4 Cold Calling Tips That Improve Sales
Do you notice your cold calling efforts aren’t working? To improve sales with cold calls, use these 4 pieces of advice.
So you have a brand new startup. You’ve spent hours writing the code for your website, coming up with a catchy name for your product and tried to find the right partner to back you up.
Now what?
You, like many up-and-coming startups, have spent so much time on creating your brand, you have probably forgotten the most essential part of any business.
Sales.
What is the best way to put your name out there and in the same go, improve sales?
You may have heard of a thing called cold calling.
Cold calling accounts for almost all customer interactions and is still the most efficient way to introduce your brand, promote your content and hopefully grow your startup.
Below are 4 tips on just how to keep those calls coming.
1. A Good Strategy Leads To A Clear Goal
Every startup needs a clear and well-defined strategy to function smoothly.
Having a good strategy will go great lengths to putting your name on the market and will help you improve sales. But it will also give you a goal for every phone call you make in the future.
It’s important to remember, though, that the first phone call you make is not the sales call. The first phone call is the introduction you need to make, that will ultimately lead to an in-person meeting where you will be able to make your pitch.
But before you can make that pitch, you have to know just who you’re calling.
2. Know Your Customer
Knowing who to call when you’re first starting your cold call rounds is essential knowledge for improving sales. Local Chamber of Commerce websites contain directories of businesses that may be interested in the products you have to offer.
A business directory list will include business owners’ names, current websites and current contact info. It essentially serves as an inside look at your potential customer base.
Before picking up that phone, though, make some notes on your future client.
- What are they selling that you may be able to market?
- What is the competition offering them in the meantime?
- How can your startup best benefit them in the future?
Noticing details about the companies you reach out to is a great way to start a sales process. Capitalize on any problems the company may have and that you may be able to rectify with your product.
If you can find problems, you can sell a solution.
When Is A Good Time To Call?
Nothing is more irritating than being halfway out the door, hearing the phone ring and knowing you’re going to be stuck at the desk for a little while longer.
Knowing your customer’s day-to-day business methods will go great lengths to winning them over.
On the first call ask “Have I caught you at a bad time?” This will go great lengths to improving any sour first impressions a poorly timed phone call may have caused.
The best time to do cold calling is between 4 and 5 p.m., usually on Thursdays. Do not call at lunch times (between noon and 1 p.m.), since many businesses close during that time to take a break.
Knowing when to call is a great way to sell your startup.
If you can improve your customer relations right out of the gate, you can improve any sales you may make in the future.
3. Say Goodbye To Scripts
So you’re finally ready to reach out to your market base and start introducing your startup.
Many first-time salesmen will have been so focused on creating their company, they haven’t figured out just what to say, to sell their product, so they go to the internet to find that perfect, already written script.
That is a critical error.
Scripts are great for some things. But they are not a good method for making your product memorable.
Remember To Keep It Personal
Keeping your cold calling personal will go great lengths to improving your chances of getting that second phone call. And possibly an in-person meeting with your client where you can make that all-important pitch.
Scripts are impersonal and can lead to that dreaded click on the other line. There are many cold calling scripts out there but they can ultimately sound fake to your future client.
When calling you want to sound as sincere and honest as you possibly can. Making your pitch personal will go great lengths toward growing your market.
4. Promote Yourself To Improve Sales
So how do you get your startup remembered by customers?
Once you’ve gotten your foot in the door and had a chance to discuss your product with your interested customer, leave them with something that proves just how much that customer needs you.
Something that has your business’s name on it will go great lengths to remind your target customer that they need your product and it will help you stand out from the crowd.
Remember, the end goal of every cold call is to be recognized and to hopefully get you an in-person meeting. A promotional item may remind them of who your startup is, but until you meet with the customer in person, they will not truly know what you have to offer.
Keeping your goal in mind and knowing just how to pitch your startup will go great lengths to promoting yourself and improve sales.
Where To Find The Best Cold Calling Advice
Hopefully I have made this particular aspect of your startup a little more accessible.
Cold calling can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you’ve spent most of your time behind a computer, creating the barebones network of your startup. However, it’s vital to improve sales.
I have many years of experience under my belt in marketing and am available at any time to give you the advice you need to get started. With my Ultimate Startup Checklist I will be able to help you create a strategy necessary for any promotional calls you may need to make.
Contact me here for further advice you need.
