You have a list of names and numbers and you’ve been told you need to make 50 calls today.
But how do you get started? What do you say if someone answers?
You could try something like…..
Prospect: Hello?
Me: Hello Steve, I’m Phil from Proten Sales Development. How are you today? I’m calling about our sales training courses that help you improve your sales results. Is this a priority for you today?
Prospect: Actually, this isn’t a good time.
Me: Are you interested in looking at the course content? We’ve won a number of awards.
Prospect: I’m not interested.
Me: Are you the decision maker? If you can give me half an hour, I can take you through the course options and get you signed up.
**click**
Hopefully you’ve already realised that this is a pretty awful example and yet sadly, it’s an all too common approach.
It doesn’t take much to design a cold calling script that’s way more effective. All you need is a simple template to create your own. Cold calling often isn’t the most effective sales strategy, but you can increase your chances of success by doing some basic research on your prospect and tailoring your pitch directly to them.
Think about:
- What your company does
- What the prospect does
- If you’ve helped a similar company in the past
- Challenges you think they may be facing
- How to pronounce their name (if you don’t know, don’t be afraid to ask them)
Then you can build your template script:
Hi (prospect name), this is Phil from Proten Sales Development.
I’ve been doing some research into (prospect’s business) and I’d love to hear how you face (challenges you’ve identified).
We work with people like you to help them sell more, sell more often and ultimately build a better business.
Is this something you think could help you address (common challenges)?
If you get a positive response, you’re then into the sales qualification stage of the call.
If you get some form of objection, you need to handle it effectively.
Remember to personalise the call…. There’s nothing worse than being in the receiving end of a call from someone who’s clearly reading from a script and can’t think on their feet.
If you’re struggling with cold calling or any other aspect of selling, then check out our sales training and coaching packages.
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