Someone still believes that the ability to persuade is a natural gift, and if you have this gift, success in society is guaranteed. Yes, indeed, there are people by nature possessing this skill, but if you are not among them - do not be discouraged!

You can learn to be persuasive; many books have been written about it. All that is required is knowledge and the ability to apply special techniques and techniques in practice, as well as a little self-confidence.

The techniques that you will learn about today can be used not only to convince clients, but also in communicating with any people. In interaction with clients, they will help to build the negotiation process more competently and convincingly.

1. Get agreement in principle

The technique is as follows: at the very beginning of the conversation, you try to get from the interlocutor a positive answer to the most important question. Once you've got the client's consent in principle, it's much easier to handle the various details.

Example:

“Ivan Ivanovich, I will send the bill to you by mail. And let's solve a few more questions: is there a need for additional equipment? Do you need delivery of products to the warehouse? "

2. "Just don't take your eyes off"

It's no secret that when talking with a client, you need to make eye contact with him. However, not everyone knows that by gazing intently into the eyes of the interlocutor, you can get more information from him without asking again. This can be used if you feel that his answer is incomplete.

3. Let me speak

A competent salesperson is not the one who talks a lot, but the one who knows how to listen. Let the client speak, and if necessary, ask leading questions. Remember to keep the questions open. To correctly build an open-ended question, start it with one of the interrogative pronouns: what, where, how, which, how, why, why, when, etc.

Examples of open-ended questions:

"What do you think about ..."; "How do you feel about ..."; "What product characteristics are important to you?"

4. Confidence, by all means

Even if you are not completely sure of what you are saying, try not to give out in your intonation. Indeed, according to the French writer Delphine Girardin, "Only intonation convinces."

5. Refer to authorities

In a conversation with a client, casually mention one of your big clients that you are proud of. You can tell that you yourself (or your colleagues) use the product that you offer and are very happy with it.

Example:

“Two of my colleagues went on vacation with this package and they are very happy. They are going to meet again next year ”.

6. Emotional arguments

When talking about the benefits of your product, start with those arguments that evoke positive emotions and feelings. This technique is especially effective if your client is a woman.

Example:

"When the water in this kettle boils, the heat changes the plastic from blue to pink."

7. In secret to the whole world

Use in your conversation the phrases "honestly ...", "I'll tell you a secret." Thus, you kind of take the person as allies, show him your trust, and he is more likely to believe you.

Example:

"Honestly, the promotion for this product has already ended, and we have extended it especially for you."

8. Strong, Stronger, Strongest

The last piece of information is usually best remembered. Therefore, in a conversation with a client, you should leave the strongest arguments at last, and not start with them (as is usually done).

Example:

“Our employee will advise you on all issues of using this program. Installation is free. And the most important thing is that you get a 30% discount on all services of our company. "

Homework

Choose one of the techniques you like most from the list and try to implement it in the practice of interacting with your customers in the near future.

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Quality is when the customer is returned, not the product

Trading rules

Cold sales: essence, types, methods

Cold selling is a method of selling goods or services through telephone conversations, more precisely, when there is no visual contact between the buyer and the seller.

Today, the role of cold sales has increased significantly, many companies are recruiting specialists - sales managers.

To make cold phone sales effective for the company, sales managers clearly articulate the purpose of the call.

A seller-buyer relationship between a company and a client can be built by following clearly defined objectives, including:

• Informing potential customers about the company's products and services.
• Conducting initial diagnostics of a potential client for his readiness for the next steps, that is, the emergence of interest.
• Obtaining the necessary further contact information client.
• Confirmation of the request for the formation of a commercial proposal.
• Appointment appointment.

These are the goals set by companies using techniques such as telephone sales.

Basic Principles of Cold Selling by Phone Technique

The founder of the art of telephone sales is Stephen Schiffman. It was he who developed the basic principles that underlie effective telephone sales.

These include:

1. creation of a script for an effective dialogue - contact by phone;
2. using the technique of concessions during the conversation to neutralize the client's objections;
3. overcoming at least three objections of the client.

A cold call script consists of the following steps:

• Greetings and personal introduction.
• Company introduction.
• Call purpose designation (product / service offer, appointment).
• Conclusion of an agreement.

As for the concession technique, it is used to turn any client's response (be it an objection, a sharp refusal, a question) into a reason for a meeting.

The third principle - overcoming at least three objections - is as follows:

• The client's first objection does not mean a genuine reluctance to close a deal or make an appointment. Most likely, the manager's call was unexpected for the client.
• The next objection makes the client think about why he does not want to buy a product / service or make an appointment.
• The third objection contains the most truthful explanation for this. Anyone who, in response to the subsequent expression, reiterates the purpose of the call, has a significantly better chance of success.

Technique of the seller's speech in telemarketing: theory and practice

The success of telephone conversations and sales depends on the manager's ability not only to listen, but also to speak correctly. Everything is important: timbre, tone, pitch, even speed of speech. Comprehending the technique of speech is a special art, but professionals will master it.

The success of cold selling depends a lot on conversation scripts. It is a collection of algorithms using specific techniques. If your managers stick to them and hone their skills every day, then the first contact with potential client more like playing golf than climbing Mount Everest.

Cold selling: the most common mistakes

Based on our experience, we have identified the most common mistakes in cold selling.

1. Be impressed by every rejection

The manager may be tempted to reflect on each cold call rejection. The client's "no", even if sometimes expressed in a rude form, is not at all a reason to endlessly "mourn" the result and take pauses for reflection. Forget and move on.

2. Do not have a "cold" conversation script

If cold calls are made using the phone, it is a big mistake not to have a conversation script in front of your eyes. Without it, almost every client can take the initiative and take your conversation nowhere.

3. Sell to a non-decision maker

Do not be in a hurry to rejoice if they listen to you carefully and agree with everything. Perhaps in front of you is not the person who makes the decision to buy your product. Be sure to make sure that on a cold call, you are wasting time talking to someone who can successfully close the deal.

4. Do not fix the agreements with a cold call

Even if you have spoken to a decision-maker and he has taken your proposal favorably, do not get euphoric. Record the details of the conversation for future reference. Remember, some people generally tend to talk and promise a lot. And only a clearly formulated result of the conversation can somehow discipline them and make them pay.

5. Do not find out the reason for the refusal

Very often in cold sales, people say no automatically. But this does not mean that your proposal is irrelevant. Check with the person using leading questions why he said no. If you bring him to an objection, you will get material with which it is quite possible to work with and even successfully close the deal.

6. Not have a clear algorithm for assessing customer interaction

Cold selling is just technology. And it must be observed by every employee. The degree of manufacturability is measured by the manager using an understandable algorithm from the manager's development sheet. The latter is a table of skills that need to be applied at each stage of working with clients during a cold call - from the first contact to the final stage.

7. Not stick to work schedule

Managers work and rest whenever they want. This freedom will have a detrimental effect on sales. Good practice when sellers call continuously for 50 minutes in a row and rest every 10 minutes of the hour. Then, with cold sales, the seller gets excitement, a working attitude, and there is simply no time to think about failures.

8. Coffee and a smoke break

Frequent coffee breaks and nicotine breaks ruin a salesperson's day. First, a lot of time is wasted. Secondly, the employee gets out of rhythm, which is very important in working with cold clients.

9. Make few calls

Cold selling works by the law of large numbers. Therefore, if, as a result, the manager makes few contacts (calls) per day, then he will not see sales.

Cold selling: how to get to the "money"

Cold sales are called cold sales because you have to break the "ice" in the relationship between you and the client. And then there are all sorts of obstacles on the way: secretaries and assistants. And, as we have already found out above, the task of the manager is to reach the decision-maker (DM). Here are some tips.

1. Watch your tone

On a cold call, cheerfully and with a fair amount of confidence that does not tolerate objection, tell the person on the other end of the line that you have an important message for the decision maker. If you mumble, nothing will work. In fact, this technique is a skill that requires constant practice.

2. Find yourself a secretary

A person who has his own secretary is a significant person. Have a colleague act as your secretary. Here, for an effective cold conversation, you need a special short script.

3. Offer something tangible

Tell the manager that you need to give something tangible to the leader: a book, a disk, classified information, a gift for his birthday, etc. Often this method works with cold calls. If you succeed, do not forget about the secretary at the same time.

4. Use technical terms

One of the ways to successfully bypass the secretary or any other inappropriate interlocutor is to start talking in the "bird" language. That is, use complex and special words in a conversation that are definitely not familiar to the secretary. Then he will be confused and prefer not to take responsibility in incomprehensible situations. One of our clients, when cold calling, instead of a request to connect with a person who implements customer relationship management systems, he used English translation- Customer Relationship Management. It worked! He was connected to the decision maker.

5. Get creative

Just imagine an urgent problem, the solution to which does not require delay or any objection. It's tough, aggressive, and fast. A skill requires practice. For example, you only have a few hours in front of the plane. You urgently need to give an answer to the question that was discussed earlier in order to offer the most favorable conditions.

6. Make friends with the "enemy"

If the client really has amazing potential, make friends with his secretary (assistant). "Friendship" can result from frequent calls and conversations about nothing. As a result, the familiarity effect will work and the one who bothers you will help you. The cold call will already be warm.

A cold call is when a client does not wait for our call. That is, in theory, he may be interested in our service, but to move on to discussing this service, we still need to try.

What does cold call mean? The call is called "Cold", because most often the customers treat such calls "cold". Those who regularly had to pick up the phone and hear joyful or monotonous in it: "Good afternoon, I'm from the Horns and Hooves company, we have been the manufacturer of the best gizmos since 1900 ..." - they understand much better what cold calls are, rather than those who do them. Imagine you are waiting for an important call, and a cosmetics consultant calls you and offers lipstick, firstly, it is distracting, secondly, you do not use lipstick, and thirdly you are generally a man. How much “good” would you like to say to this person? Obviously, he is not in for a warm, cordial conversation with your person.

There are tons of approaches to cold calling, and most of them come from American books from the 60s and 80s:

• Making a cold call using a standard script (call script);
• Using a presentation about the company at the beginning of a conversation;
• Serious preparation before making a call.

It is necessary to understand that the majority of secretaries and decision-makers receive such calls a day, sometimes more than a dozen, they already figure out people who make cold calls from the first words and often do not even let anyone say anything about your wonderful offer.

2. What is the main difference between a “cold” call and a “warm” one for a manager?

On a warm or incoming call, the client has already formed a desire to purchase your product, and on a cold call, the desire must still be aroused. The problem is as follows - in order to induce a desire, you need to communicate with a client, but he is not ready to communicate with a cold caller, because he has nothing to talk to him about, does not want to buy a product, they are not familiar, they have no common topics for communication. And according to statistics, on almost all our projects, before we came to the company, cold calls lasting less than 1 minute, more than 90%.

That is, the manager spends most of his time listening to “we don’t need this” or “send a commercial proposal”. Most of these responses reduce the motivation for the next cold calls, and the sales manager leaves the inspiration to work.

I would like to pay special attention to "send a commercial offer". Many newcomers to cold calling take this as some kind of success and see it as their task to send as many such offers as possible. But those who have been actively looking for clients for more than 3 months understand well that no one reads offers if you have not established a good dialogue with the client.

3. Purposes of cold calls

The purpose of cold calls is to filter and expand the base of potential customers.

The purpose of a cold call is not an instant sale, because the customer doesn't know anything about your company yet. To begin with, you should talk about what you are doing and ask if your product can be useful to the client, offer to get acquainted with the services in detail or meet with a company representative.

The main purpose of cold calling is to break the ice that appeared before your call. Before calling a client, you need to learn more about the specifics of his business, you will understand whether he needs your product at all, and in the case of a dialogue, your awareness will make the communication warmer.

4. How to prepare for a cold call

• 1) The first rule of cold calling is to thoroughly study your product or service. You should feel like a fish in water, full of confidence in yourself and in your skills.
• 2) Make a list of the organizations you intend to call. Write down the name, phone number, and name of the person with whom you are going to talk.
• 3) Imagine yourself as a scout. Before calling a client, find out as much information as possible about him, the Internet will help you. This will not only give you confidence, but it will also endear the interlocutor to you.
• 4) Before calling, do not burden yourself with unnecessary thoughts and problems, or better, try to relieve tension and relax.
• 5) Find a way to cheer yourself up, it will become easier for you to smile at people. Of course, on the phone you cannot see the facial expressions or gestures of the interlocutor, but you can hear it. Smiling not only relieves tension, but also gives the voice a softer, more pleasant sound.

5. Stages of cold calls

• 1. Determine the purpose of the call;
• 2. Determine the scenario of a cold call - how to bypass the secretary;
• 3. Exit with a cold call to the decision maker (Decision-Making Person);
• 4. Carry out diagnostics of the client's potential;
• 5. Identify needs;
• 6. Conduct a presentation;
• 7. To process objections;
• 8. Close the call with an appointment, ideally.

6. Technique of cold calling

In a cold call, the main thing is the first minute of the conversation, and during this minute we must form an interest to continue communication, so that we have a chance to develop this interest to the arisen need and, as a result, purchase.

To effectively make cold calls, you must:

• 1. The first principle of cold calling is to make sure that neither the secretary nor the decision-maker identifies the cold calling manager from the very first words. The simplest identifier is an expanded, detailed view of the company and yourself. Simplify the beginning of the dialogue and they will talk to you more willingly.
• 2. Do not count on the fact that someone needs your wonderful proposal without establishing trust and dialogue. For fun, start calling and offering your product half its actual cost or even free of charge, you will be very surprised, the number of refusals will not decrease much.
• 3. Clearly define the portrait of your client and the questions by which your client can be calculated. For example, at the training of UAZ car dealers, the first question we asked was "Do you operate UAZ vehicles?" Statistics have shown that 93% of UAZ car buyers already have a UAZ car park. Therefore, we could find out whether this is a target client for us or not, without even going to the presentation and presentation.
• 4. Call about a non-selling matter. If you offer something, they can immediately send you to e-mail or somewhere else. If you want to invite to a free seminar or send in an industry overview or send a free test sample, the likelihood of establishing contact and continuing the dialogue is significantly increased.
• 5. Determine the main purpose of the call- identifying a potential client and establishing a relationship with him.
• 6. Do not be afraid to pick up the phone and embarrass yourself.
• 7. Enter calls into the system. It is necessary to clearly understand that one cold call is nothing, even if it is more or less successful. Ten or one hundred contacts is also not a lot for cold calling. Practice shows that it is possible to achieve stable sales on cold calls only if the manager has more than 300 clients in the database with whom an effective dialogue has taken place. Moreover, every call made adds experience and confidence.

7. Examples of effective cold calling

Let's take an example of recording effective cold calls. Techniques were predominantly used

7.1 Audio # 1: Search for decision maker

1. Purpose: pass the secretary, go out with a cold call to the decision maker (decision-maker)
2. Frequent problems: the manager is afraid to continue the conversation when he hears a refusal to switch or a refusal several times. They agree to "send a commercial offer", but it doesn't work!
3. Result: the goal was achieved - the manager got acquainted, took an extension number, found out mutual interests. Agreed on the next contact

Rule: Having received a refusal, the manager should not give up. Insist to be switched.

7.2 Audio # 2: Cold call. An example of how to bypass the secretary

1. Purpose:- sell a product to a new company.
2. Frequent problems: many try to bypass the secretary with a cold call, without getting hung up on communication, treat it like a Cerberus. They react to his questions with hostility.
3. Result: established friendly relations, found and recruited an employee in the client's company.

Rule: in large companies there is a bureaucracy (somewhere healthy, and somewhere not healthy). And the delivery of documents is carried out by the secretary. If you manage to make friends with him, then your documents, firstly, will be signed at the beginning, and secondly, the decision maker will be reminded of your product.

Separately, I would like to say that many managers do not believe in the success of the departments for the active attraction of clients. And we are glad that the number of executives whose opinion has changed thanks to our calling method is constantly growing.

Good luck in mastering cold sales, and if you need to quickly and efficiently build a sales system through cold calls, call

There has been a boom in cold calling in recent years. And in this article, I'm going to explain why cold calling has stood the test of time. I will also give you tips and tricks that will increase your number of leads. Be careful, this article is huge and contains many secrets: tactics, strategies and myths about cold calling, you will understand what cold calling and selling really are. And also an example of an ideal script and ways to bypass the secretary.

And yes, I know. You hate cold calling. Everyone hates them. More precisely - everyone except the sellers who successfully use them, who receive millions from them.

So here's how things are with cold calling.

Six Tips to Master the Art of Cold Calling

1. Accept the possibility of rejection, don't run away from it.
2. Prepare to learn quickly, not sell quickly.
3. Use technology and dedicated services to avoid boring monotony.
4. Do not waste someone else's time and yours.
5. Follow the script like an actor, not like a robot.
6. Strike a balance between quantity and quality.

With all these complexities, it's hard to know if cold calling is worth considering as a tool at all. However, this is precisely why they are worth considering.

If you master the art and science of cold calling, you can very well become the most efficient and highly paid sales representative in your organization. As with other sales techniques, the wrong cold calling can easily tarnish the reputation of the entire tool. So try to be the opposite example. And this will lead to success.

First- do not be afraid of rejections and do not try to avoid them

Refusals are an integral part the whole trading activities... Nobody gets 100% return.

Here are 3 tips for overcoming your fear of rejection:

Tip 1: Arrange a competition. The winner is the one whose refusal will be the most terrible, funniest or toughest of all. And not just some simple: " No thanks».

Tip 2: If the prospect says no, ask why.

Try something like this:

« I appreciate your honesty and directness. The hardest part of my job is not knowing if we can be of help to someone. Could you tell me why you decided that we cannot help you?»

Don't try to sell a product or service. Just learn and experience.

Tip 3: Prank a conversation on the phone with your colleague. Let him be the client and refuse you in the most rude way possible. Every time a conversation with a real client is unpleasant, remember that “show”. Compared to him, a real conversation will not seem so terrible.

If prospects keep turning you down, and you are overwhelmed by oppressive feelings about it, read positive reviews customers who like your company.

Remind yourself that you are helping people.

Second- get ready to learn quickly, not sell quickly

Cold calling cannot be mastered overnight. So set a goal: to bring out something new for yourself from every conversation with a potential client. It doesn't matter if it is successful or not.

Here is a mini memo on learning how to cold call:

Tip 1: Start with a script and don't deviate from it (yet).

Tip 2: Understand what specific moments you fail (a sign of such a moment - people hang up or begin to refuse more than 50% of the time, after you say something).

Tip 3: Rewrite this section of your script and change it until you no longer receive rejections.

Tip 4: Repeat this process with the rest of the points until you can go through the whole scenario with less than 50% bounce rate.

Tip 5: Analyze the course of the conversation. In particular, listen to the answers people give to your open-ended questions. The better the question, the more the person will speak.

Tip 6: Record your notes (on paper or in in electronic format). This is for clarity and to remind yourself of how much experience has been gained.

Setting goals correctly and continuing to learn on the job will propel you many steps above the average salesperson.

Third- use technologies to solve similar problems

The modern salesperson can use a variety of tools. So you no longer have to suffer from tedious and ineffective work.

Here are a couple of examples of useful foreign services:

ConnectAndSell... The tool helps automate actions such as dialing numbers, transferring phone bases, interacting with the zone controller, and so on. So you can jump right into the conversation and get results.

Salesloft... Thanks to a strong development team and their well-coordinated work, this product is constantly adapting to the market and always meeting the needs of the modern sales employee. It can be used as the main tool and for complete process control (telephone bases, Email and interaction with people).

DiscoverOrg... Quite a well-known service. This is a kind of gold standard that will not only make it easier to work with numbers, but also help in working with customer bases.

If you are using any CRM system, never be afraid to test and apply all its features. Many products have standalone versions, but you can use several services at the same time in a complex.

By the way, here are two common excuses for a lazy salesperson: “ Too much competition " and " I don't have enough budget to use the tools ».

Fourth- do not waste time - both yours and the client's

It is advisable to make a list of specific people who could potentially be interested in your proposal. This will help you not to waste time on each contact, finding out if the interlocutor is interested in the service.

There will be much fewer bounces if you know who you are dealing with. Make sure that only those people and organizations that you can really help with are on your call list.

Criteria for selecting organizations:

• field of activity;
• budget level, number of employees;
• geography;
• related areas and technologies.

Criteria for selecting an interlocutor:

• his role or position in the organization;
• the tools that he uses in his work;
• to whom does this person report on the work done;
• who or what he leads.

If you call someone who doesn't meet your ideal criteria, you are stealing your time. If you call someone who can take advantage of your offer, then you help him improve his life and business. And myself too. Don't waste your precious time trying to persuade people who don't need what you are selling.

Fifth- be an actor, not a robot

Cold calling is a scripted action. And you have to "get" into the role - as an actor.

The actors also act according to the script. However, neither in TV shows nor in movies do they look like a bunch of robots that talk and look at each other in a pattern.

They are full of real human emotions! Therefore, even acting according to a clear plan, speak like a real person. Don't just "sight-read".

This is easy to deal with, especially if you are interested in work and results.

How to use scripts (with examples)

1 Step 1: First, memorize your introduction and value proposition well. If you know how to explain who you are and why someone needs to listen to you, your adjustment to the conversation will be easier and faster.

“Hello, this is Alexander from Company Z. We are collecting and analyzing data, and I would like to know if this can be of benefit to your team. Do you have two minutes? "

2 Step number 2: Then write out the open-ended questions that will guide your conversation. After asking a question, be prepared to listen and hear. And not just wait your turn.

"When you close a deal, how does your company use it for subsequent contracts?"

3 Step number 3: Then come up with clear answers to common objections. If you are just learning, it is better to write down the answers on paper and keep them in front of your eyes. Without experience, it will be difficult to navigate on the fly.

Example objection:

“We are now more focused on the top of the funnel. And the results are still satisfactory. So we are happy, thank you. "

Sample response:

“This is just one small area where data analysis can be beneficial. Imagine that you have information about all the results and profits of the past years. With this data, your team will be able to achieve results 2-5 times faster. ”

4 Step number 4: Finally, exercise until you sweat out.

Ask someone else to pretend to be a buyer. If you are in the same room, close your eyes. This is necessary so that you can hear and not see the interlocutor.

Ask your assistant to gradually increase the “resistance level”.

This technique alone will give you incredible results..

Start with zero objections and work your way through the script to the hardest objection. Then think through the answers to each objection in advance.

Practice thoroughly. You need to work out the answers to minor objections at the beginning of the conversation (like “ I am not interested") And complex ones at the end, such as" Just send me an email».

Sixth - balance between quality and quantity

Cold calling is effective when you follow best and proven practices:

• YES: not to be afraid of rejections, but to approach them creatively.
• YES: practice, practice, and more practice.
• YES: prepare open-ended questions and detailed responses to objections.

• NO: Call random people you cannot be of help.
• NO: call without preparation (stick to the script!).
• NO: self-agonize with tasks that can be solved automatically.

You are now prepared and determined to think in the right direction and use the right tools and techniques. Success is much closer now.

! Important... If you don’t want to or don’t have time to make cold calls on your own, then you can try asking others to do this work for you. This can be easily done on the Kwork freance exchange for only 500 rubles there is a large selection of volunteers, the main thing when choosing an artist is to first read about

Best books on cold calling

• Cold calling techniques. What really works.
• Call master. How to explain, persuade, sell over the phone.
• Golden Rules of Sales: 75 Techniques for Successful Cold Calls, Convincing Presentations and commercial offers that cannot be refused.
• Sales scripts. Ready scripts for "cold" calls and personal meetings.
• If the buyer says no. Work with objections .

Cold calling is not a waste of time. Stop listening to the so-called "experts"

6 Cold Calling Myths We Debunked

• The practice of cold calling is dead.
• Cold calling is outdated.
• Cold calling is a forced activity.
• Cold calls are too unreliable.
• Cold calling leads to "robotization" of employees.
• Cold calling does not correspond to quality rules and is used by amateurs.

1 "Experts" and so-called "gurus" said the cold calling was dead. With such an influx of negative information (and even with our own bad experience), it is easy to doubt the operation of any technology. Emerging industry leaders have urged for years to end cold calling. And many support them - from ordinary salespeople to leading marketers.

And yet: THEY ARE NOT DEAD .

2 It's easier to argue that it doesn't work than it is to learn how to do it right. If you've tried cold calling once or twice and failed, joining the technology haters will be easy. However, any sales skill takes a lot of effort to master. And cold selling is no exception.

3 Many salespeople are coerced into cold calling. There are many ways to lose interest in a job. All it takes is one manager asking you "50 sales per day". With this approach, anyone will lose their appetite for activity.

4 This is unreliable and distracts the potential client from business. Personally, I love the idea of ​​selling the way people want to buy. And I am a big supporter of streamlining the sales process in this direction. However, we apply this concept in the same way in all areas. Therefore, we are afraid to "interfere" with a potential client.

5 Nobody wants to be a robot. The script is a friend of a person who is engaged in cold calling. However, most have never learned how to use it properly. To speak like a robot is a lack of experience, and not necessarily a condition of technology. And in general, nonsense and pretense is a sure recipe for disaster.

6 Fast food has taught us that quality and quantity are enemies. No one has ever stopped by McDonald’s expecting high quality food. Everyone is expecting a lot of food at a low price (though I bet they've added a lot of quirky items to the menu for a reason). Well, people tend to view cold calling as a bad quality. However, this is nothing more than a habit and has nothing to do with reality.

5 Cold Calling Strategies You Should Know About (Research)

Many people associate cold calling with something difficult and ineffective. Like, you have to sweat. Without the use of proven strategies, this is indeed the case.

After all, you are invading the life of a complete stranger and you only have ten seconds to prove your worth.

You clearly realize that, most likely, after your words, the interlocutor will hang up the phone, limiting himself to “No, thanks”.

Panic aside.

Below are five simple and effective calling strategies to soften your stress and turn cold calls into warm ones. So, here's how to boost your confidence and get more leads:

Smile first

The next time, before picking up the phone and dialing the number, keep a smile on your face for at least twenty seconds. It doesn't matter where you are - in the negotiation room or at your own table.

You may find it silly at first. However, recent experiments have shown that smiling, no matter how sincere or not very good, still has some benefits.

• Reduces stress... Scientist from Kansas research university found that smiling in a stressful situation can reduce the degree of negative reactions.
• Reduces heart rate... Even just slightly raised corners of the lips will be effective in this matter.
• Improves mutual understanding... Smiling affects the way we speak. The voice and intonation. And to such an extent that the person on the other line can catch the expression on your face and even determine the type of smile. When exactly a person "hears" your smile is a matter of time. The secret lies in the mirror neurons, which are able to pick up minimal changes in intonation and tone of voice.

Additional benefit: Your inner feelings are reflected in your face. However, this pattern also works in the opposite direction. So smiling helps to improve your mood.

Stand like Superman

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy's research shows that body language matters. Even if the interlocutor is on the other line does not see you. Stand in a confident domineering position (legs apart and hands on hips) for two minutes. Then the cold call is more likely to be successful. And that's why:

• The body will increase the level of testosterone (increases the degree of confidence).
• Decreased cortisol levels (this will reduce stress).

This rule applies even when you are at your desk. Sit up straight and don't slouch. This will help you feel in control and relieve annoying feelings of nervousness.

Call a friend

This practice came straight from Yesware CEO from Matthew Bellows:

“Take with you a photo of a loved one who is extremely dear to you. Place it on your desk or set it up as a screensaver on your computer. The next time you call another potential client, imagine that now you are not talking to the client, but to the person in the photo. "

If you are not a fan of photos on the table or are in a meeting room, just quickly look through the photos in in social networks or on your phone album.

Why it works: Looking at a photo of a loved one not only makes you a little happier, but also reduces stress levels and soothes yourself. This will make you less susceptible to failure.

Say only one or two phrases at a time.

This cold calling technique is simple but often overlooked. Research shows that the brain can only perceive information for 20-30 seconds. So divide your 15-minute conversation into 30-second chunks.

Be succinct and concise. Don't overload a stranger with information or industry terminology. Speak simply, clearly, and clearly. And do not be afraid to explain incomprehensible points.

If your interlocutor starts asking for specific information, then he is interested. Don't miss this opportunity. Make an appointment, during which you can discuss in more detail all the questions and nuances.

Fall in love with rejections (yes, this is also a cold calling strategy)

Do you feel comfortable when you get rejected?

For a seller who works with cold calls, the answer should always be yes

For example, instead of targeting a specific number of "yes" per day, one management consultant decided to hunt for "no." He soon realized that the desired number of "no" was unattainable for him - because he was getting too many "yes".

Focusing on rejection is doubly beneficial. This allows you to increase the speed and efficiency of your sales.

7 technicians to increase the rate of return of cold calls

Not all potential customers agree to offers. The outlook can be disappointing. However, regardless of whether you are talking in person or by phone, the main task is to get the person interested and attract him to the company.

This process is often complex. Especially if this kind of work is new to you.

Here are 7 tips to improve your lead time:

1. Focus on the prospect, not yourself.
2. Prepare all questions in advance.
3. Don't blindly act on the script.
4. Don't exaggerate your capabilities when you first meet.
5. Don't try to get sales the first time.
6. Keep yourself naturally and relaxed.
7. Analyze exactly how you are useful to the client.

1 Put the customer in the spotlight... Concentrate all your attention on the other person and their needs. Especially if you have little experience with cold calling.

There is no need to describe in detail who you are and what you do. Don't talk about the organization.

Remember, the main topic right now is the customer. Not you. Full focus on a potential client and his needs is very professional. And you are a professional.

2 Plan your conversation ahead of time... More information - more likely to sell. The more data you can get from the interlocutor, the easier it will be for you to recognize further prospects and plan actions. Especially cold calling.

Polling is important. The questions asked must be carefully thought out in advance. And also to distribute in stages - in a logical chain from the most general to very specific.

3 Be responsible for the choice of the script... After finishing your introduction and seeing that the client is still interested, ask him about the business, the situation on the market or in the field in general, about the budget, and so on. Quite often, people share this information in exchange for your offer. Or rather, the benefits that you promised in the introduction.

To be more or less guaranteed to get the answers to the right questions, ask something like this:

“Imagine that you have magical abilities and now you can get rid of three problems in your business or in the field. What are these problems? "

"If you had the opportunity to provide the ideal environment for the development of your company, what would you change?"

“I would like to meet with you in person - to discuss the needs of your company and the possible benefits of our services. How about Thursday at 14:00? "

Always keep in mind: a cold call must be personal. Concentrate on the needs of the other person. Perceive him as a separate person with his own qualities and characteristics.

This allows you to build trusting and long-term relationships with clients. Strictly scripted actions can make a cold call really cold - impersonal. And we don't need that.

4 Don't exaggerate your chances during the first meeting.... If you are meeting this client for the first time, you should not go "fully armed". In other words, it is better to take an ordinary small folder with you than a huge portfolio full of samples and documents.

If a person is interested and wishes to receive more detailed data, then you can always return to your car and take everything you need. In this way, you reduce the stress of possible failure. So show your cards gradually.

5 Don't try to get sales on the first try... The first sales experience is rarely successful. Instead, concentrate your efforts on gathering information. If you offer something on a budget, then much less data will be required. Ask questions and take notes.

Try to build a strong relationship with the client. Let the call and the subsequent meeting be friendly.

6 Do not "strain" the client. The more relaxed and comfortable your interlocutor feels, and the more he opens up to you, the higher the likelihood of selling the service and acquiring a regular customer.

To do this, you need to relax yourself. And be natural. This will help boost your attractiveness a lot.

7 Find out how your client will benefit and what will make him accept the offer... In each case, you can highlight any advantage that will really interest the person and induce him to accept your offer.

At the same time, every client has fears and suspicions that will force him to refuse to cooperate with you. Your primary task is to find out what exactly will motivate the interlocutor to buy, what benefits he expects. And also - to learn about his fears and doubts that can keep him from purchasing a service or product.

X Bonus advice: Don't be afraid to ask more questions. Asking is useful and beneficial. Especially cold calling. Questions are truly magical tactics.

You might ask something like this: “Mister X, in practice we have found out that the reasons why a person agrees to cooperate with us are always different in different cases. What is this reason in your case? "

If you are honest and also open and natural, do not hesitate to ask more questions. Show genuine curiosity. And the answers you hear will amaze you. As a rule, a potential client is always ready to provide information necessary for a sale. Especially if the conversation is going well, and the service offered has aroused interest.

Remember, the main thing is to ask.

The perfect cold call script

You have a list of names and phone numbers. Until the end of the day, you need to make 100 calls. Your sales manager has given your team a lot of work, so you keep dialing, dialing and dialing numbers ...

Now all you need is a script. And not just any ... But the best, the coolest. Which is working.

But before I give you the door key, let's see how a typical cold call goes.

An example of a typical cold call

**Beeps, pick up the phone**

Potential client: Yes?

Salesman: Good afternoon, my name is Dmitry.

(Pause 1.5 seconds)

Do you have a couple of minutes?

I'm calling about software that may interest you and solve your most significant problems.

How do you view our offer?

Potential client: In fact, I'm busy right now ...

Salesman: Maybe you need to test the product? We have all the certificates.

Potential client: We are not interested in this.

Salesman: Well, are you already at the decision-making stage? Give us two hours and we will call you back.

** Customer hangs up **

Do not laugh. There are many such calls. And this happens every day. And you probably won't be surprised to learn that they practically do not convert: positive responses - less than 1%.

This means that if you call 100 people, you only get one consent. So if you call your potential customers and tell them all the same thing, just stop.

This is how you lose trust, your reputation, and your productivity.

If you follow this scenario (the best cold calling script) it can go up to 14-20%. It's still better than 1%.

How to create a working script

1 Step 1: Identify 2-3 areas. First, you need to select areas. Your time is valuable - don't waste it in markets that don't fit the product. Think about who your potential customers are and look for common patterns.

For example, it can be a hotel business and retail... Or maybe finance and banking. Once you figure out where to aim, you're ready for step 2.

2 Step 2: Identify 20 potential leads. Now it will be much easier for you to find specific companies or people who might benefit from your product or service. Use social media and professional platforms. Let's say you're looking for hotels that might benefit from your yoga courses.

Set specific criteria. And find representatives of these hotels on the Internet.

Voila - the list of potential clients is ready.

It will be easier if you are looking for local or regional companies. People love doing business with their fellow countrymen. If you are in Novosibirsk, then first of all cooperate with Novosibirsk citizens.

3 Step 3: Research each potential customer. I know, I know, everyone needs to grab the phone and ring as soon as possible. But trust me, spending just a couple of minutes on a little research will make the process a lot more successful. So take the opportunity!

Check on the same internet:

• in what area does the company work;
• what exactly are they doing;
• Have you helped similar companies in the past?
• some "fun fact" about them.

And one more important thing: look at how the company name is pronounced correctly. Nothing annoys people more than having a sales representative miss the pronunciation of their organization. So get ready.

To find out how the title is spelled correctly, you can watch, for example, their commercial.

Couldn't find it? Ask by phone: " I want to make sure I pronounce the name of your organization correctly. Can you tell me?»

Best cold call script

You may have noticed that the call is not so cold now ... You have studied your list and prepared well before picking up the phone. I promise you my friend this extra work will be worth it. Now let's move on to the script.

First, state your name and the company where you work. Speak confidently and energetically. Do not rush to distort words.

On the other side of the line begins: “What? Who?". From the very beginning, the call goes so-so.

You don't need to speak too loudly. Just make it clear and concise.

After you say, "This is [name] from [company]," pause.

Sometimes it’s difficult. Especially if the call is cold. Many people want to jump straight to the proposal. But I want you to take a deep breath and just be silent for these eight seconds.

While you wait, the client goes over in his brain who you can be. They think it looks like you know them - are you a customer? Former employee? Current? Thus, you have stolen his attention, the one who is on the other side is now interested in you himself. A tricky move isn't it?

Now the conversation is somewhat different from the standard cold call. Then you fight the other person with a question - to establish some contact. Your goal: to show that you are familiar with him and his company.

Here are some sample questions:

A good question will be relevant and will make you smile. If the interlocutor makes contact, ask the next question.

For example, if a customer says “ I took business English courses there, they have quite strong teachers", You can answer" Excellent, I would probably recommend them to my niece. "

In the end, the prospect will ask: “ Why are you calling?«.

You can joke at first, and then seriously state the reason for your call. Humor simplifies everything and helps to establish contact. However, one should be careful with humor.

For example, if your prospect is in a hurry, you have to adjust to it.

Introduce the product, tell us how it is useful in a particular area. This is called positioning. And this will show by example how you work with similar companies and help them solve certain problems. There is no need to tell about yourself, as most "zombie robots" do.

Here's a rough representation of the service:

« I work with sales managers in hotel business... My clients are looking to improve the productivity of their salespeople. Are there any similar needs in your organization?«

Since you have checked in advance, the answer is likely to be yes. Just answer: “ Tell me more about it«.

Note: Most of the conversation was about them! Now you will probably be told about the problems and goals of the company. And this - valuable information to help build further conversation.

! Important! There are people who specialize in writing call-based sales scripts. You will be provided effective template conversation. You can find such a specialist for your niche on the freelance exchange kwork.

Modifying the script

I love helping newbies. I was in their place and I know what difficulties I had to face. Help is good for both the company and their career. So, the script and the course of the cold call can be slightly changed.

We have a common practice at our company called “just ask”. She encourages junior sales representatives to turn to sales leaders for help in arranging meetings with executives or potential customers. As soon as a representative asks for my help, I ask for something in return: a website URL, a person's and company’s social media profile, and the like.

This allows me to quickly familiarize myself with the person and organization I am about to call. As soon as the other side of the line picks up the phone, I use my standard greeting: “ This is [name] from [company]", Pause.

If you are calling a junior executive or even a mid-level employee, chances are your call will go through an assistant or secretary. They are more likely to have “Oleg Stanislavovich, Sales Director at X” than “ , sales representative at X«.

They will know who you are. However, they will still be curious as to why you called. Keep them on their toes for longer. As in the above scenario, I will spend a few minutes asking about the person of the responder. Here are some small examples:

• "Who do you like more: cats or dogs?"
• "What do you prefer for breakfast?"
• "Can you suggest a cozy restaurant in [Prospect's city]?"

When the conversation gets closer to the reason for my call, I say, "I called to help." This phrase usually stops the interlocutor. Then I continue, "My sales rep asked me to start a conversation with you." This allows me to easily direct the conversation to a representative if the conversation is going well.

Then I use the aforementioned positioning: “ I work with sales managers in the hospitality industry. My clients tend to be looking to improve the productivity of their sales representatives. Does this sound like your situation?«.

The previously studied interlocutor will answer “ Yes". And then he turns on my active listening. I'm talking: " tell me about this". As soon as they finished talking about their pain points, I repeat what I heard: “ So what do I hear that ..."And propose to discuss this in more detail.

As a rule, the interlocutor agrees and offers to contact within a few weeks or months. I often answer: “ How about tomorrow?". In most cases, something like this follows: “ Of course, what time?«.

Everyone wants their day to be good. Take advantage of this and make the other person smile or laugh. Give them a chance to talk about their problems. And show that there is a solution. And you have it. Solving other people's problems means more sales.

How to bypass a secretary on cold calls - 4 ways

Secretaries and other mediators continue to be one of the biggest telephone communication challenges. Questions like “ Does he know who is calling?" or " Will he know what will be discussed?", or " Has she talked to you before?»Enough to halve sales. If you follow the philosophy outlined below and then adapt and use any of the scenarios provided, the transfer rate of the tube to the decision maker (DM) will increase significantly.

And the key point of philosophy is the following: stop hiding something, cheating or deceiving the secretary. Mislead him into thinking you’ve already had a conversation with a prospect. This also means that you do not need to give only your name and do not give the name of your organization. The rule is this:

Secretaries just need to know your full name and your company name. They are not guards. This is so that they can understand who is on the line. In most cases, this is sufficient. Use the following proven methods to help you get to the right decision maker faster. Perhaps even without other intermediaries. So:

1 Technique # 1:"Please please". This method has been described many times, but it is still effective and easy to use. And increases the chances to 65-75% (I still use this method and it works). This is how it works:

Secretary: « Thank you for calling ABC Company, how can I help?»

You: « Good afternoon, this is _______ _______ from (your company name). Can I please speak to ________, please?«.

That's all... Simple, easy and effective. And it’s important to say this with a warm smile in your voice and make sure that “please” is used twice. Use the template: "can I please talk to ...". Another key is that you give your full name and full company name (even if not required).

2 Technique # 2: If you do not know the name of the client you need to speak to, use the " I need a little help please". Try:

Secretary: "Thanks for calling ABC Company, how can I help you?"

You: « Hello, this is _______ _______ from (your company name), I need a little help«.

[It is fundamentally important to WAIT for the person to ask how they can help]

« I need to speak to the main employee who is involved in (your product or service). Could you tell me who it is, please?«.

More than 50% of the time, if you have asked well enough and received a response, the registrar or secretary will send you to the correct department. When you get there, just use the previous technique again. And in addition, you will most likely be associated with the right person.

There are three keys here: 1 - Be polite and speak with a smile on your face, 2 - Use "please", 3 - WAIT for an answer from the other person before asking the right person... This technique only works if you follow the above 3 steps.

3 Technique # 3: If you don't know the name of the right person. An alternative option is to ask to be contacted with another desired department and then use the technique above. This is a great way to completely bypass the secretary and thus avoid all middlemen. Use this technique:

Secretary: « Thank you for calling ABC Company, how can I help?«.

You: « Good afternoon, can you put me in touch with the marketing department, please?«.

Again, be careful and use this powerful word "Please".

4 Technique №4: If you continue to be sent to intermediaries, you absolutely must know how to respond. Use any of the following methods:

Registrar's question: "Pavel Semenovich is expecting your call?"

Your response: « I don't have an appointment, but can you tell him that the line is _______ _______?«.

To the question: « Does he know what this is about?»

You answer: « He does not know specifically, but please tell him what it is about (one of the main problems of the client), I will wait, please«.

(The key to the above answer is that you are not going to mislead the registrar, you are just using "please" and the templates above).

If you are asked: « Have you spoken to him before?»

You answer: « Not about his current business, but could you please let him know that ________ _________ of __________ is on the line?«.

There is no need to doubt the effectiveness of these methods. After all, they only seem simple. In fact, these are powerful techniques. And they work. Especially if you monitor the "temperature" of your voice and do everything exactly as indicated above.

Just remember that the secretary's main job is not to alienate you from the right person forever redirecting to other intermediaries. Its function is to convey accurate information about who is calling, from which company and for what reason. Can you face challenges? Sure. Do these methods always work 100%? Of course not. However, if you use them consistently, you will find that they work 70% of the time. And I bet it's much better than your current methods, isn't it

Outcome

Follow the above recommendations, strategies, tactics and scripts and your sales will increase. If you are planning to delegate cold calling, then let your employee read this guide. Gain experience, generate successful leads, and forge long-term relationships with your customers. If you already had cold selling experience, share it in the comments. What was your first cold call?