Cold calling.
Just the phrase sends shivers up many sellersā spines.
Prospects donāt respond. Gatekeepers padlock their gates shut. Sellers shut down.
It doesnāt have to be that hard. This year has changed the face of prospecting and opened up a whole new set of tactics to help you grab the attention of your contacts. As Iāve tested them myself Iāve discovered that cold calling is now actually FUN!
I know youāre doubting me. I see that look on your face across the wire, but really, with a few tweaks to your technique, you can have fun too.
Consider these.
Shake up your message. We all know that what we say can make or break our ability to get noticed. Yes, your value proposition must focus on a business need you uncovered in your triggering event research, or on a breakthrough idea you have to share. Now go further. Bring it to life in your email by adding a bit of your personality. Help prospects imagine the real person that wants to speak with them.
For example, “Iām looking forward to our conversation. I noticed youāre based in Hartford, Connecticut. I used to ski nearby when I lived in Danbury. Canāt wait to hear how itās changed!”
In a voicemail or an email, that bit of individualization distinguishes you from other sellers also calling with strong value propositions. You sound friendly and engaging. Theyāre going to want to speak with you.
Shout your message. Today you have many more opportunities to get your message out in front of your target market, from Twitter and Facebook, to LinkedIn, email prospecting and cold calling.
The secret is to be sure youāre using every avenue, including social media, to be heard. Comment about projects youāre doing, vendors youāre working with, results your clients have seen. Mention clients by first name and geographical location to add credibility but retain anonymity. If youāre not worried about competitive eyes, mention contacts and companies by name. These little comments donāt just create awareness, they generate interest in learning more about you. Iāve actually had prospects contact me from similar ones!
Enjoy the gatekeeper. If a real person is stopping you, revisit your value proposition. The bottom line is, your message isnāt compelling enough.
If your gatekeeper is silent, engage the new tools to entice a response.
Check for your contact in LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. Get connected and send a direct message using the internal mail systems. For LinkedIn, use the same message from your cold call, even the personalization.
On Twitter, with only 140 characters your message might be something like, “Wanted to connect by phone. Had some ideas on IT security I wanted to get your opinion on. Whenās a good time?” Here there isnāt much space, so your objective is only to start a quick conversation, then set an appointment.
Donāt forget about referrals and introductions. Itās the people you know who can get you to the people you want to know. Use your social media network connections and reach out.
Embrace recession objections. There are two primary objectives most companies have as they make changes today: make more money or save more money. Use these to break past the “no budget” objections. Eventually you may find there really isnāt an opportunity because they canāt spend, but Iām seeing some pretty creative deals happening in situations of no money. Donāt let it stop you or the prospect from exploring a valuable idea that can help their business.
Switch up your cold calling techniques and youāll soon find youāre getting in the door despite any economic situation!
If youāre looking for more ways to add some fun and results to your prospecting, check out our PowerProspecting and Email PowerProspecting audio seminars.
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