Well, let’s get back to good, old-fashioned yet still surprisingly effective prospecting, shall we? This week, we’re going to talk specifically about the teleprospecting phone call (which I refer to as a cold call; in my opinion the walk-in cold call may not be dead, but it’s wheezing and sick). I’ve had quite a run of BEING cold called in the last week, and from that comes this little compendium of ways to completely screw up a cold call. If I’m not being clear enough, don’t do this stuff! I present it as a cautionary tale.
- The “Person Who” call: “Hi, Mr. Harrison, I’m calling to talk to the person who handles your telephone service.” Well, now, I’m not a very big company, and I handle my own telephone service. Of course, when the person asks for the “person who,” my response is always, “he’s not here right now.” When youcall and ask for the “person who” buys whatever you’re selling, three things are always true: First, you haven’t done any homework to learn who the key managers are in the company. Second, you’re willing to settle for someone low on the totem pole, and aren’t trying to get to the people who can actually say “yes.” Third, the receptionist is going to send you to the lowest possible person they can, ensuring you hear “I have to talk to my boss” as much as possible. Do a little research and ask for a specific person, and your success rates go up significantly.
- “How are YOU today?” If there’s anything I hate with a passion, whether it’s someone calling me or listening to a salesperson call, it’s this: asking someone, whom you don’t know, “How are you today?” It’s a lazy calling habit that announces you as a pesky salesperson who can’t think of anything better to say. It immediately puts prospects on the defensive and makes them wish that they were anywhere else. When a salesperson I don’t know calls me and asks how I am today, I tell them I have explosive diarrhea. The calls usually don’t last long after that.
- “I’m not trying to sell you anything.” This is another fear-driven chestnut that is supposed to make prospects more comfortable. In truth, it does the opposite – because you’re lying to them. Heck yes, you’re trying to sell something! Why else would you call? Salespeople say this because they believe their time is valueless to both themselves and the customer; if you feel this way, either convince yourself of your value or change jobs.
- Inappropriate Prospects Called. This can be a close relative of #1, in that both are a failure to do homework. If you’re selling payroll services, for instance, why are you calling one-person businesses? I see this all the time. There are simply too many good resources out there, from ReferenceUSA to Hoover’s to D&B to Jigsaw, to call inappropriate prospects. Doing so means that you haven’t taken the time to learn these resources. Take away: Go to your library, get a card and PIN, and then ask the reference clerk to teach you to use ReferenceUSA. It’s a business database that’s both complete and FREE. You can afford free, right?
- Failure to contribute value. This usually manifests itself in the call that begins, “I’d like to talk to you about your ___________ service.” That’s a call that’s a dead player 9 out of 10 times. Instead, have an idea and contribute value! “Mr. Harrison, we’ve been helping companies like yours make more money and reduce operational time through (your stuff) for the last 10 years.” That’s a statement that contributes VALUE into the call.
- Failure to engage. As you can see above, I’m a fan of showing value immediately. Past that, you’d better ENGAGE them by asking a question or three to get them involved in the conversation. What are they doing now? What do they like/dislike about it? You get the idea. And finally:
- Selling the product and not the appointment. Remember, all you’re selling on the initial phone call is the APPOINTMENT – the value of spending time with you. Crossing that line and getting into serious feature/benefit discussion of product or service only makes it easier for the prospect to cut you off without giving you the opportunity to assess needs and present recommendations – which, after all, is the object of the call.
If you’re doing any of these things, the only advice I can give you is to STOP, redo your technique, and try again. You’ll increase your odds and your appointments – which, after all, is what we are shooting for.
