Cold calling is often the hardest part of any sales position. It can feel awkward and can actually hinder your progress if not done the right way. Salespeople who spend time researching before picking up the phone understand their prospect’s specific pain points and are often far more effective when it comes time to close the sale.
Here are 10 tips to consider before picking up the phone to call your next prospect.
1. Confidence is Key – Even if you’re new to sales, confidence is important. Your prospect doesn’t know you and you only have minutes to earn their trust. Come across with confidence from the start and you’re halfway there!
2. You’ll Make Mistakes – Mistakes are how you learn. You’ll learn more from the fumbled calls than the calls that you score. Learn from your mistakes.
3. Qualify Your Leads – Know when your product isn’t the right fit based on your buyer’s needs.
4. Be a Consultant, Not Just a Salesperson – Be helpful, friendly and consultative. Offer honest advice when analyzing your prospect’s pain points.
5. Leverage Marketing – Understand your company’s marketing process and how it integrates with sales. Know your buyer personas including their needs, pain points and preferred messaging methods. Aligning marketing and sales produces more business, more revenue, and more closed sales.
6. Ask! – You won’t know everything on your first day. Take your time, ask questions and show you care!
7. Don’t Give Up at the First No! – Sometimes a prospect will test you with objections like budget, authority, needs or timeframe. Don’t quit! Gather information and show value!
8. Be Energetic – Stay positive and smile when you’re on the phone. Prospects can feel your energy!
9. Leverage Social Media – Social media is a vital sales tool. Follow prospects on Twitter and LinkedIn. Share their posts, favorite their tweets and reach out to them online before you pick up the phone.
10. Do Your Due Diligence! – Research is important before making a call. Visit your prospect’s website and follow them on social media. If you understand your buyer, you can better position yourself to sell a product or service that’s a good fit and will help them in the long run.
Want to know more? Visit ARLINGTON’s PartnerPro Growth Services page to see how new sales executives can benefit from online coaching to close more sales!
