I was in the zone. Focused, tearing through my To Do list…I felt unstoppable.
Then the phone rang.
I made the mistake of answering the call without looking at the caller ID. It was a software vendor. He wanted to set up a “quick conversation” to show me how their team could save me time and money.
My mood instantly changed. I went from being happy and productive to feeling irritated and terse.
I responded saying that I wasn’t interested in what he had to offer. I had a bitter taste in my mouth from other projects using similar firms.
I told the caller this. His response was he only wanted 15 minutes of my time to talk about his team and the work they did. It was “only 15 minutes” but I responded I didn’t want to give him five minutes unless he could address my concerns.
We were stuck in this loop until I hung up on him.
Do you approach prospecting in the same way?
You’re excited about your product. You believe in it. It saves companies time and money. Why don’t the prospects care? After countless rejections, do you join the masses who say cold calling is dead?
Your approach to cold calling kills the relationship before it starts.
Consider the story I shared. What if the caller had led off with this? “I know I interrupted you from finishing your best work ever but my name is Joe Salesguy from the BestCo Application group. We work with thousands of startups like yours to build amazing software. I saw on Twitter that you are adding a new feature to your product. You may be considering hiring new talent or working with an agency. I’d like 15 minutes of your time to share some common questions and pitfalls we’ve seen with similar companies at this stage. What does your schedule look like next week?”
The exact wording could be refined but notice the change in approach.
1. Acknowledge the Interruption and Use a Little Humor.
We hate being interrupted but are surprised when others are bothered by our interruption! Own it and acknowledge it. Use some humor, have fun with it, treat it like a game. Also, know you have no idea what the person on the other end of the phone is facing that day. He/She might have just gotten a promotion. They might be dealing with a personal issue, or just about to fire someone. Whatever it is, they weren’t expecting your call and there is a natural resistance to your interruption.
2. Give a Quick Introduction and Get Right to the Point.
Your call with this person is unscheduled. Now is not the time to jump into your pitch. It’s a time to make a quick connection, state your purpose, and get their attention.
Hint: Your product, your demo, and your feature, are not what will get their attention. Build trust. Show that you understand the industry. Show that you’re here to build a relationship.
It’s critical to have a clear, confident message. Practice it with others before using with prospects. Your introduction should sound assertive but not robotic. If you need a written script to keep on task practice until others can’t tell you are using a script.
3. Research Before You Call.
You will contact this prospect more than once. You will likely have more than 15 attempts. Through a series of e-mails, phone calls, and social messages you will spend a few hours dedicated to this prospect. 10 minutes of research beforehand will pay huge dividends in the relationship. It will help you win more sales.
Take your new best friend, Google, and learn more about the person. Learn about the company. What platforms are they active on? Did the person win an award? You can reference that information in your initial call for a personalized touch. Even better, you can share/respond to their article before reaching out.
Sometimes, it will save you from embarrassment or hurting someone’s feelings. I’ve had list sheets with incorrect manager information. Other times (more than once!) where that contact passed away. Imagine calling a company asking for that person – do you think you’ll ever make a sale with them?
4. Add value first before asking for time.
Most sales callers are grinding through calls, asking for a few minutes to set up a demo or talk features. Don’t be like most people. Know your industry well. By knowing your customer needs, you will have valuable insights to share with them. Lead with that. It will set up a long-term relationship as a trusted advisor.
It’s more work but worth it.
In the long run, it takes more effort to research companies before calling. It takes creativity and mental energy to personalize calls. Some of that time is lost on prospects who are not interested in the service or product you are selling. But at the end of the day, your goal should be to build long-term relationships with clients. The initial effort up increases your chances for success with the right clients.
