Cold calling is a disappearing art, but still a needed component of any sales position. I have made my share of truly cold calls especially as a young salesperson. I was awful (and still am today). So any help in this area always catches my attention.
ManageSmarter.com has a terrific article that dissects a poorly executed call – How not to Handle a Cold Call. I strongly recommend the article, but just to give you a taste of the tips:
Mistake 1: Forgetting to Prepare
The person who called me did absolutely no preparation before she dialed my number. A quick Internet search would have shown her that I have a website up and running so it’s unlikely that I’m looking for a designer or a domain host. Too many people who make cold calls do little or no research or preparation. However, the time invested up front can help you position your solution more effectively to your prospect.
To me, an unprepared cold call always sounds clumsy. The sales rep could take a couple minutes on Google and learn something about the suspect. Whenever I hear an unprepared cold caller, I envision them sitting in a cube somewhere simply punching a clock.
Mistake 2: Self-Focusing
She spent too much time talking about her company when she should have been asking questions to find out more about my business. To me, the obvious questions should have been:€¢ “What I was doing to drive traffic to my site?”
€¢ “What results was I achieving?”
€¢ “How many visitors was I expecting to attract each month?” or “What results would I like to achieve?”However, she did not ask any high-quality questions. Instead, she made the common mistake of trying to pitch her company. The shotgun approach of discussing everything your company has to offer with the hope of talking about one that appeals to your prospect is really a waste of your time and theirs. Plus, you cannot effectively position your goods or service without first knowing a thing or two about the company you are presenting to.
Don’t you hate having a stemwinder of a script read to you without the salesperson taking a breath? I think this is one of, if not the, most annoying aspects of a poorly executed sales call.