The Secret to “Cold Calls”

“Cold Calling” can be a scary concept, for both parties. While one person suffers the fear of rejection, the other suffers the fear of deception. Many of us have found ourselves on the other end of a cold call. Desperate to avoid scams, our instinct is to hang up as soon as possible. The salesperson is well aware of this instinct and it is their job to keep us on the line; unfortunately for them, most “cold calls” end in failure. However, the more experience, the less hang-ups.

So what is the trick to keeping the customer on the line? For starters, it is important to think about the things that cause the prospective client to hang up. Talking too loud, too quiet, too fast, too slow, too much, or not enough are all some obvious red flags. It is important to find a balance in your approach to appease the greatest number of clients. This is where ambiverts thrive. While extraverts tend to talk a lot and introverts talk too little, ambiverts do a fair amount of listening and talking.

Additionally, a good salesperson, like a doctor, asks good questions before prescribing a diagnosis. They listen to the client’s needs and shy away from anxiety provoking questions such as “what do you do?” which can be a threatening question that has a deeper meaning of “how successful are you?” or “how much money do you have?” An example of a good question would be “can you describe the pain you have when…?” This is the best way to connect with a prospective client, and show them that you care about them and not just the money in their wallet.

In the end “failure is just good information to help you next time.” Learning from mistakes and reflecting on sales situations, good and bad, can help you to become a better salesperson. It is also important to keep a good reputation, even with clients who do not go forth in the sales process with you, because they also learn from mistakes and may warn others about a bad experience they had with your company. Overall, while cold calls are scary, they are a good way to practice your sales techniques; so, even if it seems like a failure, you live and you learn.