With advances in technology, cold calling has become obsolete. Are your sales rep still using this method? Chances are that if so, they're spending hours on the phone and maybe reaching one or two people a day. It's time to leave this method in the past where it belongs.
Think about the last time you got a cold call. Did you actually respond? When was the last time that you actually made a purchase from a cold call? There is a wealth of data demonstrating that this is one of the least productive ways to spend your time in sales.
This doesn't mean that you should stop reaching out to your leads entirely. Calling leads is an essential part of the sales funnel. It does mean that your sales methods need to join the modern times though. Today's customers are expecting personalization when they make a purchase. How exactly can your salespeople learn what their customers need and who they are before reaching out to them?
Do the Research
With the rise of social media, it's easier than ever before to learn about your prospect. Search through their LinkedIn profile, Twitter posts, and even the company's team page. Read blogs that they've written. All of this will give you data to lead more productive conversation. With some sales reps, they may even have a minimum amount of time spent researching a person before calling. This builds rapport and also lets them qualify leads rapidly.
Get Them Ready
Calling someone who doesn't know anything about you or your brand isn't likely going to be effective. However, if they have even a small amount of knowledge about the company, your chances of making a connection are going to be improved.
Consider warming up the account by sending them relevant information by email, social media, or using targeted ads. They'll become aware of your brand if nothing else.
Know When to Call
You're only going to be effective with your leads if they're in the buying process. Knowing the right time to reach out is challenging. However, technology can help you in this area. Consider investing in a sales and marketing software that lets you know when a prospect opens your email or visits your website. Set up a trigger to notify reps to call when they engage with your content.
Let Them Know Before
Before you make the call, try to make initial contact through social media, LinkedIn, or similar methods. Let them know that you'd like to have a few minutes to discuss what you're offering and you'll be reaching out later in the day. If they aren't interested, they may respond with that and save you time. However, if they are but need you to call at a specific time, then you have a greater chance of making a connection.
Build the Relationship
Once the customer has responded to your salesperson, the next challenge is to build the relationship and keep the conversation going. Always ask good questions to understand what they need and personalize the pitch for each customer. You can look at the lead's engagement to see what content was most interesting to them.
Automate the Process
Getting to know leads and customers is time consuming if you do it all manually. Once you start to have success, set up a lead generation and sales automation software that will help to align your marketing campaigns.
To recap, cold calling is dead but that doesn't mean the end of effective sales. Use these steps to make effective connections and build effective leads.
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