Cold Calling Techniques that Work

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Cold Calling Techniques that Work

• How to Heat up this Valuable Prospecting and
  Marketing Tool
• Pete Battista
• 01-10-06

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Work Shop Requirements

• Pen
• Paper
• Open Mind
• Willingness to try new things or the same old
  thing with a different twist.
• Desire to get Better and increase results

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Goals of the Workshop

• Facilitate a group discussion where we can all
  benefit from best practices
• Identify the challenges to cold calling (internal
  and external)
• Raise your expectations
• Help you be better prepared
• Increase your effectiveness and ultimately your
  sales results
• Leave here with 4 or 5 good action steps
• Have some fun along the way

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Assumptions and Background/Bio

• For this workshop Im assuming that cold calling
  is face to face prospecting as opposed to
  telephone calls to set appointments
• You have to believe the Tom Hopkins theory of the
  Numbers game.
• Background 18 years of BTB Sales for a local
  Office Systems Supplier
• Started as a Territory rep where we were required
  to log at least 25 cold calls per day.
• Estimated total number of Cold Calls done in that
  time frame is between 75,000 and 100,000

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Cold Calling Defined

• A Mandatory, Dreadful experience where one goes
  door to door and gets professionally abused.
• Or
• A Great Face To Face Prospecting and Marketing
  Activity where Preparation Meets Opportunity!

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Audience Background

• What Industries are Represented today?
• How is Cold Calling Used?
• What are your goals of the call
• Reasons we avoid it.
• 1) Fear of the Unknown
• 2) Anticipate conflict
• 3) Feeling Unprofessional
• 4) Fear of Rejection
• 5) Get put in a sales situation that your
  not
• ready for.

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External Pressures Why they arent happy to see
you

• Not another Salesman
• Im really busy and youre an interruption
• Talk to much
• Probably Rude and Arrogant
• You obviously cant read because you just walked
  past the No Soliciting Sign
• We arent in the market for whatever you sell.
• In general, receptionist have more to do and less
  time for you!

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Cold Calling Getting Tougher or Easier?

• Increased Competition
• Tighter Economy
• Shrinking Profit Margins
• Increased Sensitivity to Safety and Security
• All lead to more aggressive marketing techniques
  that increase the interruptions to the front
  office!

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Begin at the Beginning a return to the basics

• Product Knowledge
• Company Knowledge
• Industry Knowledge
• Sales Skills
• A lack of competence will undermine your
  confidence and it will show up in every stage of
  the sales cycle, especially cold calling! Where
  are you weak?
• What area of your business would get you the
  greatest return if you increased your
  effectiveness?
• Action Step 1Write down the area or areas and a
  few tactics or actions to take to get more
  effective.

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Whos Better than You?

• Who is the best company in your industry? Yours?
  Why? What one benefit do you offer that is better
  than your competition?
• Action step2Write your advantage down in a
  short hard hitting benefit statement and memorize
  it.
• Someone is better than you? Do you know why, and
  what are you doing about it? What area should you
  focus on to get the best return and gain ground
  on the competition?
• Action step4 Write it down with a few
  suggestions and take them to your leaders.

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Building the Value Proposition

• Your degree of success and how far you go will be
  determined by how well you can articulate
• Who are You?
• What do you do?
• Why should I spend any time with you?
• Can you answer each of these statements with a
  short, concise, value packed, marketing
  statement?
• Action Step 3 Write out answers to each
  question, practice and memorize them until they
  are natural and convincing!

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Selling with Passion

• Mission?
• Vision?
• Core Values?
• Take a minute and write them down.
• Action Step4 Memorize them, put them in your
  own words if needed but be able to articulate the
  benefit to the client.

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Who is the Best In the Industry, you? Why

• Why are you the Best?
• What one or two things do you do better than
  your competition and why is it important to the
  customer?
• Action Step 5 Write it down, practice it and
  develop the appropriate collateral around it so
  that the customer gets it!
• Lastly, if youre not the best what do you do?
• Action Step 6 Identify the most important
  part of your business that once improved will
  yield the greatest return, put together a few
  ideas and take it to your leaders.

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Building the Value Proposition, keys to
maximizing your cold calls.

• Who Are you?
• What do you do?
• And Why Should I spend any time with you?
• Can you answer these on the spot, in a short
  concise format that would speak of value and get
  you the appointment?
• Action Step7 Write them down and practice them.

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Goals of the Cold CallHow far can you go?

• Information Gathering Company info, literature,
  Brochures, Annual Report, Receptionist name and
  demeanor etc. Decision Makers info to include
  Business card, best time to contact, email
  address, phone extension, Title etc.
• Competitive information to include of
  systems, who is current supplier, satisfaction
  level
• Appointment with DM
• Analysis or study
• Proposal
• Sell Something!!
• Can you sell something on a cold call? Some
  reps are more lucky than others right?
• Luck Defined Where opportunity meets
  preparation!

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Cold Calling Mechanics

• What to Wear Your call, just know your audience.
  My preference, no suit jacket and occasional
  business casual.
• What to Carry Site Seller/Portfolio to include.
• 3-4 page pwr pt. on your company
• Product Brochures
• Reference Letters
• Analysis Example
• Order Forms, price book, calculator,
• Possibly a leave behind that tells of who
  you are what you do and how you add value.
• When to go Best Times, after youve closed
  business or later in the week. Worse times after
  youve lost business also Monday mornings. Bottom
  line is when ever it works for you!!

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Initial Approach

• Be Polite They are the gate keeper to your
  success!
• Be Brief Acknowledge the no solicitation sign,
  apologize for the interruption, reassure them
  that you wont take much time.
• Ask for their guidance, advice, direction etc,
  lets them know that they are important! Listen to
  their suggestions.
• Dont speak down to them, watch your words, dont
  tell them that I need you to Id like to speak
  to the Person in chargeetc.
• Dont get them upset, or press them if agitated,
  dont give them the idea that your going to go
  around them,
• Dont leave a lot of company or product
  information behind if its unsolicited..

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Primary Goal Get past the Screen and get time
with the DM!

• Get the appointment Introduce yourself briefly,
  build a little rapport, and ask to see your
  contact person! (always more effective if you
  have the name in advance)
• Example Recep. Can I help you?
• Rep Yes I hope so, My name is Sharon Reed with
  Aflac and Id like to briefly speak to Joe
  Baggadonuts!
• Dont have a name? Try thisIm with Aflac and
  we do benefits consulting, typically I work with
  the director of HR, who would that be here?
• Subtle difference but it allows you to
  determine who you work with, rather than being
  assigned a person.
• Secondary Goal If the DM wont see you, start to
  gather all the information that you can..

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Objection Handling How to handle resistance from
the receptionist.

• Youll have to call for an Appointment!
• A Great can I use your lobby phone? Or
• Thats no problem, thats why Im here, can you
  please check to see if they have a minute or two
  to compare calendars?
• They arent interested
• A Well Im not sure if they know all that we do
  so Id like to make sure they couldnt use our
  services, so do you mind checking with them
• Just leave your information!
• A Id hate to leave a lot of information .
• You get the picture The keys are be polite,
  answer the objection and get right back to asking
  them to contact the DM.

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Other detail to be gathered on the call Be
attentive!

• Lobby Furnishings and building décor.
• Log Book
• Mailing Label on the Periodicals
• Cant get a name? Talk to the dock workers!
• New Construction? Talk to the construction crew,
  theyll know whos moving in!
• Plaques on the Wall, Supplier Awards
• Board of Directors Plaques!

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Closing Comments

• In summary, if you are better prepared on what to
  say, how to say it, and you have passion for what
  you do, the confidence will come out, youll be
  in control, youll get further and youll close
  more business quicker! And youll have a lot of
  fun in the process! But above all things you must
  be a positive person that enjoys what you do and
  who you are!!!
• Questions?