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It’s Only Common Sense: The Best Cold Calling Ideas of All Times

How many times have you heard that cold calling is dead? How many salespeople have given up trying to reach people they do not know and sell them something they think they do not want? Well, that is the biggest bunch of malarky out there right now. It is more like wishful thinking by salespeople who hope to be let free of what they think is the despicable act of calling people up.

The truth is that cold calling is not dead; in fact, it is more important than ever. Actually, with so many people shying away from calling potential customers, it is creating an opening for those who are making the effort.

If you are afraid to call people and tell them about your products, you don’t have enough faith in your product. You don’t believe in what you are selling.

Think of it this way. If you feel you have the greatest product in the world, you would feel that you are actually doing people a favor by calling them up and telling them about your products.

Imagine that a new pharmaceutical company developed a simple pill that prevented Alzheimer’s. All people had to do was take this pill once a day, and they would be guaranteed they would never have to worry about Alzheimer’s. Imagine they selected you to tell people about this life-changing development.

What would you do? I can tell you exactly what you’d do: You’d be calling everyone to tell them about it. You would not be able to wait to jump on the phone with as many people. In fact, you would be so excited that you would feel like a Good Samaritan, doing them a great favor by telling them about your wonderful new product.

Okay, get it? This is how you have to feel about your product when you call potential customers. You are not selling them; you are doing them a favor and enriching their lives.

Now, get into that frame of mind as you start calling potential customers.

Since you are not really selling the cure for Alzheimer’s, here are a few tips to help you with your cold-calling efforts.

• Research beforehand: Encourage salespeople to research prospects before making the call. Knowing the prospect's industry pain points and potential needs can make the conversation more relevant.
• Craft a compelling opening: The first few seconds are crucial. Develop a concise and engaging opening statement that grabs the prospect's attention.
• Focus on value: Rather than focusing solely on the product or service, emphasize the value it brings to the prospect. What problem does it solve for them?
• Practice active listening: Train salespeople to listen actively to the prospect's responses and adapt the conversation accordingly.
• Build rapport: Establishing a connection with the prospect can make the conversation more comfortable and productive. Find common ground or shared experiences to build rapport.
• Offer insights: Provide valuable insights or industry knowledge during the call to position yourself as a trusted advisor rather than just a salesperson.
• Personalize the pitch: Tailor the pitch to each prospect's specific needs and challenges rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Use social proof: Share success stories or testimonials from satisfied customers to build credibility and trust.
• Set clear objectives: Define clear objectives for each call, whether it's setting up a meeting, gathering information, or closing a sale.
• Handle objections gracefully: Prepare salespeople to anticipate common objections and respond to them confidently and respectfully.
• Follow up consistently: Persistence is key. Encourage salespeople to follow up with prospects consistently without being pushy.
• Provide training and coaching: Offer ongoing training and coaching to help salespeople improve their cold-calling skills and confidence.
• Focus on quality over quantity: Emphasize the importance of quality conversations over simply making a high volume of calls. A few meaningful conversations can be more valuable than many superficial ones.
• Offer something of value: During the call, provide prospects with something of value, such as a relevant resource, industry report, or special offer.
• Use multi-channel outreach: For a more integrated approach, combine cold calling with other communication channels, such as email, social media, or direct mail.
• Be respectful of time: Recognize that the prospect's time is valuable. Keep the conversation focused and concise.
• Celebrate successes: Recognize and celebrate successful cold calls to boost morale and motivation among sales teams.
• Continuously refine scripts: Regularly review and refine cold-calling scripts based on feedback, results, and changing market dynamics.
• Stay positive and persistent: This is a must. Cold calling can be tough, but maintaining a positive attitude and being persistent in the face of challenges can lead to success over time. Keep smiling; the person on the other end of the line can tell.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.