How To Make Cold Calls
Be Clear Of The Outcome Of The Call
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Before you pick up the phone, ensure you are clear about the reason you are calling a potential customer. What outcome do you want? Is it for the person to agree to receive some information from you? Or is it the setting up of a future appointment, so you can give a more detailed pitch about your company and your products and/or services? Understanding the outcome clearly, will help you keep the call focused on what you want to achieve from it.
Research The Company You Want To Call
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In order to make a good impression during a cold call, research as much as you can about the company before calling. Find out about their sector, who their customers are, who the managing director is, along with who sits on his or her board. You can find many details through looking at the company website and the Linkedin profiles of the bosses of the company. Finding out such details will enable you to establish problems faced by the company and tailor your offering, as a potential solution to help the organisation you’re calling.
Timing Of The Call
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When you’re making cold calls, aim to get hold of the managing director in the first instance, as this person is the main decision maker. Managing directors are usually the first person to arrive at the office and the last to leave. Therefore, making cold calls either first thing in the morning, or at the end of the day are good times to get hold of the boss of the company.
Prepare A Good Introduction
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In order to help reduce your nerves, have a professional introduction ready before you make the call. All this needs to include is a polite “good morning” or “good afternoon”, followed by your name, company and what your company does. This will allow you to confidently continue with the call.
During The Call
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After following your introduction, mention this is a brief call and you won’t take up much of the person’s time. Proceed to explaining the reason for your call. For instance, explain your company offers a product and/or a service, which can help the companyyou’re calling to solve a business problem and ask whether the person is interested in finding out more.
End Of Call
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If the person you’re calling is interested in discussing further with you, set up an appointment over the phone for you to visit the premises of the company. Alternatively, you can set up a longer conference call, which you can use to further find out about the company and explain what your organisation does. At the very least, aim to get agreement from the potential customer, for you to send some further information about your company and what it offers via e-mail.
Follow Up On E-mail
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If the call is positive and you have got a future meeting or conference call with the potential customer set up, after the call, send an upbeat and professional e-mailthanking them for their time. Confirm the date and time of the appointment and tell the individual you look forward to meeting him/her.
Be Persistent
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Remember, cold calls are a numbers game. You need to make lots of calls. From these, you will speak with some companies who will be interested in what you have to offer. Others will not. Persistence really is the key to success. The more calls you make, the more practice you will get, which means over time they will become easier. Through experience, your pitch over the phone will become refined, which will result in more appointments for your diary.
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