The best way to get into the conversation.
You have a great product, but you know you’re not the only one out there. The people you’re trying to reach probably receive many calls like yours, so how do you catch their attention and how can you get them interested?
Here’s what some of our best cold callers say about what helps them have a productive conversation with a decision-maker:
Ron
“I always start the calls the same way: “I know you’re fairly busy, so I’ll be really brief”. This lets them know right away you’re not going to spend a lot of time with them. It also suggests that you respect their time, you are polite and will be straight to the point.
I try and mirror their pace. In major metropolitan areas you get faster speakers, so if you speak too slowly they are going to get bored. If you speak too fast for them, they will not understand what you’re saying and lose interest.
The questions are your insight into what their needs actually are. They can tell if it’s read from the script, so make it a little more personal. I drop some names of our clients’ well-known customers from the same industry. It lets them know we’re familiar with their industry and creates more value in the call.
You always listen to their problems and their initiatives. If you’re just talking and not listening you may miss a point. Once you hear their needs/initiatives, you can focus on addressing those needs.”
Mike
“Use a tight 30 second commercial or elevator pitch. Ask questions about their business and their concerns, issues and what is important to them. Listen to what they say.”
Nick
“You’ve got two types of people. You’ve got the humorous, light type of person and you’ve got the very business-like, factual type of person. You can make that assessment very quickly. If they’re factual, don’t try much of a warm-up, just go right to the pitch. If they are friendly, you can use some small talk to break down the barriers.”
Natasha
“Most people you contact are quite busy, so it’s best to get straight to the point of your call as quickly as possible without making them feel as if it’s all about you and your goals. A ‘customer service’ approach is the best way to get in and you can create that feel by asking questions to make the contact think you have the solution and that you’d like to help.”
Chris
“Be direct – introduce yourself, your company and why you’re calling. Give them the information so that they have an idea of where you’re going, rather than beating around the bush. Take the non-threatening approach – if you can help me, I can help you.”
