Is there still room for cold calling in a digital world? Of course! In Sales There is no 'either or', there is always 'and and'. In fact, cold calling can even go hand in hand with social media. Social & cold sales, a golden combination!
Fear of cold feet?
Cold calling is not one of the most popular aspects of the sales profession. Many sales professionals dread calling a list of selected companies. In short: it is not a hobby for most people! However, despite a generally low conversion rate, this form of lead generation remains crucial in the sales process for many companies to this day. Telephone acquisition can still be very effective, especially if your organization generally has high order values. For an advertising agency, for example, it can be highly profitable to turn 1 out of every 500 calls into a client!
Want to make cold calling fun?
Well, calling is not exactly a hobby for most salespeople. So how can you make it fun? Because a demotivated salesperson has a much lower chance of scoring. There are a number of practical tips that can help:
1. Variety
Calling all day long, dealing with one rejection after another, it's not always fun. Variety is the magic word. Do not call in blocks that are too long, go to customer appointments in between or work through lists of warm leads to ensure sufficient variety in your sales team.
2. Appreciation
A real salesman is like a pit bull. When he sees opportunities in a prospect, he takes action. The greatest satisfaction for a sales professional is acquiring a prospect that has been around for months. Recognize and appreciate this determination. Give the seller the appreciation he deserves.
3. Competition
Salespeople are generally competitive. They like to win and like to play a game. Try to apply that competitive spirit to your sales team as well, to keep it exciting for everyone. Declare a 'winner' every month. Not only based on turnover generated, but also based on the number of calls, number of appointments, number of new leads, etc.
Social media and cold calling go hand in hand?
The main fear of salespeople when cold calling is the unfamiliarity and chance of rejection. You don't know who the person is on the phone, and that doesn't feel good. This is where social media and cold calling come together to form a powerful combination. As we have concluded in previous blogs, social media channels such as Linkedin are an ideal source of information. This is also important for calling campaigns. In preparation, you can already look up the contacts in your call list on social media. What do they do, what do they look like, what career have they had, what are their interests, etc. In fact, you may have something in common with your contact person, such as education or former employers.
Dealing with objections
Objections are not rejections, but opportunities. When a customer raises an objection, they are indicating that they are considering your proposal. That is positive. The key is to take the objection seriously, to ask about the underlying reason, and then to respond in a targeted manner. Not by dismissing the objection, but by showing that you understand what is on the customer's mind.
An effective technique is acknowledging the objection before responding. “I understand that the investment is substantial” works better than immediately becoming defensive. By showing acknowledgment, the customer feels heard and is more open to your perspective. You can then use concrete examples and calculations to demonstrate the return on investment.
Do you want to strengthen your skills? Check out our Expert in Sales Basics training at Kenneth Smit and take the first step today.
