Three Secrets
for Heating Up Cold Calls
by Marilyn Geiger
Three Secrets for Heating
Up Cold Calls
Call reluctance is the popular
term for the phenomenon that has some folks
breaking into cold sweats
or actually getting physically ill if they have to
pick up the telephone to
call someone they don't know. Even the words "Cold
Calling" give me the shivers.
(That must be how it got the name). No one
likes to make cold calls;
consequently they're listed as things you do AFTER
you join the local chamber
of commerce, activate an auto responders, and
submit "free" classified
ads.
.
The first secret is so simple
its often over looked. It's this. Make sure
you have written down a
list of features and benefits of your product or
service. (For a sample of
the format to use visit www.thegeigergroup.com and
click on the Features and
Benefits link there). It's very important to get
this information on paper.
Written lists capture images in word forms and
it is that word form you
will need when you make your calls. Remember
decision-makers take 30
seconds or less to decide to listen to you. This is
a documented fact and especially
true in telephone conversations. Your
Features and Benefits list
condenses the value that you want prospects to
know, so that you can express
it in 30 seconds. With practice you will soon
be able to articulate the
benefit that is specific to the person you are
speaking with. It
will become second nature. This secret will create a
cushion of comfort and confidence
before you even pick up the phone.
Now that you have written
and practiced your list of Features and Benefits
out loud, you can implement
the Second Secret. Decide on two outcomes or
objectives that you want
to accomplish on your call. Remember these are
folks you've not spoken
with before so make sure you set realistic
expectations.
Do you want an appointment? If you have multiple products
you may need to qualify
their needs. At the very least get the name of the
person who makes the buying
decision. Next, write down a 30-second opening
statement that incorporates
a benefit (from your list) and a corresponding
objective.
Here's a sample. The objectives
are 1.) Set an appointment and 2.) Get the
decision-makers' name. "Hello,
my name is Janet Trask from High Mountain
Spring Water. Our square
bottles are easier to hold to reduce the likely
hood of accidents in the
office. Our prices are very competitive and our
delivery truck will be in
your office park tomorrow afternoon. Who would I
speak with about a sample
delivery for your office?"
Good questions allow Janet
to accomplish her two objectives. They also open
the conversation and establish
a very business like approach. Asking
appropriate questions is
the second secret for heating up cold calls. You
can see how combining this
with your benefit statement creates a powerful
professional approach and
gets the results you're looking for.
The third secret is a technology
solution. If you have an auto responder
that includes a multiple
follow up feature, you already know the power of
high tech, high touch solutions.
A more powerful solution in the same vein
is Fax Me/ Phone Me. It
works like this. From your web page (or in your
traditional print advertising)
prospects are given an opportunity to receive
value added information
through your Toll Free Fax on Demand (FOD). This is
not a new technology. However
a FOD on steroids can deliver to you the phone
number of the caller including
the document number they requested. Your
"cold" call just developed
sizzle. Not only do you have the phone number of
your hottest prospect,
you know exactly what they're interested in.
Your first contact now goes
like this: "Hello, my name is Janet Trask from
High Mountain Spring Water.
Our fax on demand indicates you've received a
coupon for a 20% discount
on your first delivery of High Mountain Spring
Water. What is the name
of the person who normally places orders for your
office?"
This magic is called Unified
Messaging. It’s a software solution that does
not require any additional
hardware or phone lines and there's no need to
worry about tying up your
office fax. If you're marketing plan currently
includes an 800 number (including
vanity numbers) you'll still be able to
use the same vanity number.
For the website all that’s required are a few
lines of html code and of
course a contract with the provider. Services can
be purchases on a monthly
basis and range between $40 and $75 plus usage at
.10 to .17 a minute.
This solution reduces your sales cycle, speeds up the
decision process (so you
make more money quicker) and gives you more bang
for your advertising buck
and it practically makes cold calling obsolete.
Marilyn Geiger is president
of The Geiger Group, an established telephone
and communications marketing
consulting firm specializing in technology
solutions for savvy communicators. |
