End Cold Calling, Start Smart Calling

Cold calling.
Just hearing the words causes chest-tightening, loss-of-breath anxiety for many. And it’s dumb. I suggest you never place another one. In fact, never even use the term when referring to professional telephone prospecting. You can prospect by phone successfully, when you are Smart about it.

Let’s look at a prospecting call opening from a sales rep who “gets it.”
“Hi Michael, I’m Pat Stevens with Equipment Specialists. Hope you enjoyed your golf vacation. In speaking with Sam, one of your district managers, I understand that you are now ramping up in a couple of your locations to prepare for the new projects you won, and are now looking at the best options for financing for the new equipment you’ll be acquiring. We specialize in this area, and typically present alternatives more attractive than what is commonly available. I’d like to ask a few questions to see if I could provide some information.”

Pat was able to do a number of positive things in this opening:

• He used Michael’s first name, since he knew that Michael was somewhat of an informal guy who no one called “Mr. Johnson,” and hated to be called Mike
• He knew Michael is a huge golf nut, and just returned from a golf weekend
• He mentioned Michael’s branch district manager, Sam, adding credibility
• He knew that the company had recently won some contracts and was presently looking for financing
• He did not talk about leases or loans, but instead, results—“alternatives more attractive than what is commonly available,” which creates curiosity

And all of that took place in the first 10 seconds or so. Later in the call Pat also:

• Asked questions to which he already knew the answers about the company’s growth plans, their position in the marketplace, and the existing financing they had in place
• Commented on the great article that Michael had written for Construction Executive magazine
• Asked about Michael’s experience working with one of his company’s competitors prior to coming to work for this company two years ago

As a result, Michael viewed Pat not as the typical sales rep, but as someone who understood his business and what he was concerned about right now. Plus, he liked Pat. And Pat got an appointment.

How did Pat accomplish all of this?  

 
The same way you can. Pat did his research. He did Smart Calling™.  There’s no excuse NOT to. He first used EDA to learn about the prospect, and the recent equipment purchases, plus additional valuable data. Then he used several online resources and social media sites to get personal and professional information about Michael, his company, and industry, and very importantly, what Michael was concerned about right now.  Then Pat used “social engineering,” the process of speaking with other people within Michael’s company to gain intelligence about the company’s current situation. He also learned about Michael personally from his assistant, Suzanne, and a few others in the department.

Notice that Pat used a conversational, soft-sell approach in his opening to minimize resistance, and to create interest and pique curiosity. This put Michael in a state of mind where he wanted to hear more.

Can you see the difference between this and a typical “cold” call, where the sales rep knows nothing about his prospect, and is simply smilin’ and dialin’, repeating the same tired lines and closes to everyone who will listen?

There is no reason—other than laziness—to ever place a “cold” call. Use these ideas to make your calls Smart, and successful.

Art Sobczak, President

Business By Phone, Inc.

(Art Sobczak works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more business by phone. His new book, “Smart Calling” shows salespeople how to eliminate the fear, failure and rejection from cold calling. http://www.SmartCalling.com. Attend his FREE Smart Calling webinar on September 27 to learn the specific Smart Calling process and ensure your calls generate interest. REGISTER