Top 10 Tips For Cold Calling Success (part2)

4. Practise delivery focusing on pace, pitch and tone.

When I listen to sales calls I am frequently shocked by the message within the message. In face to face sales 55% of the message is non-verbal. On the phone, this element is missing and this means that the message consists only of the words and how you say them. Whilst the words are vitally important the way you say them will be directly linked to your success or ultimate failure.

Having listened to thousands of calls I can honestly say that the message behind the message for most calls is … “I’m bored, tired and putting in the numbers and you’re probably tot say no anyway!”. Would you buy from someone was saying this to you?

Get someone you trust to listen to your calls and give you feedback on pace, pitch and tone. What message are you sending out?

5. Plan and prepare relevant questions.

Questions and client interaction are paramount for selling. Most salespeople think that they are good at questioning. Most are wrong. Planning and preparing good questions is something that all salespeople should do regularly.

Questions are incredibly important because they focus the mind. This is as true when talking to others as it is when talking inside your own head! Most of us put the focus in the wrong place both internally and externally by asking the wrong questions.

Imagine ringing a new client, introducing yourself and giving a few benefits. They’re listening but they’re not on board yet!! Now imagine asking questions uch as, “Does that sound like something that would be of interest to you?” and “Would you be interested in meeting up then?”

These questions are an absolute waste of time and the resounding answer that you get will be, “No!”.

Questions need to focus the client’s mind on something that you would like them to think about such as, “Have you ever had any difficulties…?” or “How do you currently…?”

6. Have your support tools to hand.

Part of being professional is being prepared. When you get on the phone you need your diary, notes, paper and pens to hand. I cannot count the number of times I have watched a sales “professional” start to close for a meeting and then realise they don’t have a diary open on the desk or on the computer. One long pause later… rapport and meeting lost!

Expect success, work out what support tools you need to be successful and make sure that they are to hand.