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Cold calling is part of any sales process

Written by: Ross Fattori

Article Overview: Lessons learned from many years of cold calling

Cold calling is part of any sales process

Let’s face it – cold calling isn’t for the faint of heart. I once knew a woman who quit a sales job after two days because she couldn’t stand the rejections.

If you sell for a living, you’ve probably done your fair share of cold calling at some point in your career. Some love it, some hate it. I suspect that the vast majority of salespeople grow accustomed to it and consider it a part of the job.

I’ve always enjoyed making cold calls. That’s probably because I’m not selling storm windows or credit cards (that would get tiresome pretty fast!). Rather, I’m selling specialized marketing services to qualified buyers in a niche market (retail automotive industry).

Whenever I conduct a cold call, I like to be prepared. Even with referrals, I make a point of researching the individual or company that I’m calling, and I deliver a highly targeted message.

When I first began making cold calls over 20 years ago, I was pretty green and I handled rejection differently than I do today. Over the years, I’ve developed better listening and communication skills, which have helped me to make more appointments and, in turn, close more sales.

In sales, “no” today doesn’t necessarily mean no forever. For whatever reason, the prospect may have made a commitment to another supplier and the verdict is still out on whether that relationship will last. Or, the prospect may be new to the job and still feeling her way around. A no today could easily mean “call me again in six months.”

A skilled salesperson knows intuitively how to handle all types of responses – especially rejections. I’ve had situations where prospects have repeatedly said no, but they’ve left the door open by urging me to contact them at a later date. The fact that you call back, when you say you will, delivers a message that you keep your word and it sets a professional tone for a potential relationship.

When salespeople make cold calls, they have no idea how the calls will turn out. One phone call could lead to new business relationships that last for years. Or, it could lead to an outright rejection. Whether the response on the other end is positive or negative, professional salespeople know how to dust themselves off and keep trying.

If you speak clearly, confidently and succinctly, if you speak with honesty and sincerity, and if you have a product or service that’s of interest to a potential buyer, then you stand a better chance of generating a positive response from the person on the other end of the line.

Is there ever a time when “no” really does mean “no?” Yes, absolutely. I’ve been told on many, many occasions that the prospect really doesn’t want or need my marketing services, and I’ve heeded the message and moved on.

Whenever you’re faced with outright rejection, never take it personally. If a potential customer really doesn’t want or need your services, then move onto to the next call.

And never leave a voice message for your first contact with a potential customer. Such calls rarely get returned.

Here are a few pointers I’ve picked up about cold calling over the years:

• Be polite
• Be inquisitive
• Be clear
• Know your prospects’ business
• Make your initial pitch short and sweet
• Answer all questions honestly
• Don’t be evasive
• Be passionate
• Listen carefully
• Follow through on promises
• Do what you say you will
• Humor breaks a lot of ice

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Article Tags: automotive industry, cold call, cold calls, communication skills, credit cards, faint of heart, fair share, marketing services, new business, niche market, phone call, professional tone, prospects, referrals, rejection, rejections, sales job, salespeople, salesperson, storm windows



Related Forum Posts
What to avoid when cold calling? - Cold calling is the nemesis of all sales people. What words to avoid, what not to do when cold calling? I will start first: avoid the word "maybe". When you're cold calling, your best chance of success is to be self assured, confident, and 100% well versed in what you are selling. If you're using the word 'maybe' in your sales scripts, you run the risk of sounding wishy washy. It either is or isn't. Pick one. Another word: "hope" When you tell your client you're 'hoping' for something, you're not sure, are you? If you're not sure, then why should they be? Never let a prospect hear that you're not 100% behind your product, your company or your service, or it's entirely likely you will lose the sale. So, what other words should we avoid?
Cold Calling - Cold calling is tough, but it is possible. Its a shame that your employer doesn't seem to be giving you any help. I would suggest that you learn everything about the products you're trying to sell to the retailers. It wouldn't hurt to have them close at hand while you're on the phone with a potential buyer. Learn what is great about the items. What do they offer the consumer? Why should the retailer carry them? Who would be most likely to buy the items? Once you know these answers, learn about the companies you are calling. Its hard to tell a retailer that your product is something they need - if you don't know anything about their business and/or the customers. If they have a website that would be a great place to research. Shri
Re: Cold Calling - Cold calling is an extremely difficult job to do and unless one learns that being told no by people is not a direct refusal aimed at the cold caller but at whatever is being sold, it can be very soul destroying work to do. One needs to have absolute confidence in themselves and a pretty thick skin. MichelleJ
Re: Who hates cold calling? - Cold calling is aways hard, but I think you definitely have to put yourself into the right frame of mind before making them and it will help you muscle through them. If you just ask yourself, "What do I have to lose?" before making each call, I think you have a pre-set attitude that this "no" is just going to get me that much closer to my next "yes". Look at it as a stepping stone rather than a road block and it makes it so much easier to pick up the phone. Since cold calling is almost a necessity for survival in business today, it's crucial to make an effort to do some of it every day. You should have a goal to hit each day, then when you get really good, up the goal just like you would a strength training goal. It's a good comparison. It's just that one makes you have more courage and one makes you have more physical strength. The concept is similar.
Re: need pricing help please - I agree that allowing customers to choose digital or physical product delivery is a good idea. If you are handling large volumes of orders then outsourcing the process is an excellent idea. Handling physical orders yourself is a demanding occupation, as I know from experience, but on the other hand, if you are doing it on a small scale it also gives you some good opportunities to personalize your service with hand written compliment notes and so forth. Also, you can learn a lot from your customers if you deal with them through every part of the sales process. Once sales volume picks up, outsource the operation - you'll probably save money as well as time. DH


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