Are Cold Calls Dead or Do They Provide Opportunity?
Turn cold calls into Warm calls!
Someone posed the question today, “Are cold calls dead?” In case you are not familiar with the term, it refers to contacting someone you do not know with the intention of making a sale. My response was, that’s a tricky question because a successful salesperson knows how to turn a cold call into a Warm call.
In corporate I was tasked to cold call business parks, giant buildings, and anyone whom I wanted to sell to located in my territory. Today, the cold calling changed with the onset of in-person and online networking. We connect every day with people we do not know yet great connections are made and opportunity finds us. So what’s the secret of turning cold calls into warm calls?
At networking events sincerity works best when trying to familiarize yourself with another and their work. Let them speak first so you have a better idea if there will be interest in what you have to offer. When it comes to phoning or contacting people you find online, do your research upfront. Find out as much as you can about the other person’s business to find synergy. When you do find something in common, use that as your opening statement upon approach. Familiarity with who they are and interest in what they do will strike a positive chord and encourage conversation or exchange of messaging.
And should you still enjoy walking business parks, make two trips. Your first trip would be to list the interesting businesses found in order to research them upfront and find the names of the executives in charge. Your second trip will be to ask for an appointment with that person offering a succinct sentence or two why they might be interested in agreeing to meeting with you.
The last key in turning your cold call into a warm call, and finally making the sale is, work to serve others, fix problems and over-deliver on value. This enables a returning and referring clientele. Implementing this mantra will provide you with a Smooth Sale!
The same techniques apply to interviewing. You will find more information on sales techniques for both business and career in these two books:
Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results
An international best seller and proving to become a classic on how to sell properly!
and
HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews
A best selling book available at FedEx Office book kiosks, major bookstores and online
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