Ilise Benum has a great little piece on how to prepare for a cold call over the phone, and why it's vital that you go into the effort with a plan.
"You may hate the idea of cold calling, but you know it's a good way to reach your best prospects. So you're ready to hunker down and do it.
Here are the three things you need to have in hand before you pick up the phone:
1. Two or three concise opening statements that say who you are, why you're calling, and the connection between you and your prospect (if there is one). Experiment with these opening statements to see which makes the most sense, which is more comfortable for you, which flows easier. Then test each one during actual cold calls.
2. Two or three questions you'd like answered. You may not get to all of them - but have them ready, in case the person you're calling is open to chat and has the time.
3. One or two closing statements that spell out what you will do next, what you'd like your prospect to do next, and what you expect to receive from and/or send to him.
Don't forget to ask for your prospect's e-mail address before you get off the phone. Because after you hang up, you're going to send him a quick e-mail that repeats what you've just agreed to.
It's great advice. The tough thing about selling over the phone is that you don't have the advantage of reading their body language and relating to them on a more personal level.
Therefore, having a plan in place before you pick up the phone is the key to successful cold call selling over the phone.
Comment Preview