From this article you will learn:

• What is the basis of good cold calls
• What cold calling rules should sales managers know by heart
• What can reduce the quality of cold calls

Everyone knows that cold calls are a pretty effective sales tool. However, the procedure itself often causes unpleasant emotions on both sides of the conversation. Constant failures and aggressive responses on the other end of the line make the job of the sales force difficult. In order to turn calling into a process that brings pleasure and increase its effectiveness, we propose to consider the rules of cold calling.

The foundation of good cold calling

1. current base.

The database, which contains the phone numbers of potential customers, is the basis of the operator's work. Just one wrong number can cost the whole deal. It is very important to have an up-to-date list with reliable data. Free programs can be used to compile it.

An available option is Microsoft Office Access, which allows you to differentiate the rights of different users and compose information separately about each client. Of course, this program does not have the capabilities of modern CRM systems, but it is much more convenient to interact with it than with another Microsoft Office product - the Excel spreadsheet editor. A large number of limitations and low information processing capacity make it not the best option for creating a quality database.

1. Base filling.

How is the search for new customers and replenishment of the existing database for cold calls carried out? For this, paid information portals are used, but only verified, relevant and formed from reliable sources.

Thus, the Interfax database contains a large amount of information useful for sales staff about companies of various organizational and legal forms, etc. You can also use the FIRA PRO bank, which contains not only information about legal entities, but also data from the National Bureau credit histories (NBCH). Keep in mind that information from unverified sources will reduce the effectiveness of cold calls.

1. A combination of experience and talent.

Some people think that cold calls are not an effective sales tool, but it all depends on a competent organization. Remember the simple rule of cold calling - you need to put operators into comfortable calling mode. The more your employees make such calls (hourly, daily, monthly), the faster they will develop their own sales technique.

Based on intuition and rich experience, they will already feel how best to behave with this or that interlocutor and how to build a conversation in such a way that it is beneficial. Regular practice is important for the operator. It is quite difficult to enter the working mode after a long break. Complexes, a feeling of discomfort, monotony in the voice may appear.

If the potential client feels this way, the conversation will not succeed. Of course, there are exceptions to all rules: some people have an innate ability to persuade and convince. Such employees easily contact the majority of consumers. But, as a rule, there are only a small number of nuggets, while the rest need to constantly learn and improve.

1. Nice script.

A script is a conversation script that the operator will be guided by. A good scheme is a detailed conversation plan, a set of rules that reveals a list of answers and questions that allow you to keep the interlocutor's attention in various situations. Remember to adjust and modify these fundamentals so that they do not lose their effectiveness.

1. Faithful attitude.

The operator of the sales department must skillfully manage their emotions and evoke a response from the interlocutor. According to statistics, the highest efficiency of cold calls was recorded two to three days before the New Year. This is explained by the fact that before the holidays all people are in high spirits, so it is much easier for them to communicate with customers and even call those who have not dared for a long time. When the manager is relaxed and confident, the interlocutor feels his mood and listens with greater interest.

1. First impression.

Remember the well-known truth: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Therefore, the first conversation with a potential client is considered the most crucial moment. After all, the interlocutor does not know you, or where you are from, or what you want. As a rule, operators are presented as tired, exhausted employees who automatically do their job and call people “for show”. Naturally, having drawn in his imagination a "robot" on the other end of the wire, a person loses all desire to communicate with the manager.

Another important rule of cold calling a sales specialist is to become a pleasant and interesting conversationalist for the client. It is necessary to feel the consumer and communicate in his language. For example, when selling b2b services, awareness of the state of the business and the situation in the customer's company is of particular importance. But the operator rarely has such information. That is why it should interest the client, make them think, evoke emotions, even negative ones.

You can force a person to show their emotions with the help of provocative questions that hurt pride. Try asking the person you're talking to, "Are you authorized to make decisions about this?" or “Are you responsible for refusing me now?” The response, as a rule, is not long in coming, the consumer becomes nervous and enters into a conversation, which, with a competent approach, can lead to a positive result.

Negative emotions are also caused by comparing the interlocutor's company with competitors. But here the main thing is not to overdo it, since the effectiveness of cold calls is much higher if the operator is perceived positively by the client. This can be achieved, for example, by recognizing a leading position in the market: "Your company is one of the largest, tell us a little about your plans ...".

Enter a simple cold calling rule for agents: record customer responses to use this information in further communication.

5 main rules of cold calling

1. Don't be a robot.

Do not bring your actions and conversations to automatism. You are knowledgeable about the product you offer, but what do you know about the people you are calling? Remember that no one on the list of potential clients is waiting for this conversation, and it will be very difficult to gain confidence in a person without prior preparation.

Cold calling is more than just a list call. At the other end of the wire are living people with their experiences and problems. Before you call, try to collect as much information about the potential client as possible. Do not be too lazy to find out in the service department what kind of product the company offers its customers. The more you know, the easier it will be to establish contact with the interlocutor.

1. Talk to LPR.

The purpose of a cold call is not a sale, as many people think, but an appointment. Can you take seriously a stranger who calls you in the middle of the day and is annoyingly trying to sell a certain product or service over the phone? Agree that this is not very pleasant. As we have already said, the mood and presentation of the operator play a big role. Goodwill is easy to feel even through the phone.

However, if during the conversation you have established that the interlocutor is incompetent in making decisions about the meeting, ask to be connected to a decision maker (DM). Your task is not to sell a product over the phone, but to find out if a potential client is interested in working with your company.

1. Respect for yourself and your competitors.

Typically, the organization you call not only works with trusted suppliers on an ongoing basis, but also periodically receives similar calls from many other companies. Remember the golden rule of cold calling: never speak ill of your competitors. After all, it turns out that you question the choice of your interlocutor and his competence in work matters. Rather, mention a couple of minor positive qualities of a competitor and hint at your professionalism: “Are you served by company X? Yes, they have a beautiful logo, but what about the quality of service?

1. Understand rejection.

Sometimes clients say “no” due to lack of time or too many other important things to do. This is common practice. If the answer to the sounded proposal is: “I don’t have time,” then it’s more correct to interpret this as an objection, not a refusal. In this case, it is advisable to schedule a meeting at a time when the opponent is free, but in no case should you give up. Be sure to discuss the exact date and time of the next call. Insist on a personal meeting: “I agree, it’s not very convenient on the phone. Let me come to you to tell you everything. Maybe Thursday at 12 o'clock?

During cold calls, it is very important to feel the line between importunity and persistence. If they tell you a clear peremptory “no”, this is already a refusal.

1. No need to sell.

Let's repeat the rule of cold calling customers one more time: you don't sell a product over the phone. Your goal is to convince the person of the need for a face-to-face meeting. To do this, you need to be different from a dozen other people who also call and offer various goods and services. You need competent speech, goodwill, the ability to quickly navigate the situation and a little humor. When making cold calls, try not to think about money. Focus on your goal, not on how much you will earn when you sell something to someone.

What reduces the effectiveness of cold calls

Frequent smoke breaks

Very often, after two or three calls, managers go to smoke to unwind or calm down, for example, after talking with a negative customer. A lot of time is spent on this, and if the frequency of breaks is not limited by any rules, the effectiveness of cold conversations becomes minimal.

Causes. Moral and physical fatigue, fear of complex calls and refusals of the interlocutor, which they try to compensate for by smoking.

Solution. For employees who smoke, allow time for breaks, such as the last five minutes of every hour or every other hour. The fear of rejection can only be overcome with regular practice. After a negative answer, you need to immediately make the next call, without pauses and thoughts. So the refusal will be perceived as a simple working moment, and not an event that you need to be afraid of and after which you should definitely smoke.

To help the manager, listen to the recordings of his conversations, because his mistakes can be the reason for frequent refusals. Analyze the situation together with the employee, sort out the rules of cold calling, if necessary. So the specialists will reduce the emotional dependence on the result of communication on the phone.

Wrong offer

When making a cold call to a potential client, the sales manager offers to cooperate with the one who answered. As a result, on the other end of the wire they can simply hang up without saying a word.

Causes. Neglect of the basic rules of sales, lack of a script, fatigue, emotional instability.

Solution. Constantly train your managers, improve their skills. Regulate the workflow, create cold calling scripts. Analyze errors, work together to eliminate them. Prepare an employee motivation system. Automate the sales process.

Loss of initiative

In the first minutes of the conversation, the interlocutor begins to actively ask questions to your specialist, and he has to answer them. One of the rules of the conversation: the initiative of the one who asks questions.

Causes. Ignorance of the rules of sales, neglect of scripts, emotional instability.

Solution. The same as in the previous paragraph.

Lack of next step control

At the next stage of negotiations, your manager communicates with the client, but at the end of the conversation he forgets to determine the date of the next contact, tell the sequence of actions, and discuss the obligations of the parties. So the conclusion of the transaction may be delayed for an indefinite time or even fail.

Causes. Neglect of sales rules, unwillingness to follow scripts for conducting cold calls.

Solution. As a rule, the most common reason for poor performance of cold calls is the lack of proper sales techniques. Create a motivation system for employees. Develop a corporate spirit, regularly conduct joint training and analysis of difficult situations.

Misperception of Secretary

Secretaries in the companies of potential clients are different: benevolent, aggressive, indifferent, reserved. This means that sometimes they can interfere with your communication with the decision maker. Incorrect assessment of the interlocutor leads to loss of contact and wasted time. For example, your specialist immediately begins to talk in detail about the product, although according to the rules, such a conversation should be built only with the decision maker.

Causes. Neglect of sales rules, unwillingness to follow scripts or their absence.

Solution. Make sure your managers have regular appraisals. Check the relevance of existing scripts and cold calling rules (if they are not available, develop algorithms for conversations with clients), distribute copies to all employees. Monitor the negotiation process to ensure compliance with established norms.

The term "cold calls" in the theory and practice of sales refers to the technique of calling potential customers who are not yet buyers of the company's products or services. The reaction of subscribers to a call can be the most unpredictable - from interest to aggression. How to make cold calls effective and turn the maximum number of subscribers into your customers? For this, there are scripts, methods and ready-made scripts that have been proven by practice.

What does cold calling mean? Cold calling scripts

Cold calling is an effective technology for finding new customers. It is expressed in the fact that the company's call-center specialist calls potential buyers who have never used the company's goods or services. He informs them about products, promotions, special offers.

What is the main difference between cold calling? It is always performed according to a pre-designed scenario, which includes a list of questions and answers, as well as reasoned statements.

Cold calls are made in relation to new customers, most of whom are unfamiliar with the company's products (as opposed to warm calls, when buyers are aware of goods and services and are loyal to this company). As a result, subscribers often hang up the phone already in the first minutes of a cold call.

How to prevent this from happening:

• Firstly , generate a high-quality script (script) of the call.
• Secondly , make an interesting presentation about the company to start a dialogue.
• Third , prepare to make a call in advance.

The key role in making cold calls is played by scripts or scripts, which are a pre-programmed sequence of actions.

You can’t talk freely with new clients and come up with phrases and arguments on the go. It is necessary to focus on those speech techniques and arguments that have already managed to prove their effectiveness.

Cold calling rules: the best time to call

Calls from strangers who offer any product most often cause irritation and aggression among citizens. As a result, the set fir tree, consisting in the formation of an array of loyal customers, remains unattained. How can a wife organize a cold call more effectively and achieve maximum results?

• Rule number 1. Don't call for no reason

The most useless amateur cold call begins with the words: “Hello! My name is Ivanov Vasily. I am the manager of the Alpha company and I want to tell you about our wonderful products.” With such a banal speech, one can call the metallurgical plant, the rental of wedding dresses and the pensioner Maria Stepanovna with the same inconclusive results.

Need a reason to call . Therefore, when calling companies, it is necessary to study in advance all possible information about them and make a speech using it. The websites of the companies themselves, news portals and forums are quite acceptable for this purpose.

Here is a simple call example . “Hello, Igor Ivanovich! My name is Ivanov Vasily. I am the manager of Alpha. Yesterday I listened to your interview on the RBC channel. I fully agree with your desire to automate the work of the company in all areas. We are creating a new accounting software that will allow us to effectively record stocks in the warehouse and sales.”

• Rule number 2. No need to sell over the phone

When constructing a speech addressed to clients, it is advisable to refrain from the phrases “we offer” and “we are ready to offer”. Customers perceive this as a direct call to purchase. It is better to build a phrase like this: “We develop accounting software for large companies. Could this be of interest to you?

• Rule number 3. The choice of the client is worthy of respect

It is important to understand that potential customers are already using products and services similar to those offered by this company.

That is why you need to respect their choice, which means:

1. Avoid farce in expressions. The phrase: “I will offer you a product that you cannot refuse” will only cause irritation.
2. Do not insist on your own and do not criticize competitors.
3. Offer to talk about the capabilities of the advertised product, but do not do this despite the objections of customers.

• Rule number 4. Refusal and objection are not the same

Potential customers hang up when faced with cold calls in two ways:

1. They are not interested in the offer, and they say a resounding “no”.
2. They do not have the opportunity to conduct a conversation at this point in time.

In the first case, you should immediately close the call, and in the second, you can offer to call back later or meet with the client in person. An objection does not mean a refusal. It allows you to make one or more calls to the same number, but a few days later.

• Rule number 5. Choose the best call time

Cold calling cannot be effective all the time. If we are talking about the B2B sector, then the optimal call time here starts at 15.00.

The reasons for this are quite simple:

1. In the first half of the day, all executives are at work, on the road, at meetings, after which they go to lunch.
2. Decision makers stay at work longer than others, which means that cold calls can be made until 19.00-20.00 on weekdays.

How to make cold calls and where to start: technique

Beginning cold-callers are often confused, not knowing where exactly to start communicating with a potential client. In fact, it is enough to adopt a few key rules for their conversation.

• Firstly , the secretary should not identify the caller as a cold call operator (otherwise he will end the conversation), so it is important to simplify the beginning of the dialogue and bring it closer to the level of a typical counterparty contacting the company.
• Secondly , to begin with, it is important to establish trust and start a dialogue (not a monologue) and only then offer your wonderful products.
• Third , it is important to find out in advance whether the client has come across this product in order not to waste time in the future explaining what the subscriber already knows.
• Fourth , the reason for the call should not be related to the sale. You can start talking about the latest news related to the client company, unobtrusively invite you to a free training, etc.
• And most importantly , fix all dialogues with clients. Subsequently, it will be necessary to select those of them that turned out to be the most effective and, on their basis, form a call script.

Important point: In any case, it is always important to remember the main goal of a cold call - identifying customers and establishing contacts with them. Selling is not the goal of a cold call.

Stages and scheme of cold calling

The easiest way to avoid a cold call failure is to follow a clear blueprint. It can be represented as a sequence of 8 stages.

• Set target

What specific goals can the operator set for himself? Creating an up-to-date contact database, informing about new products and promotions, offering free or trial products, identifying opinions, scheduling a personal meeting.

• Figure out how to bypass the secretary

You can simply find out from the secretary who is responsible for this or that issue in the company and ask to connect with him. It is also appropriate to point out the need to coordinate a certain issue with management.

• Contact decision makers in the organization

Even after the secretary connects the operator with the manager, you should check with him whether he deals with those issues that are related to the company's products.

• Perform client diagnostics

At this stage, you need to find out whether the client uses similar products of competitors and whether he needs this particular service.

• Analyze customer needs

Ask a few questions about the use of the product to determine if it is able to meet the needs of the client, as well as directions for future advertising impact.

• Present a product

At this stage, it is important to present to the client not a product for sale and not a company, but exactly that free or trial offer, which is important to interest him as part of a cold call.

• Work with objections

Customers rarely immediately agree with the proposals of the operator. That is why it is important not to put pressure on them, but to gently direct them to make the desired decision - to emphasize the benefits, offer solutions to problems, etc.

• End call

Ending a cold call is the definition of a follow-up action. It is important not just to say goodbye to the client, but to clarify the time of the meeting, to determine the time of delivery of a trial batch or booking a hotel for participation in the seminar.

An example scenario for attracting customers through cold calling

There is a ready-made design of a cold call on the meringue of which you can form its ideal script. It has a typical structure, which can be further adjusted based on the reaction of users to cold calls.

1. Operator view: "Good evening! This is Viktor Fedorov, the Beta company. May I speak to Alexei Ivanovich?”
2. Contact permission: “Hello, Alexei Ivanovich! Are you comfortable talking now?
3. Establishing trust: “I know that your company specializes in the production of motors and their delivery to Europe. In a recent issue of The Businessman magazine, it was said that you are increasing the pace of production.
4. Presentation: “We are engaged in the formation of an up-to-date base of European companies wishing to purchase motors from Russian manufacturers.”
5. Confirmation of significance: “Thanks to our well-established client base services, Gamma increased sales last quarter by 20% and Delta by 40%.”
6. Disqualification: “I don’t know if your company would benefit from our services, but may I ask you a couple of questions?”
7. Qualification: How do you expand your customer base? How effective is this practice?
8. Call: "Thank you. You have clarified this issue. Could we meet in person on December 5th at 12:00?”
9. Bait: “I only need 15 minutes. I will show you in practice how our client base works and how it can help you increase sales and find new customers.

How to bypass the secretary when making cold calls? Workarounds

Once the cold call script is ready, it is important to determine the most convenient method of bypassing the secretary. Experienced operators know that there are at least eight of them.

• A call from an important boss

“This is Ivanov, connect” - this clearly, strictly and somewhat brazenly spoken phrase will make the secretary forget about questions and clarifications.

• A call from a very important boss

“Ivanov’s reception is on the wire, connect with your leader, please” - this phrase, on the contrary, is pronounced affectionately and insinuatingly, but most often it also excludes the clarification of who Ivanov is.

• Friendliness first and foremost

"Hello, Natalia! Can you please tell me with whom in your company I can discuss the issues of working with suppliers?” - It is important to call the secretary by name and speak with him extremely friendly.

• Raise your status

"Hello, Natalia! You seem to be the only person who can help me. I have repeatedly contacted the supply department, but they did not give me up-to-date information there. With which manager can I discuss supplier issues? - in this situation, the secretary turns into the main person in the company.

• rear strike

“Hello, is this the sales department?” “No, this is the marketing department.” “How can I contact the sales department?”

• Ask a professional question

"Hello! And what kind of steel is used in the construction of your doors? Who can answer this question for me? - it is better to redirect such subtleties to narrow specialists.

• Not the first time

"Good afternoon! Vasilyev from Mosenergo. Connect with the sales department - no extra clarifications. So this call is not the first, expected, important.

• Details

"Good afternoon! I need to discuss the details of the import of raw materials” - the word “details” tells the secretary that the person calls the company not for the first time.

Important point: If you call the company after 18.00, you can directly get to the management, since the secretaries are already leaving their jobs at that time.

How to make cold calls effective?

After all the details of a cold call are worked out, the only thing left is to try to make every contact with a potential client effective.

For this, there is also a set of important rules, in particular:

1. Appeal to the client should be simple, concise, without complex phrases and professional terms.
2. The end of the conversation is the agreement of the meeting, not the conclusion of the deal.
3. The maximum duration of the dialogue is 3 minutes (detailed terms of cooperation and product quality are discussed at the meeting).
4. The voice of the operator should be confident, friendly, friendly.
5. During the conversation, you should smile - the client feels the mood of the operator well.
6. Questions and phrases should not contain negatives - all sentences should be affirmative and positive.

From this article you will learn:

• How to make cold calls
• How to make cold calls to new salespeople
• How to make cold calls without making mistakes

In any business there is a need to call customers. And for an active sales manager, the phone is the main working tool, like a car for a driver. You need to call often and a lot, often you also have to receive incoming calls. The beginning of the sale is a telephone conversation.

And how are cold calls organized in your country, have any standards and schemes been developed for managers? You may be surprised, but the more detailed and standardized the process of making cold calls, the easier and less scary it is for the seller to start communication. Our article is a short overview of how to make cold calls correctly.

The main goal of a cold call

A call that is unexpected for a potential client is called cold. In principle, a person may be interested in your product or service, but you will have to make an effort to get the conversation to the presentation of the product.

Why are these calls called cold calls? Because the people that the manager addresses treat them rather coolly. Being in the role of a subscriber who constantly hears a peppy or monotonous “Hello, I represent the Horns and Hooves company, a leader in the market for such and such goods since 1900 ...”, it is easier to understand the reasons for this coldness than from the role of someone who makes such a call.

For example, imagine that you are waiting for some important conversation at work, but it turns out that on the other end of the line is a cosmetics consultant selling lipstick. This is annoying and time consuming. You don't need lipstick. In general, you are a man. What will be your reaction to this cold call, what warm and friendly words will you want to address to the manager?..

Warm calls, and even more so incoming calls, imply the client's interest in the product, the intention to buy the product, and with a cold call, you still need to make sure that this interest arises. The difficulty lies in the fact that a potential customer does not want to talk to a stranger with whom there are no topics for communication, and he is not going to purchase your product or service. The statistics on failed projects show a high, over 90%, proportion of failed cold calls lasting less than a minute.

Thus, it is possible to characterize the bulk of a manager's day as listening to rejections ("Thank you, we don't need that") or requests for a commercial proposal, and this will be quite correct. But such a result discourages the salesperson from continuing to make cold calls.

The answer: “Send a commercial offer” is also interesting. Beginning managers think that by sending out a lot of quotations, they are doing everything right and are already close to successful deals.

However, those sellers who have been actively looking for customers for at least three months by making cold calls understand that it is too early to rejoice at this stage: people do not read letters and do not look at a commercial offer if they have not had a competent conversation before.

So why do cold calls at all? Their task is to expand and correctly filter the base of potential buyers.

Algorithm of actions during the "cold call" to the manager:

Stage 1. Break through the secretary.

Stage 2. Explain to the secretary the purpose of the call.

Stage 3. We talk to the decision maker.

Stage 4. We stand apart from competitors.

Stage 5. We justify the price.

Stage 6. We send a quotation after a cold call.

Stage 7. Further interaction with the consumer.

A quick sale is not the goal of cold calling. The client still does not know anything about your company or its products. The best thing a cold caller can do is to establish a positive relationship with potential buyers. Therefore, before making a cold call, it is advisable to find out more about the client himself: his needs, problems, business specifics. This will help give the first dialogue some warmth.

8 Basic Principles for Making Sales Cold Calls

• Shell client base.

The manager draws all contact information from the database. It must be kept up to date, correctly and carefully filled out (an error in the phone number will negate all the efforts of the one who makes cold calls).

There are free software products for maintaining single client bases. Once upon a time, all information about consumers was stored in Microsoft Office Access, where there was a separate reference file for each potential buyer, and several employees could have access rights. This do-it-yourself system was not user-friendly and certainly cannot match today's functional CRMs. But still, it was better suited for maintaining customer lists than Excel, with its limitations and slow data processing. Now they have already given up on it.

• Base content.

You can replenish your list of potential buyers with information from information databases (reliable, up-to-date and with paid access). For example, Interfax is the most valuable source of data on legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, etc. The FIRA PRO database, which contains information from the National Bureau of Credit Histories, is also rich in information about legal entities. Popular directories such as the Yellow Pages can also be used, but be prepared for a lot of errors to be found when calling.

• Experience and professionalism of managers.

If you think that making cold calls is useless, then you most likely simply did not manage to organize them correctly. The main thing here is to put managers in a mode that is comfortable for them. Operators who make hundreds of such calls in a week and a thousand in a few months will sooner or later develop a sales technology: based on their experience, they will already be able to predict how their interlocutor will react and what questions he will ask, so it is easier for them to build a dialogue correctly.

Having entered such a pace, it is very important not to knock it down - it will be difficult to restore it later. Leaving cold calls for a long time, the operator loses his grip: complexes, uncertainty, fear of communication return, speech becomes monotonous. Interlocutors notice this, and the results are disastrous.

Therefore, a sales manager needs not only knowledge of how to make cold calls correctly, but also practical experience. Although, of course, there are people who are naturally gifted in terms of communication and are able to easily convince, win over, establish contact with anyone, but there are not so many of them. Everyone else will have to actively learn this.

• Cold calling scripts.

Professionals call scripts scripts according to which a conversation is built during a cold call. They are a great help to a manager who wants to sell effectively. A script is a clear dialogue plan that provides for various options for the development of events, includes ready-made phrases and the right questions that help keep the attention of a potential client. If cold calls don't lead to sales, improve your scripts.

• The right attitude.

Managing your emotional state and influencing the emotions of the interlocutor is an extremely difficult skill, but it is necessary for everyone who wants to make cold calls correctly.

In one corporate sales department, where cold calls were the responsibility of operators, a curious phenomenon was noted: the maximum effect of the call was achieved in the last days of December, right before the New Year. At this time, managers were already looking forward to the holiday and called customers in a joyful mood. This helped them loosen up and connect even with those potential consumers who would probably refuse to talk. Confidence and high spirits were transmitted to their interlocutors, who began to feel interest and listened to the operators more willingly.

• Work with objections.

Fear of getting a sharp "No!" or facing difficult objections is one of the main problems that prevent managers from making cold calls correctly. However, experienced salespeople know all the typical customer excuses. Whatever products a company sells, consumers will always have 7-10 popular objections. They can be written out in advance, disassembled and made up answers to each. This measure relieves anxiety by helping the seller to properly tune in and not be afraid to make a cold call.

• Make a good impression.

The first contact with the client is the decisive moment of the entire sale. If you miss the chance to create a favorable first impression of yourself, you lose this opportunity forever (and the buyer along with it).

The person answering the phone has no idea who you are, why you are calling and what you want from him, and immediately imagines the image of a tired, indifferent operator with a headset, making a thousandth call in a day and similar to a robot who repeats learned phrases . It is unlikely that anyone would like to talk with such an interlocutor.

Therefore, the manager should strive to give the client, first of all, pleasant and interesting communication, to be on the same wavelength with him, to correctly understand what worries him. For sales, for example in b2b, knowing how the company is doing business and what it needs becomes the basis for building a conversation. But such information is difficult to get, you have to act according to the situation.

Usually, managers who deal with cold calls focus on the interlocutor’s emotions (even negative ones), and try to “hook” him. For this, provocative questions and statements are used that make the client worry, make excuses (for example: “Do you have the competence to make decisions on this topic?”, “Do you take responsibility for what you want to refuse me?”), As well as a comparison of the company with competitors. If a potential buyer begins to argue and defend himself, the task of an experienced manager is to correctly build a further discussion and bring it to the desired result.

However, awakening negative emotions in a client is quite risky. Positive impressions have a much greater effect on cold calls. You can, for example, make compliments, praise the company you are calling, and then unobtrusively move on to questions about its development plans. To make cold calls correctly and effectively, it is recommended that you record all the information received from the client and use it in the future.

• Useful knowledge and professional secrets of successful sales.

To make cold calls correctly, it is advisable to know some professional tricks. For example, the use of only open-ended questions that can be answered in detail and in detail. Closed ones do not lead to a constructive dialogue: the interlocutor answers only “no” or “yes”, and the conversation is curtailed.

Direct questions like “Would you like a credit card with a three-month grace period?” are also undesirable - the client will immediately refuse, the call will end. A series of closed questions (“Do you visit such and such places?”, “Do you use such and such products?”) has a similar effect. But if you build a dialogue with a potential consumer correctly, there is a chance to get him talking.

Experienced salespeople always know how to describe the proposed product in the brightest colors. At the same time, many managers focus only on its attractive features, forgetting about the shortcomings and vulnerabilities (they were not taught this at trainings, and they themselves also did not understand the qualities of the product). If, during a cold call, such a manager gets to a client who is familiar with the weaknesses of the product (from personal experience or from the reviews of friends), then he will not be able to correctly respond to criticism and give answers to uncomfortable questions, that is, the sale will not take place.

And today, cold calls remain one of the most common methods of promoting a company. The reason is obvious - in comparison with personal meetings for the same period of time, you can talk with a large number of potential customers, optimize sales.

Spam is easy to block, a sent email may never be read, and commercials often go unnoticed. Everyone answers personal calls. Will it be possible to interest the buyer in this way? This is another aspect. But the manager needs to try.

Critics of cold calls talk about the high labor costs of the method and low efficiency. According to the survey, the result of a cold call (the number of successful transactions, sales) varies between 3-10%.

What are cold calls?

Cold calls are phone calls to strangers in order to offer them certain goods or services. The reason for low efficiency is most often the lack of training of the manager, bad examples, wrong scripts and wrong sales tactics. As a result - a negative reaction of a potential buyer.

Many managers claim that their main goal is to call as many people as possible. The more attempts, the more likely it is that someone will agree to the deal.

This is the reason for the low efficiency of sales. It is necessary to strive to interest the interlocutor, to make the conversation useful and exciting, to leave positive emotions. It's no secret that most often cold calls cause irritation. To change this point of view, the sales manager needs to “hook” the interlocutor, arouse his interest, then present the product, neutralizing doubts about the purchase, and sell the product.

Successful cold calling tools

When a manager makes a cold call, his potential buyer hears only a voice without seeing the interlocutor. Such a client treats what he heard with distrust, and he does not always want to waste time on an empty conversation. Therefore, the technique of making cold calls should be carefully worked out and thought out.

Shell and base composition

The basis of successful work is a complete up-to-date database. It doesn't matter what you do or sell cosmetics. To replenish the client base, the sales manager needs to implement paid information programs that are formed from reliable sources. Examples of such operating bases are Interfax, Fira Pro. Various paid and free programs can be used to store and process data.

Negotiation experience and talent

Sales managers who talk about the low effectiveness of cold calls cannot properly organize them. To increase sales, you need to immerse the manager in a comfortable environment. An uncertain trembling voice, a feeling of discomfort, a monotonous voice timbre will not give the expected results, and a cold call will fail. If the manager doubts the product being sold, the potential client will definitely not buy it.

Negotiating experience is also important. Experienced managers know in advance what their interlocutor will ask or how their interlocutor will answer, which allows them to work calmly according to the developed scenario, using scripts and examples. That is why a new employee needs to undergo preliminary training and training. There is a small exception to this statement - there are people with an innate talent to persuade. They quickly establish contact with a potential buyer, pointing out the advantages and benefits of the purchase. Such an employee is very valuable, but there are very few such "nuggets", while the rest need to learn a lot about the method of cold calls.

The most important skill is to manage your emotions and get the buyer to respond to them. If the operator is liberated, can easily conduct a dialogue, the interlocutor will be interested in communicating with him.

First impression

You will never have a second chance to make a first impression. This stage is the most “fateful”. When a person receives a call from a sales manager, he usually imagines a tired person with a stone face, a microphone and a headset connected, who does not care who he communicates with. There is no desire to continue the conversation with such a person, therefore, in 99.9% of cases, a cold call is already doomed to failure.

The key task of the operator is to become interesting to the interlocutor from the very first seconds. You need to understand the course of his thoughts, be “on the same wavelength” with him, make him think, evoke response emotions (sometimes even negative ones). Asking a provocative question is enough to get that kind of cold-calling response. Alternatively, ask if the interlocutor is authorized to make a decision, or compare his company with a competing organization. As a result, as a rule, he begins to enter into a discussion, which, with proper management, can lead to a constructive result. But the sales manager should not abuse negative emotions, pleasant communication is much more effective.

Customer choice must be respected. Often the interlocutor already has a supplier, is used to buying the offered products in another place or in another way. No need to point to an offer that he "can't refuse." It is better to communicate, find out what he likes and what does not fit, what the client prefers when making a purchase. Include this block in the script and sample dialog. After that, offer an alternative, indicating all the benefits of your company.

Cold call script for selling services

The term "script" means a pre-thought-out algorithm of actions, a pre-compiled template. A well-chosen script is a reliable tool for successful sales. The use of scripts is especially relevant if the sales manager is making a call for the first time.

On the other side of the line is a person who knows nothing about you. In this case, it is necessary to build the most fruitful foundation for cooperation and further cold calls, or to understand that a person does not need the services of our company, that you do not need to spend your precious time on him. Then there are repeated cold calls along a pre-planned path that are aimed at the result.

Script Creation Algorithm

In the work of a manager, it is important to gradually collect cold call scripts, gradually improve sales techniques. From this moment the dialogue begins. The more important goals are set, the more professional managers are needed.

The main points in determining the purpose of a cold call:

• updating the database, determining the target audience;
• providing useful information to the interlocutor;
• offering something interesting and free (buffet at the end of a certain event, providing a trial product);
• receiving a response from the interlocutor about the company's offer.

Goal examples:

1. invitation of freelancers to a training on the topic "";
2. informing the furniture manufacturer about new equipment for the production of upholstered furniture.

Customer base diagnostics

You can chat with the interlocutor for a long time, but if you misjudge their potential, you can waste time and make a cold call useless. Therefore, at the time of negotiation, the manager needs to find out whether a person needs this service, how many units of production he needs, whether he is ready to spend money on a purchase. But you need to do it unobtrusively.

Client diagnostic example:

1. Do you plan to expand the network next year?
2. Can your equipment handle the volume of orders? Are you planning to upgrade it?

Presentation and response analytics

The presentation should be bright, interesting, concise and structured. To do this, the manager must create sales scripts.

Advice: present only the action that you want to achieve from the listener (invitation to a meeting, information about the product). You should not present the whole company and distract the interlocutor with unnecessary information. At any time, a person can simply hang up.

Examples of a targeted cold call presentation to consider when writing a script:

1. At our training, you can not only learn about, but also evaluate the activities of competitors, find out what tools and methods they use, and communicate with potential employers. Agree, for your self-development and growth, this will be a great example and help.
2. At the presentation of new furniture production equipment, you will be able to evaluate the latest developments and achievements, analyze the effectiveness of various business processes that are used to manufacture furniture. This will enable you to better assess your real potential for growth.

Call handling and closing

Since the probability of rejection during a cold call is very high, there is no need to be afraid of receiving a negative answer. When you hear an objection, you need to focus on the purpose of the call, not the objection. You need to try to get around the barrier that prevents you from achieving the desired result of a cold call.

If the listener constantly says different objections, turn them into advantages by promising to resolve all issues. The script will not be successful if you fail to interest the potential buyer in the need to implement the task set for you.

Example #1:

I already have enough orders, and I do not need the trainings offered.
- At our training, cardinally new opportunities will sound, you will learn about how to improve your skills and double your earnings. Our event will open new horizons for you, the scale of which you have not even thought about before.

Example #2:

I don't have free time for your presentation.
- At our event, issues will be considered that will save time on solving various secondary issues. In just two hours, you'll understand why you're constantly monitoring the production floor instead of focusing on strategic moments that would move the company forward.

If the client agreed (or refused), the cold call to the sales manager needs to be properly closed. Show the importance of the client for your organization, agree on further cooperation. Even if you were refused, leave positive emotions about yourself, try to be remembered as a competent employee with whom you can work in the future.

Advice: scripts should not be standardized. When compiling them, you need to take into account the specifics of the service or product being sold, the purpose of the cold call. A potential buyer could have heard the standard script many times already: “Hello! We are a dynamically developing company, 200 years on the market, etc.” To interest him, you need to stand out among the same type of uninteresting offers. To do this, take the time to create a unique script that will arouse the interest of the listener.

Cold call: dialogue example

There is no person who does not want to buy a certain product, there is a seller who cannot sell it correctly. Purposefulness, tact, result orientation - these and other qualities will be needed by a sales manager to achieve his goal. Consider an example of a cold call:

Good afternoon
- Hello!
- Limited Enterprise Company, manager Angela. Could you put me in touch with the CEO.
- He's not in now.
- When can I talk to him?
- Never, as he is very busy and cannot give you time. I am his deputy, all questions ask me.
- Great, tell me, please, what is your name?
- Maksim.
- Maxim, very nice. We are organizing a new business training on the topic "How to attract new customers and increase sales?". Are your managers looking for new customers?
- Looking for. But, unfortunately, neither I nor the CEO will have time to attend your training.
- Would you like to improve your work efficiency so that the lack of time does not bother you anymore?
- You know, while everything is in order with me, everything suits me, I consider the schemes of doing business successful anyway. Thank you.
- I understand correctly - all your sales managers are 100% loaded?
- Yes, for all 100 and even more.
- It's good that we contacted you in time. The purpose of our training is to redistribute the load on managers with higher efficiency. Just imagine - one of your managers will be able to lead 2-3 times more clients. The training will cover the topic of sales optimization and. Sign you up for it?
Thanks, but I can't find time for that.
- Well, then I will inform you about the date of the next training, so that you can reallocate your time and attend it.
- It is not necessary. I'm telling you - we are successfully doing business, all the schemes have been worked out.
- You are doing so well, but there is not enough time for development. That doesn't happen.
- It seems to me that when there is no time, it is very good. Everyone is busy, working, the company is thriving.
- That is, you have reached the pinnacle of your success and do not want to develop more. But for some reason, when your area is mentioned, a completely different company comes first. Are they your competitors?
- It is very difficult to argue with you. When and where will your training take place?

After that, the parties change contacts and agree on a meeting.

Phone sales examples

In order for cold calls to lead to the expected result and give high efficiency, the sales manager needs to get acquainted with a variety of examples, create scripts.

The first example is a ledge, used in case of a negative answer as a fulcrum and a basis for further dialogue. Consider this technology in an example (after the introduction and acquaintance with the manager).

Hello, I am the manager of Consulting Ltd, we conduct trainings for management personnel. How to improve sales efficiency, use internal resources of the organization more rationally, increase turnover. Are you interested in this topic?
- Yes, I am periodically interested in courses for self-development.

I'm sorry, but such an event is too expensive for me and my firm. You ask a lot for your services.
- So says everyone who has not attended our trainings. Many of the people we work with on a regular basis reacted the same way at first. But after the first lesson, they changed their minds, because they managed to save many times more by increasing their turnover.
- Okay, we can discuss this.

Another example of dialogue:

Andrei Vladimirovich, good afternoon.
- Hello.
- My name is Anatoliy. I'm calling you from Constanta.
- On what question?
- We sell waste recycling accelerators. They are made according to new technology, provide an opportunity to save resources compared to the equipment that is used today.
- Sorry, but I'm not interested in your offer.
- Is it possible, before you hang up, to find out - do you use accelerators on gasoline or gas?
- We at the enterprise do not use them at all.
How do you dispose of waste then?
- No way.
- But it is fraught with large fines. Especially after the changes in the law. How timely we turned to you! We recommend that you familiarize yourself with ours. Our prices are better than our competitors, and we can provide a discount. How do you look to meet and discuss terms?
- All right, come to our office.

When communicating with a potential client, immediately include him in the dialogue. That's how you pique his interest. Leave all the details of the presentation for a personal meeting, the main thing is to show the relevance of the proposed product.

Save the article in 2 clicks:

Cold calling is an actual method of sales optimization that many companies use. In order to make them effective, do not be afraid to express yourself, communicate with the client as with a kind, respected comrade. Be confident in your words. To be successful, you need to work hard on yourself. And most importantly - be able to accept failures, as there will be a large number of them. Do not be upset, take into account the mistakes, develop new sales scripts for yourself.

In contact with

If you have chosen the profession of a sales manager for yourself, then cold calls will become part of your job. What are "cold" calls? You will learn schemes, examples and technology for their implementation from this article.

Call assignment

Cold calling has a specific goal - to expand the existing customer base. The strange name is explained by a metaphor - you are calling a complete stranger who treats you coldly and distrustfully. You do this solely on your own initiative, without prior agreement. If you know a person, you can refer to a recommender or a mutual friend, then this is already a "warm" call.

For a manager, such a call becomes a serious test of strength. Not every person is capable of doing this kind of work. The complexity of the work is associated primarily with the psychological factor - a very high number of failures. Even managers with good experience regularly get rejected, and newcomers even more so.

Books have been written on the topic of "cold" calls, trainings have been developed.

Basic rules of cold calling

During a cold call, the manager must adhere to three rules:

Following these rules will help you improve the efficiency of your call.

Difficulties to face

In every more or less large company, incoming calls are received by secretaries. They have learned to recognize the standard cold call script from the very moment of greeting, so they will hang up faster than you can say anything about your wonderful company.

The next point is that at the stage of a "cold" call, the client does not yet have a desire to work with you, he needs to be called in some way, and this requires a conversation. But the client does not want to talk, because there is no topic for communication, you are unfamiliar and he is not going to buy anything, since the budget is scheduled for a year in advance and is bursting at the seams. According to statistics, 90% of cold calls last less than a minute.

Even if you heard a request to send a commercial offer, this also does not mean anything. Offers from unfamiliar companies go to the wastebasket.

How to deal with difficulties?

For this, cold calling techniques have been developed. There are many of them and there are no universal ones, you will have to look for what will work best in your case. Let's consider one of the options.

What are "cold" calls? These are conversations in which the first minute is extremely important, so it is advisable that the person who received the call does not recognize you from the first word of the cold caller. A clear sign of a "cold call" is a detailed presentation and a detailed story about the company, shorten and simplify the beginning of the dialogue.

Do not assume that at this stage someone is interested in your proposal. Offer something for free to grab attention.

How to reduce the probability of failures?

Develop a question that you would immediately, without wasting time on presentations and stuff, could find out if this company is your target audience. Let's say if you're a computer company and you're not interested in servicing a company that has only five jobs, then ask about it.

The reason for the call should not be related to the sale. Otherwise, they will stop talking with you or offer to send you a commercial offer. And if you invite a free training seminar, offer a free audit or a month of maintenance, then the chances that the conversation will continue increase significantly.

Do not be afraid of failures, they are inevitable. But this is the only way to gain the necessary experience.

Enter "cold" calls into the system. One-time promotions will not give anything. Only if you work systematically and purposefully, "cold" calls will bring you new customers.

Cold calling technology

It is more convenient to start any business, having prepared in advance. What are "cold calls"? These are telephone conversations, so you can put cheat sheets, leaflets and diagrams near you, the interlocutor will not see this. Therefore, for more efficient work, it is better to use a cold call script. In this case, the speech sounds more convincing, less fear, which means more confidence and better results.

So, a cold call script based on what we discussed above:

• Block "Representation"."Good afternoon, my name is A, company B. Is it convenient for you to talk now?". Or: "Good afternoon, my name is A, company B. Please connect with department C (or the person who is engaged in the direction we are interested in)".
• Block "Acquaintance"."Tell me how I can contact you? It's very nice to meet you."
• Block "Presentation".“We are company B, engaged in such and such services. Exactly why I'm calling.
• Block "Offer".“We have a promotion, we will serve you for free for a month.”
• Block "Test for belonging to the target audience". "The action has a limit, no more than 15 jobs."
• Block "Work with objections".
• Block "Final". Ideally, an appointment.

This "cold" call scheme is approximate, the dialogue can unfold in any, most unexpected way.

Why do people hate cold calls so much?

The phenomenon of this phenomenon is that neither side of the process likes such calls. They are feared and avoided by managers in every possible way, they cannot be tolerated by clients who listen to stupid offers hundreds of times a day, which carry "cold" calls. There are hundreds of examples.

All this can be corrected if you learn high-quality telephone conversations, stop blindly using the "cold call" script or work without it at all, and form a quality base for calling.

The great news is that a good manager stops making cold calls after only a year of work, as he accumulates a sufficient number of regular customers and useful contacts. Therefore, "cold" calling for the most part is the fate of young specialists, but from a psychological point of view, this is the most difficult part of the work!

How to make friends with a secretary?

Quite often in the company, incoming calls are received by the secretary. To prevent this from becoming an obstacle to making cold calls, the conversation pattern should include a question that will be easy for the secretary to answer and the information will be useful to you. For example, the question of who in the company is engaged in the purchase of raw materials.

However, this will not always work, most often you will hear “On what question?” This question often breaks down the idea of ​​making "cold calls", there are already examples of how to get around this.

Ideas for "bypassing" the secretary

Options:

• "Ivanov is calling, connect with the leader."
• "There is a call from Ivanov's office, connect with the head."
• "Anna, it's very nice to meet you. Advise who is better to talk to in your company on such and such an issue."
• "Anna, it's very nice to meet you. Only you can help me, none of the employees of your company can tell me with whom it is better to discuss such and such an issue."
• "Hello, is this the sales department? No, this is the advertising department. Please switch to sales."
• "Good afternoon, Anya! Tell me, please, what version of software do you use in your company to keep records of hours worked? I need to enter this information into the project."
• "Good afternoon, Petrov, company A, connect with the purchase."
• "I need to discuss the details... (meetings, visits to the exhibition, price analysis, etc.)."

The most important thing in this technique is not to lie, you just need to give the idea to the secretary that you are a person in whom the leader is interested. What is "cold calling" anyway? This is an opportunity to establish contact with the client, so to start with a lie is to fail.

What are scripts for?

When you're making cold calls, a conversation pattern isn't always necessary to follow. Rather, it is a guideline, something from which you need to build on.

It is advisable to learn the answers to the most common questions in order to quickly be able to give an answer. It is important that the script be written by the manager himself, and not by the leader, coach and super expert in the field of sales. The solution here is simple. If the text is "non-native", the phrases in it are alien and uncharacteristic for a particular manager, the dialogue will never become natural. The interlocutor feels falsehood very well. Therefore, even the coolest script needs to be rewritten in your own words. The script is only the basis on which your own creativity will be strung.

Here are some tips for scripting:

• Create as many of them as possible, find them in books and on websites, rewrite them at a training, peep from competitors.
• Test them with friends and colleagues, find out how they work in fact.
• Choose the ones that are most comfortable for you personally.
• In a conversation, do not follow the script, but keep its essence in mind.

Turn "cold" calls from something that causes nausea and disgust, into an activity that is much more pleasant and effective in terms of strength for any manager. Good luck and great sales!