Seasoned and successful sales reps understand that most prospects hate to receive
cold calls, and their first thought when they answer the phone is typically, "Oh no. How do I get rid of this caller?" The primary reason for this is that nobody likes to be sold.
Leveraging this knowledge, this successful technique capitalizes on the fact that the prospect is likely to want to help the caller if it provides a means for avoiding a sales pitch!
So, instead of being a rookie and launching into your sales pitch, use your initial cold calling as part of your
prospect research process.
Don't assume the initial position that this prospect will buy from you, or even has the authority to do so. Assume that (s)he is someone who is in a position to help you identify individuals within his or her organization who might benefit from your products or services. This assumption will, in most cases, be accurate.
Begin by first introducing yourself and your organization, and briefly describe what it is that your company does.
Then ask the prospect if they would be willing to help you. Your introduction might sound something like this:
- "Good morning. I'm Scott Trunkett with Wid-Jitco. Our company extends the life of the type of equipment you use to manufacture your product, (don't pause) and since this is the first time I've spoken with someone directly in your company, I was wondering if you would be able to help me please."
If this contact is a referred contact, then let him or her know who it was that recommended you call.
- If the prospect has any questions, go ahead and answer them and follow up with one of your qualifying or research questions.
- Then move quickly to the reason for your call, which is to get some help. Your next question should be something like:
- "Would you be able to tell me who in your organization is responsible for making decisions regarding productivity upgrades for your company's equipment?" Ask your contact first for the highest level influencer he can recommend, and ask him if there are any others who might benefit from your capabilities in this area.
- End the call by saying "Thank you for your help. I will follow up with you to let you know how I progress."
- Say goodbye, and let your contact get back to his/her busy day.
Throughout the call, pay attention to key methods for building
trust and rapport over the telephone.
If you are unable to reach your contact directly, leave a compelling
voicemail that generates callbacks, then exit out of voicemail and try to reach another contact using the same prospecting strategy.
By simply asking your contact for a referral, you have not threatened him with a sales pitch or presentation, and you have begun to develop a non-threatening personal relationship. You have also gained some insightful information into the prospect's business and collected a few potentially valuable referrals.
I will explain the process for following up with warm calls and referral calls in another article. If you would like to receive automatic notification when new articles are posted, please go to our blog and sign up for our blog alerts.
Happy Hunting! 
