Many of our customers at OneSource do a lot of cold calling. iSell gives them answers to the raging questions needed for successful cold calls. So when we found this great article by Trish Bertuzzi of the Bridge Group Inc., we had to share it. Sign up for your free evaluation of iSell here. (Information on The Bridge Group Inc. follows the article.
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Always a raging debate…cold calling…does it work or is it a waste of time? Well, that all depends on how good you are at it!
Cold calling is a science and not an art form. Lobbing an occasional call out to a prospect with a message that is all about you will never work. Executing a systematic campaign that conveys a sense of urgency and communicates your value proposition in actionable sound bites will get you a 20% response rate. Oh, I can hear the screams now…20%??? Yes, you should be able to connect with your prospect at a rate of 20%.
What you do once you make that connection is up to you. We have seen reps that have the ability to launch the
1. Focus only on those prospects that fit your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Take the time to define what your sweet spot looks like and then build a target list of companies that fit those parameters. Don’t assume that just because a company is in your database they fit your ICP!
(Added by us) 1A. We urge you to prep for your calls. Not only are they in your Ideal Customer Profile, but they have a recent trigger event (earnings announcement, new executive hiring, etc.) and you’ve identified your best contact point using the Linkedin integration in iSell. The more you personalize your call, the more effective it will become.
2. Execute a process that includes 4 touches in 10 business days. Call, call, email, call. Don’t fall into the trap of becoming an Inside Sales Rep that communicates primarily via email. Yes, I know people respond to you more via email but that is because they can blow you off easier. You can’t control the sales process if you don’t have the ability to ask relevant questions, handle objections and position yourself against the competition. You don’t need a pen pal, you need a qualified prospect.
3. Always leave compelling voice mail messages of less than 90 words.
4. Emails should be text only, contain only 1 link and be as short as possible (for reading on a BlackBerry/PDA/SmartPhone). Also, emails should have no attachments and must contain a call to action.
5. For your final call, let the prospect know it is your final call.
Also, bear in mind that just because the prospect does not respond immediately does not mean that your message was not absorbed. If they fit your ICP, put them through this process again in 6 months.
The Bridge Group specializes in building, expanding and optimizing inside sales strategies for smart technology companies.
We help Sales & Marketing leaders make the big decisions: on implementation strategy, productivity & performance, process, technology and tools.
