How to Make Cold Calling Fun and
Productive Again
by James Palmer
Ah, cold calling. Love it or hate it, it’s a great way to
get business fast and a vital marketing component for many businesses. So the
next time you find yourself in a marketing rut and you need to kick start your
business, consider these tips to take the drudgery out of the dreaded act of
cold calling.
Before the Call
- Build a Targeted List. A lot of marketers make the
mistake of simply opening up the yellow pages and starting with A. Don’t!
You’ll just get more ‘no’s’, not to mention a lot of wrong numbers. Create a
list of those people or businesses MOST likely to buy your product or use your
service.
- Work From a Script. Before you call anyone, write
yourself a script to follow when you’re on the phone. It may seem silly, but
it will help keep you from fumbling with your words and leaving out vital
information. Just say who you are, what you do and who you help. And create
a separate, slightly shorter script for when you get someone’s voicemail.
During the Call
- Be Polite and Courteous. Be kind to gatekeepers, and
ask the decision maker if this is a good time to talk. Don’t be discouraged
if they’re not interested. There’s always the next one on your list!
- Don’t Try to Sell Them on your Services with one Phone
Call. Yes, it can be done (I’ve done it!), but most of the time you’re better
off treating this as an info-gathering exercise. Besides, it takes an average
of 7 to 10 contacts with a prospect before they’re ready to buy, so if there
is an interest, try to get an appointment with them or find out how to send
them more info. Your purpose for the cold call is to get that ball rolling.
After the Call
You’re not done yet! In fact, what you do afterward is
probably just as important as making the actual calls!
- Follow Up. All that calling won’t do you any good if
you don’t keep in touch with interested prospects. Load them into your
contact management program and follow up with them periodically. Send them
emails, shoot them a postcard telling about new services or sales, anything to
keep your name in front of them. Do this until they either tell you to get
lost or buy from you.
- Keep it up. Create a new list if you have to, but keep
up the momentum. When you do, something strange and magical will happen:
you’ll start getting calls and emails from people you marketed to months ago!
I’m serious. Even if you don’t get any direct results from cold calling, your
other marketing will start working for you. It happens to me every time I
start calling. I spent last week cold calling, and picked up some subcontract
work from a longtime client, and a possible referral. If I can do it, you can
do it!
Make it a Warm Call
And one final note, if after all this you still hate making
cold calls, find a way to “warm” it up by calling people you’ve already made
contact with, such as past clients, referrals, and people you met at networking
functions. Offer to meet them for coffee just to chat and talk shop, or ask
them if they need any help using your product. You never know where such a
relationship may lead.
Well, that’s it! My formula for cold calling success! Now
get out there and make it happen. And remember the most important element of
any marketing success: have fun! Because if you don’t enjoy doing what you’re
doing, you won’t do it.
James Palmer is a freelance copywriter who creates
Websites, press releases, sales letters, and other print and online marketing
materials that help large companies, coaches, and entrepreneurs communicate
their business in a way that is easily understood by their target audience. He
is co-author of the books Networking Like a Pro! and How to
Overachieve W/O Overcommitting, and author of the e-book Social Networking
101: How to Market Yourself and Your Business Using Social Networks and Media.
For more articles like this one, sign up for his free monthly newsletter by
going here.
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