Cold calling is one of the fundamental strategies that sales teams use–it’s been that way probably since the phone’s creation. Cold calling can also be one of the most challenging aspects of a sales rep’s job. Today, it is not uncommon to receive 4, 5, or 6 calls per day from sales people trying to pitch you on how they can help your business.
Clearly, it is hard to know whom to trust. Here are some ways to remedy the challenges of cold calling.
The Facts
- Buyers are 5x more likely to engage when they have been previously introduced
- 73% percent of business executives are more comfortable working with someone that they already know
- 84% percent of decision makers begin their buying process by referral
- Salespeople that reach out within 5 minutes are 100 times more likely to qualify prospects
These statistics should be very surprising. And if they don’t inspire you to take action and redefine your cold calling strategy, then what will?
Here are a few ways you can redefine your cold calling strategies:
1. Lay the groundwork for a referral from the beginning
You cannot expect a brand new buyer to give you a referral immediately. Buyers need time to really get to know your business, and build a firmer relationship. What you can do is ask them at the time of purchase, if they would consider giving you a referral. This leaves the concept open in their minds, and makes them much more likely to give you a referral in the future.
2. Respond to leads right away
You’ve seen the statistics, but just to reinforce it for you: salespeople who reach out to prospects within five minutes are 100x more likely to qualify them. 100 times! If leads come in, there should be a clearly defined process for reaching out to them.
3. Present helpful content to prospects
One of the biggest challenges with cold calling (and why it fails more often than not) is that your prospects don’t know you. An easy way to change that is to present prospects with content that helps them qualify you. Yes, your prospects are qualifying you and your entire company based on the interaction they have with your sales reps. Content that is informative and provides value confirms that your sales reps are truly invested in helping prospects solve their problems.
Often it can be very hard to connect to your prospects and leads over the phone. If you’re tired of the constant struggle, then it may be time to change up your cold calling strategies and incorporate some more warm, buyer-friendly tactics.
{{cta(‘d561c4e2-b6da-4cb8-8c34-9df61f48abaf’)}}
