Is Cold Calling Still an Effective Way to Gain New Business?
Cold calling is not always about making that instant sale. It should be used mostly for qualifying or gathering information, or trying to arrange a face to face appointment to better explain your product or service. So launching straight in with the breathless description of your product may not be the right approach. Calling to confirm names, titles and contact details can be a good way to start. You get the information confirmed, and you might be able to take it to the next level.
If cold calling isn't something that comes naturally, then consider a prewritten script. But be very careful - sounding like you're reading from a piece of paper can turn the person on the other end of the line off. Perhaps a better way of using a script is to remind you of the points you need to make, (like a road map in a car) rather than be a word for word recital tool. You have to be able to be flexible, and listen to the needs of the person that you're calling.
You will get people who slam or hang the phone down straight away (don't you do that occasionally?) but don't be scared of this outcome or let it get to you when it does happen. It's not personal. Keep calm and smile, and this will come though in your voice and make people more receptive. Monitor your success rate and attempt to strategically perfect your approach.
If you ask for information by using open questions, and keep your voice friendly and inquisitive, you're more likely to get people's interest. The aggressive sale usually won't work in this context because people are so wary of cold calls.
If it looks like you won't be able to make a sale then offer meeting times and confirm them in writing or by email.
Most importantly always be helpful.
About the Author:
Matt Davis has 19 years of business to business sales experience. He is the managing partner of http://www.telehammers.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Is Cold Calling Still an Effective Way to Gain New Business?