will be difficult for a potential client to refuse the operator. For example, you simply offer a huge discount, or some other benefit that your competitors do not have.

Flexible scripts will be used when the promoted product is “complex”. In order to sell it, creative and creative managers are required. There are many options for the development of events, and that is why flexible scripts are multivariate.

Work with objections

The decision maker will resist in every possible way to make a positive decision. So, scripts help to answer all his objections. For example, the decision maker can say that the company is having a hard time and does not have extra cash now, or simply and clearly answer “I will think about it,” which is tantamount to “I refuse you.”

Consider the most popular scripts to convince the client that his objection is worthless compared to the merits of the product.

• Yes, but along with that …

Convince the client that along with the disadvantage that he identified, the product has many advantages. For example, if a potential customer says that he has heard a lot of bad reviews, convince him that there are ten times more positive reviews about the product.

• That is why….

A potential client wants to think and offers to contact you a little later? It is worth answering such a decision maker that this is why you want to meet with him. The decision maker says that the product is expensive? That's why you offer him a trial version or a huge discount.

• Make the client remember past bad experiences.

For example, he also claims that your services will cost him a decent amount of money. Ask him if he ever bought a cheap item and then went for an expensive one anyway. Surely he will confirm your guess and it will be even easier to close the decision maker for sale.

conclusions

So, cold calls are a time-consuming, but quite effective way not only to attract new customers, but also to clear the customer base of unnecessary counterparties, and also just to make a small reminder that your company will always be happy to provide them with services or sell goods.

Cold calls can be made both independently in the organization, and this process can be outsourced. Both methods have both advantages and disadvantages. Cold calls are only gaining momentum and their popularity as a sales method is growing every day.

Video - cold calling tips:

Many who decide to work as a sales manager are faced with the need to make cold calls. However, not everyone understands what it is, and do not know the rules by which they should be carried out. Against the backdrop of the great importance of such activities, the inability to make sales by phone can drop the employee's credibility in the eyes of management.

essence

It is not difficult to understand what cold calls are in sales. Their technique involves calling potential customers who are not yet familiar with the company. The goal is to interest a person and encourage them to contact the organization to purchase a product or service, as well as to expand the customer base.

Some people think that cold calling techniques are quite simple. However, this is not at all the case. To succeed in this area of ​​activity, you should study a huge number of nuances and pitfalls. That is why managers who own this technique are in demand among employers.

There are three characteristics that an employee must have in order for the effectiveness of cold calls to be sufficiently high: a sufficient level of self-control, complete knowledge of the information about the goods and services offered, knowledge of the tastes and preferences of potential customers.

Shortage of professionals

Specialists who understand how to make cold calls are in high demand. However, their number in the labor market is very small. The reason lies primarily in psychological factors.

Many people cannot overcome themselves and call a stranger. They are afraid that a potential client will simply reject them and refuse to talk, because no one likes it when a stranger calls him and at the same time tries to sell something. That is why for a specialist, cold calls can be a very serious test of strength.

However, the manager should not be afraid to hear “no”. All objections can be predicted in advance, so with the right behavior you can try to prevent them. At the same time, it is important to conduct a conversation not in stereotyped phrases, but to develop your own answers in accordance with the situation. It is also necessary to learn how to determine the intonation of the voice and respond to it adequately.

Rules

There are a number of rules that must be followed by managers making cold calls. The technique of selling by phone implies following the following principles:

1. Do not immediately try to sell a product or service during the first call. It is even useful to emphasize that the goal of the manager is not bargaining. It is much more important at this moment to collect information about a potential client and achieve his location.
2. It's important to ask the right questions. This will create an impression of both the specialist and the company he represents. Competent dialogue increases the chances to interest a potential client. That is why you should prepare very carefully for the conversation. If the manager has information about the company and is oriented in the market situation, he will create an impression of himself as a competent specialist. The purpose of the first call is to collect as much useful information as possible about the potential client's problems in order to offer him an effective solution to such difficulties during the next conversation.
3. It is important to try to arrange a personal meeting. If the manager manages to do this, the chance of converting a potential client to permanent status will increase significantly.

First difficulties

Anyone who decides to use cold calling techniques will have to face a huge number of difficulties. Most of them appear at the very beginning of the conversation.

The first problem is that in most large companies all calls go to the secretary first. He recognizes standard telephone sales patterns very quickly. Many secretaries have learned to competently interrupt calls even before the manager has time to convey any information.

The next difficulty is that customers during a cold call usually do not want to communicate. In this case, the manager must arouse some interest in the opponent. However, this is difficult to do because the potential client rarely wants to talk. Many cold calls last no more than 60 seconds. The manager should not flatter himself if he was asked to send a commercial offer and even gave an email address. It still hardly means anything. The fact is that most of the offers of unfamiliar firms are deleted without reading.

Reasons for not liking cold calls

The phenomenon of cold calling is that they are disliked by both sides of the process. Managers are afraid to use such technologies and try their best to avoid them. Clients listen to a lot of cold calls from specialists. And often those who sell are not even able to properly make an offer. However, those managers who are really interested in what cold calls are in sales, how to make them correctly, are able to overcome all the difficulties of this complex technique. For this, it is necessary to study the technologies on which such negotiations are conducted. It is important to gradually get rid of the need to follow the script.

How to increase the chance of success

Cold calling technology can be very effective if you follow a few rules. It is worth starting communication with a question that will help you quickly find out whether the company receiving the call can be attributed to the target audience. The reason should not be the desire to sell, impose a product or service. In this case, the conversation is unlikely to last long enough. Much more effective is the manager's offer of a free trial service or seminar. At the same time, he should not be afraid of failures. They are inevitable. Only by passing through them, you can achieve success.

call script

Any business event will be much more effective if you prepare for it in advance. In this regard, there is a wide scope for creativity for managers who make cold calls. Selling by phone means that the interlocutors do not see each other. And this means that you can lay out a variety of cheat sheets, diagrams and tips around.

A pre-written conversation script will help to overcome fear and make speech more confident. It must contain the following blocks:

• The greeting should be in the form "Good morning!" or "Good afternoon!".
• Representation: you need to give your name and the name of the company that the manager represents.
• The purpose of the "acquaintance" block is to find out the name and position of the person who is in charge of the issue of interest.
• Presentation: briefly indicates the scope of the organization.
• The suggestion is to indicate the purpose of the call. It can be an invitation to a seminar, a story about discounts and promotions.
• A question that helps to test whether the company belongs to the target audience.
• The final. An appointment would be ideal.

It should be understood that it is not always possible to fit a cold call into this scheme. This example is approximate, it can be modified depending on how the dialogue unfolds.

Stephen Schiffman

There are a huge number of authors who study the techniques of cold calling in their writings. Shiffman Stephen is one of the most famous. In his books there is not only a description of the techniques, but also practical advice on their application. The author is a fan of studying phone sales. He carefully lays out all the mechanics of calls and gives a huge number of recommendations. One of the principles that Stephen Schiffman advises to adhere to is that cold calls should not be annoying and repetitive. The books give specific advice on how to respond to customer objections.

Objection handling

An important stage in the sales process, including by phone, is the handling of objections. Managers who have not studied the methods of working with them most often get lost during a conversation, begin to stutter, and behave insecurely. Here are a few examples that can help a merchant respond to the most common objections of potential customers.

In the event that a manager hears a phrase on duty with a request to send an offer by e-mail, he must understand that this is just an excuse. It is best to state that the company's assortment is huge and try to persuade the client to a personal meeting for the purpose of presentation. In response to the phrase "I'm not interested in this," one can say that there is not a single person who is interested in what he does not know.

Curious is the use of the boomerang method. It means that objections should be returned to the client. In the event that he declares that he does not have time to talk, you can answer the following: the manager seeks to save his time and for this purpose he offers a certain product or service. It is best to prepare possible objections and answers to them in advance, write them down on a piece of paper. It is important not only to learn them, but also to keep a list at hand just in case. If a new objection comes up during the call, it is worth writing it down. Subsequently, it will be possible to come up with the most successful answer.

Probability theory

Every manager must understand that there are no perfect sales techniques. Regardless of what techniques the specialist uses, it will not be possible to avoid failures. However, there is one principle that is important to know if cold calling is being used. Conventionally, it can be called the theory of probability. The first call is unlikely to lead to a deal. However, the more the manager makes contacts with clients, the higher the chance to make deals. That is why you should regularly make calls in large numbers.

Customer Knowledge

Knowing the customer is essential to successful telephone sales. That is why the manager must first collect as much information about him as possible.

First of all, the Internet can help in collecting data. A huge amount of useful information is contained on the company's website, as well as various official resources. At the first stage, you should find out the need for the product and service of this particular company. It would be helpful to know the leader's name. This will impress and increase the chance of a positive effect.

Maintaining contact

Once you've established contact with a potential client over the phone, it's important to keep them going. You can't let them forget about the firm's offerings. There are several ways to regularly remind yourself by sending the following items:

• news booklets that should be of interest to the client and related to his occupation;
• invitations to events, seminars and exhibitions;
• greeting cards and small gifts for the holidays.

All this helps to maintain a positive impression of the company.

Without training and gaining experience by making a huge number of calls, it is impossible to achieve significant results. However, following a number of recommendations will help improve and speed up the result. Let's summarize them at the end of the article:

1. The script of the conversation should be drawn up in advance. It should be carefully considered.
2. During the conversation, you need to be calm and confident. The manager must be able to overcome the excitement. Trembling in the voice will not bring a positive effect.
3. Do not get involved in conflicts.
4. In the event that the client states that he does not have time to talk, it is best for the manager to clarify when it is most convenient to call back and say goodbye politely.
5. If a categorical refusal is received in response to an offer, you must apologize and say goodbye.
6. It is important to mention promotions and discounts, to offer product samples.
7. You should carefully, without interrupting, listen to the client. Any objections can be made only after he has finished speaking.

It is possible to succeed in cold sales. But this is quite difficult and will require some effort from the manager.

One of the important components that affects the level of sales is the script. Despite the fact that the target audience is different for everyone, the style of communication is the same for everyone. Some companies develop sales scripts on their own, others buy ready-made scripts. In this article, you will learn which speech modules are used and how to write a script correctly.

Script development technology

When developing a script template, pay attention to its blocks. A high-quality script for sales managers makes it possible to influence the client more effectively. There are numerous types of sales scripts: when working on, with, with direct sales, when concluding contracts, making an appointment.

Now we will give the most common script scheme used when talking on the phone. In a personal meeting, for example, the first block is skipped, the subsequent stages can be left.

The script includes 8 blocks:

• Secretary round.
• Greetings.
• Identification of problems or clarification of needs.
• Good problem solving suggestion.
• Offer of active shares.
• Refinement of demand.
• Handling objections.
• Completion of the deal.

Now let's talk about each block in more detail and give examples of the dialogue.

Secretary bypass

Having phoned the company, in most cases you get to the secretary. Its task is to weed out unnecessary calls. It is not uncommon for the secretary to be instructed by the manager to discard all trade offers. Secretaries have their own scripts when communicating on the phone, and passing this stage can be difficult. Therefore, you need to be connected to a competent person. Consider how this can be done in your case.

Sample dialogue:

Secretary: Good afternoon. Sunshine, how can I help you?

You: Good afternoon. I am Natalia, I represent the company (name). We are partners of many companies of your profile. Here we would like to offer you cooperation. Can you connect me to the person who solves these issues?

Secretary: Okay, I'm connecting.

Greetings

After connecting with the person in charge, you open the script and start a dialogue. First, it is important to find out whether this person can actually make the appropriate decisions.

The dialogue might look something like this:

You: Good afternoon. I am Natalia, a representative of the company (name). Please tell me how can I contact you?

Company representative: Valery Petrovich.

You: Valery Petrovich, tell me, do you resolve issues regarding (specify the reason for the call)?

Company representative: Yes, you wanted to offer something?

Finding out the problems

Once contact is established, we move on to the next step. The main thing here is to identify demand and not give a person the opportunity to immediately say “no”. This can be done with the help of correctly posed questions, to which the client will unequivocally answer “yes”. Let's take an example. Let's say you offer stationery, the dialogue might look like this:

You: Do you write with a pen?

Company Representative: Yes.

You: And do you regularly run out of them?

Company Representative: Naturally.

You: Then you need to buy new ones.

Company representative: Yes, what do you want to offer?

The main thing is to identify demand and not give a person the opportunity to immediately say “no”.

Competent proposal for problem solving

Now, after the client is ready to listen to your proposal, you can voice it. After all, the interlocutor has already confirmed his need for your services. The proposal should be brief and interest the representative of the company, for this you can use various levers.

You: We are ready to offer you high quality stationery at low prices.

Offer of active shares

In order to enhance the effect of the offer, tell the client about the promotions that you currently have that you can offer when concluding a contract on a long-term basis.

You: By the way, I would like to note that we have special benefits for regular customers (please state them).

By offering a share, you can push the client to conclude an agreement in the near future. This is a very efficient method.

For example:

You: And even today we have a promotion - when buying goods in the amount of 20,000 rubles, we provide an additional 10% discount.

Refinement of demand

In the third stage, you have already received confirmation of demand from the client, and when you ask him the same questions again, naturally, you will receive positive answers. But now you have offered him quite favorable terms, and this should be emphasized.

For example:

You: You said that you are interested in more favorable conditions, and so we offer you this, right?

Working through objections

This is the penultimate stage, and the client may slip away with claims that you will not be ready for. Therefore, think over in advance the questions that a representative of the company can ask you, and prepare the right answers. In this case, a competent script technique will help you conclude many profitable contracts. Questions may concern not only the cost of the goods, but also its delivery, quality, and the activities of competitors. Here is an example of how you can answer the objection.

Company representative: We already have a good stationery supplier.

You: But everything is known in comparison, you did not work with us and cannot evaluate our services and the quality of our goods. Let's try to conclude a medium-term contract, and you can compare.

Questions may concern not only the cost of the goods, but also its delivery, quality, and the activities of competitors.

Completion of the deal

At this stage, a competent manager receives a positive decision from a representative of the company and begins to draw up a contract and all relevant forms.

The sales department most often uses such scripts to effectively promote their product. The value of a well-designed script lies in the fact that even a beginner will be able to correctly respond to certain situations and successfully sell a product.

In order for you to have working scripts, try them out in action several times, evaluate their effectiveness, supplement and make changes if necessary. Analyze speech, intonation, sequence of questions.

We have given an example of a script that is advisable to use when selling a product. But after all, a script can be written not only for sales, but also for scheduling meetings, concluding contracts, and many other actions. To do this, you need to choose the right questions and distribute them into blocks.