Making The Cold Call Work For You

One of the oldest sales techniques is the cold call. It is also widely ridiculed and derided! Most people do not enjoy receiving cold calls, and this is one of the main reasons why the practice of cold calling is so mercilessly made fun of. In fact, a lot of people don't like having things "sold" to them at all! You have probably experienced this yourself, at the wrong end of a bad cold call. And by knowing this, you already know the biggest key to cold calling: Do not do it the way everyone else does! If someone automatically thinks, "Oh, gosh, here's another cold call," you have already lost the first battle. Instead, you need to figure out how to cold call differently.

Firstly, understand that you need to put in some research. A little research can go a long way, and can save you a lot of time. Instead of calling people blindly - as if putting a scarf over your eyes at the firing range - research can help you call in a more focused manner. There are plenty of avenues by which you can gather good information to help your cold calls, but research and studies of your own are the most valuable of all.

When you call, you have to have confidence. One of the best ways to improve confidence - in fact, one of the best ways to improve your overall success - is to have a script. And stick to this script once you have it in place! This script should not be word-for-word, but rather, it should provide you with a general outline of what you want to say and the order in which you want to say it. Furthermore, you should aim to perfect and refine this script over time. Add things onto the script when you find that they work. When you find that something does not work, take it out.

As you gain more experience, you can start customizing your script depending on the flow of the conversation, or on who you are speaking with. Soften things up a bit if you are speaking with a small business owner. Maybe stiffen up a bit - becoming more formal - when speaking with a high-ranking executive. You will become more and more adept at making adjustments the more cold calls you have made.

Some companies have decided to cut cold calls out of their strategy altogether, claiming that they no longer work. But if you know how to use them, cold calls can be a huge help for your business!