• What is cold calling
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Many have heard of the appearance new technology sales. It's called cold calling. So what is it?

What is cold calling

Let's understand together what cold calls are. The technique consists in making calls to potential customers who are not familiar with the company (calls to customers who are familiar with the company are called “warm calls”), which should encourage a person to make a purchase or order a service.

This technology is not very simple. Specialists who can professionally work as cold-call managers are in high demand. The technique of "cold calling" contains knowledge of psychology and oratory. Possession of such technology at times increases the value of an employee. This is why it is imperative for a manager to master the technology of cold calling.

Cold calling will be successful if three basic conditions are met:

1. Good self-control;
2. Impeccable possession of information about the products sold;
3. Possession of knowledge about potential customers;

Looking at these three factors, it seems that this can be easily learned, because today there is a mass of specialized literature and various trainings.

Why are there so few cold calling professionals?

Managers are well aware of this and are afraid of being rejected. All these cases can be predicted, and therefore prevented. To do this, you do not need to use template speech, you need to listen to the intonation of the voice of a potential client and adequately respond, putting the conversation in the right direction.

Knowing the customer is a prerequisite for success

We mentioned that the client needs to be known. That's why, even before making a call to a certain company, you should know almost everything about it. It is not difficult to do this. All information is stored online! The manager must be sure that the offered products are exactly what the client needs. The reason for the call may be, for example, the participation of a potential client in some discussion in the media.

Cold calling does not pursue an immediate purchase!

The professional always remembers that the purpose of the call is not to sell immediately. Many people make the mistake of starting a conversation with phrases that directly encourage them to take some action. It will be much more effective to start a conversation with a story about your company, about what it does. After, inquire about whether the product can be useful for the client. The main purpose of this technique is to instill interest in the company. You can also convince the client of the need for more detailed information about your services (products). You can offer a meeting with a representative of the company.

Familiarization with the article “Cold calls - what is it” alone will not turn you into a specialist in “cold calls”. Here are some tips to help you:

1. Prepare in advance the scenario of a future phone call. Include here a small greeting, a story about the company, and likely questions. Such a scenario is thought out in advance, and not hastily.
2. Exercise restraint and calmness during the conversation. Be confident and don't worry. Any trembling in the voice will alienate a potential client.
3. Avoid conflict entirely. Swearing is a cross on the purpose of the call. Even if they tell you that they are not interested in products now, this does not mean a complete refusal.
4. If you are told that it is inconvenient to talk now, then you need to ask when the conversation will be appropriate and convenient.
5. With a categorical refusal, nothing is worth imposing. Apologize and say goodbye, and don't forget to say thank you.
6. Use repetition tactics. In case of refusal, you can again, after a certain period of time, make a call offering your services. Act discreetly and carefully!
7. Time is to be valued! That is why the time of the conversation should not be delayed. A conversation lasting from two to five minutes is considered optimal.
8. Don't forget about some magic words. People always respond positively to "promotions", "discounts" and "free"! If you are in a position to offer such things, then this should definitely be done. (Read also -)
9. If possible, offer a potential client certain samples of your product, demo versions. This technique works in most cases.
10. Pay attention to your potential client. Do not under any circumstances interrupt him. If a person begins to say something to you or ask you, be sure to listen to the end. Please clarify the question if necessary. People always love attention and respect for themselves. This cannot be ruled out in the technology of "cold calls".

What is Cold Calling - video

Hello! Today we will talk about cold calls.

Today you will learn:

• What are the characteristics of cold calling?
• How to write conversation scripts;
• What rules should the caller follow.

What are cold calls

A certain type of call is called “cold” not at all because of the tone of the caller, but because of the attitude of the client who answered the phone. It is not in vain that salespeople are afraid to make such calls, because very often the responses to an unsolicited offer are rude and unpleasant.

The main task of a cold call is to set up a meeting. The second most important task is to expand the customer base.

Cold calls are made by new clients with whom they have not yet established business relationship. This is their main difference from warm and hot calls, which are addressed respectively to already familiar and existing customers.

In a number of countries, cold calling is restricted and controlled by law, and sometimes even banned.

In Russia, many companies strictly instruct secretaries not to facilitate cold calls. Phone sales are becoming more popular among marketers, and potential customers, in turn, are becoming more and more evasive.

Cold calling has its pros and cons.

The advantages of this type include:

1. Minimal cost of time and money. The search for clients is done from the office, the manager does not need to make many unnecessary trips.
2. Quick communication (relative to correspondence), a high chance to convince the interlocutor.
3. The ability to understand the client's reaction to the offer, ask additional questions.
4. PR of the company, increase in popularity and the number of customers.
5. An additional method of sales without prejudice to the main one.
6. Research of demand, competitors and the market as a whole.

Disadvantages of cold calling (even if the calls are organized correctly and the sellers do not make mistakes):

1. A deliberately negative reaction of the client to a sudden call.
2. It’s easier to refuse an offer if you don’t see the seller live.
3. The client can end the conversation at any time (hang up the phone).
4. It is impossible to visually demonstrate the product.

In our country, cold calls are most actively used:

• Forwarding companies;
• Advertising agencies, mass media;
• Manufacturers or wholesalers of goods for business;
• Real estate agencies.

Cold calls can be made by both specially trained in-house employees of the organization and third-party specialists from the call center.

Cold calling techniques

There are a lot of cold calling techniques. But it’s better to look at an example of how to make cold calls.

In every company, the customer base inevitably changes. Regular customers leave sooner or later, losing interest, necessity, or becoming interested in a new seller. To maintain a balance in the client base, it is necessary to regularly call not only the warm base, but also make about a hundred cold calls to new clients per day.

The main skill of the cold calling technique is to anticipate the client's responses and know the scenarios for continuing the conversation.

Cold calling is only appropriate in the following situations:

• The offer is definitely necessary for a potential client (for example, a watch repair shop always needs batteries and spare straps);
• Different clients may be interested in the offer from time to time (repair of computer equipment);
• The offer is not necessary, but may be of interest to various customers (printing of business cards);
• The offer is constantly needed and at the same time they choose the most suitable seller (courier service).

In practice, cold calling is a very complex technique, and sales managers who have mastered it are indispensable employees in any company. In addition to theoretical training, such a specialist needs self-control, self-confidence and the ability to accept refusal.

Components of a successful cold call: self-control, knowledge of the product, customer needs and sales techniques.

Stages of cold calling

Let's figure out what the cold calling technique looks like in a phased scenario.

Stage 1. Collecting information about customers

It is more pleasant to talk with the interlocutor who is well aware of whom and why he is calling. The Internet, directories and other media will help here.

If your client is entity, providing certain services or goods, you can conduct reconnaissance and, pretending to be a buyer, find out details about their offers.

At this stage, it would be nice to have a reason to call.

Example. The beginning of the conversation can be like this: “Good afternoon, Ivan Petrovich. My name is Victor Sidorov, I am a representative of the EcoPlus company. I saw a story yesterday about your new production line. I agree with what you say about modern production should cause minimal damage to the environment. We are engaged in the removal and disposal of waste from industrial facilities. I would like to meet with you to tell you more about our proposals.”

Stage 2. Scripting

This is a kind of cheat sheet for the seller. You can learn it by heart or have it before your eyes (the format of phone calls allows this).

Well-designed cold call scripts are true assistants to the sales manager, helping him to speak confidently and to the point.

Stage 3. Conversation with the secretary

Sometimes this stage can be avoided, but the first call most often goes through the secretary. At the same time than larger organization, the stronger the "wall" erected by the secretary in front of his leadership. We will talk in more detail about how to cold call bypass the secretary.

Stage 4. Conversation with the client

The total duration of the conversation should not exceed five minutes. The golden mean is three minutes. The main purpose of the conversation is to set up a meeting and conclude a deal.

In a conversation with a client, a sales manager needs to go through several steps:

1. Introduction: greet the interlocutor, introduce yourself and clarify the availability of free time for a conversation.
2. Establishing contact: refer to the source, use the information obtained at the first stage.
3. Receipt additional information: ask if the client uses a product similar to yours, if he is interested in improvements.
4. Attracting Interest: explain the benefits to the client from the meeting.
5. Work with objections(If you want to).
6. Meeting Arrangement: suggest your own date and time for the meeting.
7. Completion: repeat the agreed time of the meeting, thank the client for their interest, say goodbye.

Secretary on the path of cold calling

If you call not an individual, but the head of an organization, then it is likely that the call will be received by his secretary (or other third party). How to behave in such a situation?

• Introduce yourself politely.
• Try not to state directly that the purpose of your call is sales.
• Ask to be connected to the decision maker of your concern (for example, "Who can I talk to about advertising?").
• If at the moment you are denied a conversation with the manager, find out as much information about him as possible (name, when and how you can contact).

There are several tricks that will help you get around the attentive secretary:

1. big boss mask. The secretary will not refuse to communicate with the boss if he hears in the receiver the confident voice of not the seller, but the boss. (For example: “Are you worried about the reception CEO Alekseev. Connect me to the director."
2. Recall Style. Such a technique is possible only if at least the name of the decision maker is known in advance. To the request “Please connect with Arkady Ivanovich”, the secretary most likely will not ask additional questions, but simply direct the call to the right person.
3. Request for advice. Friendly tone and the phrase "Please advise who is best to contact ...". The secretary will be flattered if the interlocutor raises his status (“only you can help me”).
4. Complex issue. Sometimes, in order to answer a caller's question, the secretary has to redirect the call. But to ask it, you need to know the structure and specifics of the company well.
5. false error. In this case, the caller goes to the trick and asks the secretary to connect him to another department. For example, if he is interested in the purchasing department, he goes through the secretary to the accounting department, and there he pretends that he made a mistake. “Hi, is this the purchasing department? No, it's bookkeeping. “Can you put me in touch with the purchasing department?”

tricks

For effective sales on the phone, first of all, practice is needed, and only then theory.

It is impossible to develop an ideal cold call scenario that is universally suitable for each seller and buyer - both have their own characteristics.

Here are a few basic rules that should be followed by all sales managers working in the technique of cold calling:

1. Find out the needs and interests of the client in advance.
2. Use scripts prepared in advance.
3. At the beginning of the conversation, explain the purpose of the call and ask for some time for you.
4. Do not put pressure on the client, communicate without aggression. Don't use expressions like "I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse." The phrase "Let me tell you about ..." sounds much softer.
5. Emphasize the importance of the customer. Less "I" and "we", more "you".
6. Take your time, pause between speech blocks, speak clearly.
7. Be confident, friendly and be sure to smile - you can hear it even on the phone.
8. Don't try to sell your product. Your goal is to interest and make an appointment. In this regard, replace the common “we offer” with “we are engaged”.
9. Do not argue and do not prove that you are right. Respect the choice of the client if he is satisfied with his current counterparties.
10. To interest in a meeting, talk about the main benefits.
11. Know how to switch the attention of the interlocutor, to interest in additional offers.
12. For questions about the details, offer a personal meeting.
13. More specifics. When asking about a meeting, call a specific time right away. Instead of "Maybe we'll meet?".
14. Monitor the mood of the client and adapt to it.
15. Remove “not”, closed questions and complex terms from your speech.
16. Use attractive words: “promotion”, “free”. If there is an opportunity to offer a free trial product, do not miss it.
17. Do not drag out the conversation, keep track of the time. Three minutes is usually enough.
18. Listen to the recordings of your conversations, analyze and draw conclusions that could have been said differently.

Work with objections

In any sales it is important to distinguish objections from outright rejection. Cold calls usually become an unpleasant surprise for the client, and therefore objections arise in this format much more often.

There is no point in working with decisive refusals, it is better to end the conversation on a positive note and not waste your own and other people's time. But with objections, subtle work is needed.

Let's look at the most common examples:

Cold calling scripts

Sales call scripts can be of two types:

1. Rigid. They are used in sales of a simple product, where the variety of interlocutor's answers is minimal.
2. Flexible. For sales of complex goods and ambiguous offers. They require creativity and more experience.

Everyone who makes sales by phone should have their own scripts, and those who work in the technique of cold calls are no exception.

1. There should be as many scripts as possible. An experienced seller regularly replenishes its database.
2. Each script must first pass a practical test on colleagues and acquaintances. Obviously unsuccessful and inconvenient should be eliminated immediately.
3. The main task of a cold call script is to illustrate the essence of the conversation, and not become a verbatim scenario.

Download cold calling scripts

outgoing call script

incoming call script

Cold calling examples

Example 1

— Good afternoon, Ivan. This is Anastasia from international company"ABV", engaged in ... . I am calling you in order to arrange a meeting during which I could tell you about our new program, which ... (what the client is interested in). I am sure that you, like our other clients ... (examples of companies), are interested in ... (certain benefit).

Yes, I'm interested in it.

- Great, let's meet. How about Wednesday at four o'clock in the evening?

Example 2

— Good afternoon, Ivan Ivanovich. This is Anastasia Petrova from ABV. We are doing…. Do you use ... in your work?

“I don’t have time to talk to you right now, send all the information by mail.

— I'll send you a presentation for you to review in your spare time, but I'm calling to set up an appointment and demonstrate all the benefits of our offer. Would it suit you on Thursday at two o'clock?

I'm afraid I've already got the whole month booked.

- Well, is this the same number next month you have busy?

- I'll take a look now. Not yet.

- So, maybe we will meet on the seventeenth of April?

Example 3

- Good evening. My name is Anastasia, I represent the ABV holding in your region, which is engaged in ... . Your company is … (type of activity), which means you will be interested in our new offer for … (what the client needs).

“Sorry, but we are already working with another company.

- Let me ask you, is it by any chance the EYu company? Probably, you have chosen their tariff "First"?

- No, this is the "Second" tariff.

- Great, I think it will be useful for us to meet, because our programs perfectly complement this tariff. How about this Friday?

Every effective sales manager should know what cold calls are - the scheme of the conversation, his task, key features. All this ensures the successful sale of goods, as well as a good reputation of the company. How to make a "cold" nickname - we tell below in an understandable language.

Why calling is called "cold"

In management, a “cold” call is a call that occurs at the initiative of the seller and which the client does not initially know about. "Cold" calls - we will consider examples for a manager in a special section - one of the sales tools. It helps to expand the customer base and increase profits by increasing the volume of product sales.

The main task of "cold" calling is to form a desire in a potential client to purchase a product or even instantly purchase it. As you can imagine, this is very difficult to do. To achieve the goals, the manager must use a whole range of recommendations.

The main task of "cold" calling is to form a desire in a potential client to purchase a product or even instantly purchase it.

How do customers respond to calls?

The main difficulty in making cold calls is the initially indifferent attitude of the client. A person does not wait for a call, does not know about the product and is not ready to spend his money on it. He may be busy, not in the mood, and even tired from a previous call from another company.

All this, of course, does not add enthusiasm to new managers. However, you can overcome the initial negative reaction using special call scripts and simple psychological tricks.

The theory of cold calling

Topics relating to cold calling are well developed in management theory. In the United States, this type of search for new customers was used already in the 1960s. She came to Russia not so long ago - about 15-20 years ago.

The first cold calls were made according to a ready-made algorithm, which provided an exact answer to each “question” of the client. At first it worked, but then the clients “saw through” the method and its effectiveness dropped sharply.

Some Russian companies still use ready-made templates for calls, but in most cases this does not work. The conversation algorithm should be more variable, and the responses to customers should be more personalized. Calling is not enough to successfully implement a product at present a large number of customers, you need to monitor the quality of each dialogue.

What dialogues with clients are effective

Interaction with each client within the framework of a telephone conversation will be individual. It is obvious that product presentations for the manager big company and the student will differ - both in content and in the manner of presentation.

However, successful cold dialogues have several general characteristics which will help to increase their efficiency from the first days of work. There are also typical mistakes which, unfortunately, even experienced sellers allow.

For the successful implementation of the product at present, it is not enough to call a large number of customers, you need to monitor the quality of each dialogue.

Signs of a successful cold call

1. The first impression of the client from the call is not even connected with the presentation of the manager and the presentation of the purpose of the dialogue, but with his voice and intonations. Good seller speaks confidently, separately and loudly enough. You don't need to ask him again.
2. A professional clearly introduces himself and the company, clearly articulates the purpose of the call, and then makes sure to find out if it is convenient for the client to talk at the moment. If it is inconvenient - appoints the time of the next contact.
3. Personalized customer service. If this individual- by name (or first name and patronymic), if the sale is addressed to the company - by name to its manager, as politely as possible to the assistant and secretary.
4. A capacious and colorful presentation of a product, product, service. Literally in a few sentences, with coverage of all the strengths.
5. Intelligible, clear answers to questions about the product. To do this, you need to know the product well and quickly delve into the essence of the issue.
6. Professional work with objections - according to a proven algorithm, but at the same time individual. Do not confuse objection and refusal: you can work with the first, after the second you should end the conversation so as not to harm the company's reputation.
7. At the end of the dialogue - short summary, indicating the details of the agreement reached (sales, meetings, deals).
8. It is the manager who provides live interaction during the conversation, with the right amount of humor and participation.

What Makes a Cold Call Fail

Even experienced managers sometimes make dangerous mistakes during cold calls:

1. Monotonous voice, lack of intonation, feeling of fatigue in the voice. Managers sometimes have to make more than 50 calls a day, but this should not affect speech in any way.
2. Indistinct presentation, vague purpose of the call. This will exacerbate the already negative reaction of most customers to an unplanned call.
3. Product ignorance. If the manager does not know the product inside and out, he will not be able to quickly answer the client's question. Or worse than that - will answer with an error. The seller must know all the characteristics of the product and the terms of the proposed transaction by heart, and not look for it during a conversation on a computer or memos.
4. There is no dialogue. If the client is silent for most of the conversation, and the manager describes the quality of the product to him, the deal will not be completed. As part of a "cold" call, it is important to set up the addressee for communication, interest, and make them ask questions.
5. Disrespectful behavior, intrusiveness. The question “Are you comfortable talking now” should be learned by every manager in the same way as greeting a client. If the person is uncomfortable talking, try to quickly set a date for the next contact and say goodbye politely.

Where to get the algorithm for "cold" calling

A good cold call is always made according to the algorithm. Only very talented and experienced managers are capable of effectively selling over the phone without a stock. It is better not to rely on chance, but to provide for all possible options for a conversation.

The algorithm should be developed by a team of specialists with experience in calling and sales. good sample conversation should be varied, provide a vivid presentation of the product in a few sentences, typical objections, summaries. All managers should learn the algorithm and have it in front of their eyes during negotiations.

Only very talented and experienced managers are capable of effectively selling over the phone without a stock.

How to negotiate with a secretary - examples

One of the most significant difficulties in "cold" calling companies is the so-called "bypassing" the secretary. The sales manager wants to speak directly with the manager, but first he must get his assistant to switch.

This is quite difficult to do, since one of the duties of secretaries is to save the boss from an intrusive stream of calls. Therefore, for each such situation, it is worth using your own approach. Let's consider an example of a dialogue that will help "bypass" the secretary.

• Secretary: "Good afternoon, Techstroy company, reception of the General Director."
• Manager: "Good afternoon, the Optstroymaterial agency, we agreed with
  Sergei Ivanovich to call and discuss the details of the meeting.

Most likely, after such a wording, the secretary will connect the manager with the head. First, he called the CEO by name, meaning they probably knew each other. Secondly, the manager said that he had already contacted the leader and discussed the meeting (even if this is cunning), which means that the director is expecting this call.

Complicated communication with the secretary

The above is the simplest option, but it is quite possible that it will not work for experienced secretaries who calculate "cold" calls for one or two. Then it is worth trying to use other schemes:

• S: "Good afternoon, Techstroy company, reception of the general director."
• M: “Good afternoon, it’s very good that I got to you, I think only you can help me. This is the Optstroymaterial agency, I would like to discuss the supply of bricks with Sergei Ivanovich.
• S: "Okay, I'll connect you."

A compliment to the secretary at the beginning of the conversation sets him up more positively, and business language gives the impression that the manager is interested in the call or even expects it. At the same time, it doesn’t matter at all that this may be the first conversation with the director, and “delivery of bricks” means only business offer arrange for its purchase.

Anyway, communication with the secretary must be approached seriously. Be polite at the same time, emphasize his importance as a link in the company and at the same time show that your call will be useful to his manager, that he even expects it.

Examples of responses to objections

Dealing with objections is the most difficult part of a cold call. The client is not waiting for a call, most likely he is not interested in the product, so his first answer is likely to be negative. Fortunately, all objections can be divided into several categories and find the answer to them.

All objections can be divided into several categories and choose the answer to them.

What to do in case of refusal

Refusals in "cold" calls - an integral part of the work. More than two-thirds of conversations end up like this. Can you use the rejection to your advantage? First, don't confuse rejection with objection. At first, most potential buyers still object. Find the objection in the table below and work it out.

Second, even if a potential buyer has refused to buy your product, create a future perspective. Tell the client that you respect his opinion, but if he changes it, you are always ready to advise and hope for cooperation.

How to deal with aggressive behavior

Unfortunately, cold calling managers sometimes have to deal not only with rejections, but also with rudeness. What if the potential buyer responds aggressively or insults the caller? Turning such a conversation in your favor is unlikely.

In no case should you respond with aggression to aggression - you will spoil the mood for the whole day and damage the reputation of the company. Therefore, try to complete the dialogue as correctly as possible, but do not hang up. In the telephone base, opposite the number of this client, make a mark.

Conclusion

Cold calling can be an effective sales tool. Its organization must be taken seriously, starting from the development of a communication algorithm and ending with the mood of the speaker. Employee motivation is crucial in cold calling.

Hello! In this article we will talk about "warm calls".

Today you will learn:

• What are warm calls?
• Who should make warm calls;
• How to write a warm call script.

What are warm calls

Telemarketing is one of the distribution and promotion channels for products. With this tool, you can increase the company's sales, or remind the old ones about yourself. Moreover, the achievement of a particular goal depends on the chosen for telephone sales.

From target audience depends on the type of phone calls:

• - negotiating with potential client who is not familiar with your products and company. His need has not yet been formed. The purpose of such calls is to find new customers.

Often the reception of "cold" telemarketing is used by enterprises from the service sector. They buy customer bases with certain characteristics and make random calls offering their product.

• Warm calls- a conversation with a potential consumer who already knows about your company and product. Probably, he was once your client or was interested in the product.

For example, you sell mobile phones. A week ago you bought a smartphone. You can call the client and offer him headphones by special offer at a discount for the purchased model.

• hot calls- a conversation with potential consumers who themselves show interest in your product. They have already made their choice, it remains to bring the matter to its logical conclusion - the sale.

In this case your potential consumer, for example, has already left a request for the purchase of goods, you just have to call him and agree on the terms of the transaction.

If in the first and third cases the goals are clear and understandable - to find new customers and sell goods, respectively, then with warm calls everything is not so simple.

Warm calls are intended to remind the company about itself. To a greater extent, they perform the function of promoting the product, but often lead to sales.

In more detail, the goals of warm calls can be expressed as follows:

• Return of departed customers or those who have not purchased goods from you for a long period of time. The period of time allowed for the absence of purchases is the time of using the goods. For example, for mobile phone this period is a period of time from two to three years, and for a package of milk two to three days.
• Communicating information about new products and services to the customer. If a consumer bought a product from you or was just interested, you can advise him something from your range, tell him about new products that are suitable for solving his problem. It is very important to personalize your message here. You must offer products that will satisfy the needs of a particular consumer.
• Company promotion. In this case, we simply remind the client about us.
• Definition of needs. This goal is the most difficult to achieve: as a psychologist, you must identify the problem of the consumer that your product can solve.

If you compare cold and warm calls, you can find several fairly significant differences.

Let's name the advantages of "warm" calls over "cold" calls:

• Aimed at building long-term trusting relationships with consumers;
• More often lead to product sales;
• Do not cause a negative reaction from potential consumers.

How warm calls work

As a rule, calls to a "warm" base do not cause as many difficulties as "cold" telemarketing. But still, they are not as simple as hot calls.

When you dial a customer's phone number unwillingly (as happens with "hot" calls), you run the risk of running into a negative reaction. This needs to be understood by account managers.

Before you make a call, you need to determine the customer's need. This call should be useful for him. In addition, you must clearly define for yourself the frequency of calls. You should not bother the client, you should help solve his problem.

The frequency of reminding the company about itself, as a rule, depends on the period of use of the product. There are the following types of goods: goods daily demand, durable goods (1-3 years), durable goods (more than 20 years).

It makes no sense to offer a client to buy a washing machine if he bought it a week ago. The likelihood that he will be interested in your offer is very small, most likely, you will cause irritation and resentment. In this case, you can remind the client about yourself with the help of related products.

Identification of needs is also a very important stage in the implementation of "warm" calls to customers. The initial analysis can be carried out even before talking with the client. See what purchases your interlocutor made, what interested him. This will allow you to set the right direction for the conversation.

In general, there is a common scenario for making warm calls. Such a scenario is called in professional language. It allows you to standardize successful conversations and improve the efficiency of telephone sales.

Stages of a "warm" call:

1. Welcome and introduction. Remember that you have already contacted this client, so you do not need to get acquainted;
2. We ask whether it is convenient for your interlocutor to continue the conversation. If not, we will find out when it will be possible to call back;
3. We clarify the previous fact of cooperation;
4. We present the goods;
5. We respond to objections. It is better to prepare answers to possible questions and objections in advance. Analyze the products that you are going to offer to your consumer. Find flaws and justify them with virtues. For example, a high price can be attributed to better quality or greater efficiency of a product;
6. We fix the purchase (or refusal) and say goodbye.

For making "warm" calls, it is best to choose employees with experience. Since it is likely that he will have to improvise and deviate from the script.

Yours should have the following qualities:

• Be sociable, be able to win over the interlocutor;
• Be able to navigate in non-standard situations;
• Be literate;
• Prevent drifting away from the main topic of the conversation.

An example of a "warm" call script

1. Good afternoon, "Customer Name"! My name is “your name”, I am a representative of the company “Custom Shirt”.
2. Can you talk now? (If the client answers “no”, then we ask the second question: “When can I call you back to continue the conversation?”)
3. You recently ordered a blue children's shirt from us.
4. Today we started a new campaign "Get your child to school with a 10% discount", we would like to offer you skirts and trousers for girls with a discount in addition to the shirt. We can send our catalog to your e-mail so that you can familiarize yourself with the range.
5. Let's imagine that the client said that he was already familiar with the assortment. We say: "This is a new arrival for the new school season, while we offer it only to our customers, since the offer is limited."
6. Goodbye! We are waiting for you again in our store.

April 10, 2018

In this article, we will take a closer look at the technology of cold calls, tell you about original scripts and the rules for conducting successful telephone calls, we will share the secrets of where it is better to start, we will explain what stages of interaction with a client exist, we will teach you how to determine efficiency and set goals correctly, we will provide a training video.

All the secrets of "cold" sales: definition of the concept, main goals of a phone call, principles of negotiation

They are called so because customers are rather cold about your attempts to establish contact with them. Remember how you yourself perceive calls from strangers? Usually they do nothing but annoy the person who picks up the phone.

From here we get first tip: so that there is less "cold" in the conversation, try call first! Of course, the degree of acquaintance with the people around us is different - someone is a close friend or relative in general, and with someone you just have a superficial acquaintance, you crossed paths once and just exchanged business cards. But in any case, a conversation with such a person will be easier, with less chance of irritation, reciprocal rudeness and blocking the number.

At the time of such a call, you should be. Otherwise, if the deal is concluded, it will lead to the disappointment of your friend, and there a complete break in your personal good relations is possible! Our the main objective are satisfied customers!

Your managers will be able to work equally productively with both segments, learn how to interact and stop being afraid of telephone conversations and learn how to turn their calls into closed deals.

A high-level communications specialist on the phone knows such techniques that reduce the percentage of failures in "cold" sales to a minimum. Business owners who are poorly versed in this area believe that the conversion from such phone calls is very low. There is some truth in this. If the staff is not trained, it can really reach 1% or less. In other words, out of 100 calls, only 1 will hit the target.

And this performance will really contribute to the rapid morale of your salespeople, their low salaries, high staff turnover and your high recruitment costs. On the endless recruiting of new sellers, you will lose more money than on one investment in the development of one quality “Phone Calling Algorithm” and training of your existing employees.

There are many ways to multiply conversions. First, develop and test a robust algorithm that will guide your managers later. By yourself or with the help of experts in this matter.

Read on this site, about the features of the business in about the “boosting deals”, maybe there you will find hints for yourself ...

Stages of cold calling sales

Step-by-step instructions are compiled for each business separately. If you contact the consultant Vladimir Khmelev, you will receive a detailed text that takes into account the specifics of your activity,. An example script looks like this.

• Greetings. Establishing contact with the gatekeeper/secretary.
• Some magic phrase. Important news. Intrigue. Paradox. "Incomprehensible." Urgency. Idea….
• Switching to the LPR / LDPR.
• Establishing contact. "Hook" of a strategic question.
• Block of questions and generalizations Ideally - with the prevention of objections.
• Presentation / proposal.
• Work with objections.
• Closing of this stage of the transaction. Ideally, a deal.

Cold calls - telephone sales technique: examples of dialogues and conversation patterns for a sales manager

goal setting

Imagine that each stage is the links of the chain. Moving from one link to another, you will achieve a result - you will sell a product or service. But the goal of the first call need not be implementation.

Imagine that you are going to sell a batch of furs to a chain of luxury outerwear stores, you call the right person at the client and start telling him what wonderful fur things you are ready to give him with a 10% discount. You paint the advantages of silver fox vests for as long as 45 minutes, and the sale fails. Why?

The answer is simple: you didn't have the right goal for this particular conversation! What did you expect by listing the benefits for a long time? After all, a client cannot buy fur coats over the phone: he needs to get acquainted with the information on the terms of delivery, see and touch samples, meet with a manager in the client's network, find out their current conditions with other suppliers, compare your prices and the quality of products, and the cost of the same products from competing firms. Yes, he will not listen to you for so long! Maximum - will offer to send your price list to e-mail, but most likely - rudely cut off the conversation.

The call will be effective and will not leave an unpleasant impression on both parties if you think in advance what you want to achieve. Your goal may be to prepare the person to receive commercial offer: make sure that he reads it exactly, and does not send it to the spam folder. Tactics and strategies are chosen, depending on what you want to achieve by completing the next stage.

Forget phrases like “We offer”, “Best offer”, “I want to offer you”, “Mutually beneficial cooperation”. They pass you off as a salesperson. And untrained! A potential buyer has a strong feeling that you will now “push”, “push”, impose something ... Or even you are scammers and simply want to deceive him.

He will try to interrupt any communication with you immediately and harshly. To "hook" a client, say something about their organization. Before that, we recommend that you study the site, groups in social networks. When you get the necessary information, call and say: “As far as we know, you are engaged in cargo transportation, mainly by road, and are now expanding your staff. Jobs on the site say that you do not have enough drivers of the CE category. This is true?".

You will interest the person on the other end of the wire, he will want to continue communication and find out where the conversation will lead. Go ahead, fix the impression. Report that professional competence your firm is closely related to what the potential buyer's company does. Your main activity is recruiting, and you can short time find the right number of people with extensive experience and good advice to work in transportation.

Or: one of my clients from Voronezh provides services for SEO-promotion of corporate sites. So they pronounce the following intriguing words in the first phrase:

Who in your company is responsible for normal the work of your site? We have just noticed that if something is not corrected there now, then your organization will lose / receive less a noticeable part of clients / contracts / money / market share ... Do you think it is worth putting him (the decision maker) in the know?

A rare client will begin to freak out and hang up in response to this phrase ... The rest will be surprised and want to chat!

Identification of needs

Usually sales managers ask only technical questions. How many double glazing do you need? What is the area of ​​the loggia? What wall material? The information you receive will help you set a price and determine the scope of work, but will not cause the buyer to desire to purchase your product and it is from you. If you want the best effect in sales, you need to learn how to confidently pronounce all other types of questions from the SPIN-selling technology!

Listening to only general and situational questions, a person may be frightened (as in an interrogation), because he does not know how long it will take to answer questions: and start pushing back the “questionnaire”, telling you to call him back later.

This can happen for several reasons:

• you did not "hook" him with your "magic phrase" at the beginning of the conversation;
• he didn't like you, by your voice;
  you have not created even a minimum of confidence in yourself;
• you did not divert his attention to your conversation, did not secure his consent to talk;
• you have not reported the planned duration of your conversation;
• you talk a lot yourself;
• you ask a lot closed questions and unsubstantiated claims;
• you did not show him the benefit of both the conversation itself and your future interaction;
• you have not chosen the best time for cold calls - he really has no time (for example, he is driving now).

Your possible reaction:

• “I see, how much time do you have now? Maybe we can talk briefly? Saving time and money is always fun, right? Or:
• “I understand you are a very busy person! I, too. Let's just have lunch together then, and at the same time discuss our cooperation, okay? Today or tomorrow? Name your favorite business lunch place and time - I'll be there!”
• “Now I will tell you a few words about ours, so that you have an idea about the possibility of receiving gifts, I will ask a couple of clarifying questions, I will select several options that suit you, and you will see for yourself whether you are interested or not. This will take 2-3 minutes. Good?" With the phrase “then look”, you leave the decision to the buyer, show that you are not going to “sell” anything. When a customer is “allowed” to refuse a purchase, paradoxically, he quickly agrees with it!
At your leisure, watch feature films about making the right phone calls:
• Boiler room (this shot is just from the movie).
• The wolf of Wall Street.
• In pursuit of happiness (In search of happiness).
• Marigold Hotel: The best of the exotic.

Why cold calls still don't work

Let's take an example from personal experience. We heard this story from a teacher at the university last fall. Let's call her Olga Vasilievna. A respectable lady of the age with indignation told the following:

She received a call from a representative private clinic and said that their organization is holding a promotion, participating in which you can get a full medical examination at a good discount. The manager interviewed the teacher in detail, asked about all the diseases and complaints. The survey took about half an hour. The last question was: "How old are you?" Olga Vasilievna honestly answered: "Seventy-five." To which she was told: “Oh, sorry, we don’t treat such people.” Can you imagine the woman's reaction? It would be funny if it weren't so sad.