Cold Calls - A New Way to Open - Cold Calling Tips to Create Openings for Real Conversation!

Most of us design our cold calling around scripts and strategies. Isn’t that how we’ve been taught by the sales gurus? Scripts are linear and systematic so you can move calls in the direction you want them to go. Sales strategies do the exact same thing.

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cold call, cold calling, sales training, phone selling, phone prospecting, sales prospecting, sales scripts, telesales, telemarketing, mortgage selling, mortgage cold calling, insurance sales

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Most of us design our cold calling around scripts and strategies. Isn’t that how we’ve been taught by the sales gurus? Scripts are linear and systematic so you can move calls in the direction you want them to go. Sales strategies do the exact same thing.

That’s why as soon as we make a cold call, the other person knows right away that our agenda is not to have a conversation, but to make a sale. There’s something about scripts and sales strategies -- it always shows. We’re not being natural, and other people can sense within the first few seconds that we’re out to make a sale. Once that happens, potential clients are immediately put on the defensive. They don’t want to be maneuvered into a sale. As soon as they recognize that you’re a salesperson with a sales agenda, most of the time they just want you to go away.

I call this "The Wall." It goes something like this: "Uh-oh, another salesperson. I'm about to be sold something. How fast can I get this person off the phone?" In other words, it’s over at "Hello." Hence, the moment you use the old cold calling approach, which is using sales scripts and strategies, you’ve triggered the negative "salesperson" stereotype in the mind of the person you’ve called. That almost always means immediate rejection.

The problem is with how you're selling, not what you're selling. The traditional cold calling approach, which has been taught by the sales gurus for years, involves immediately giving a pitch about who you are and what you have to offer. However, this is a one-sided conversation. In our normal lives, it would seem self-absorbed to start any conversation by talking only about ourselves. Yet, in cold calling we expect ourselves to do exactly that. We begin with a monologue rather than inviting a dialogue.

On top of that, we’ve all been trained to try to push prospects into a "yes" response somewhere within the first call. This creates sales pressure. Pressure from a stranger is never welcome. It feels intrusive to the other person.

The first step to overcoming this is to let go of your script or sales strategy as a crutch. This idea may sound scary at first because you’ve been programmed to think you have to have a script or strategy to make a successful cold call. I assure you that quite the opposite is true.

These old approaches create a "box" that doesn’t allow a conversation to flow. You’re thinking only about your agenda and following "the plan." The person on the other end of the phone senses this, and immediately begins to retreat.

Instead, start thinking about language that will engage people rather than language that will trigger rejection. If you can start a conversation that triggers a "What do you mean?" from the other person, you’ll find you can explain yourself in a natural way. This also creates a two-way dialogue, which lets you flow with the conversation without feeling you’re getting off-track.

Developing a problem statement makes this whole process much easier. Find out what issue or problem your potential client is likely to be experiencing, and build an open-ended conversation around that.

Here are three basic steps to opening up a dialogue and having a real conversation with your cold calls:

1. Begin with the question, "Maybe you can help me out for a moment?" The reply is almost always something like, "Sure, how can I help you?"

2. Continue with something like, "I’m just calling to see if your company is still having issues with unpaid invoices." The response probably will be, "Well, yeah, we are. Who’s this?"

3. You can then respond in a very relaxed tone, "This is John. I’m with XYZ Collection Agency. I’m just calling to see if you’d be open to some new ideas on how to better solve that problem." This makes it easy for the other person to reply, "What do you mean?" or "Tell me more." After that, the possibilities of your conversation are endless. Try these new cold calling ideas. You will be amazed at how much value you receive, both personally and professionally.

Do You Dare Throw Away The Script And Start A Conversation!

Stop the sales pitch and start talking and listening to your customer. “It’s an amazing feeling, says Helen Robinson, when you feel the rapport, that mutual trust you’re building with the customer.”

My first experience in sales was in telemarketing. I was so scared that to this day I can’t remember what I was selling. The sales trainer told me to read the script and all would be fine. I found a nice secluded corner desk where no one would hear me and dialed my first lead. ...

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Stop the sales pitch and start talking and listening to your customer. “It’s an amazing feeling, says Helen Robinson, when you feel the rapport, that mutual trust you’re building with the customer.”

My first experience in sales was in telemarketing. I was so scared that to this day I can’t remember what I was selling. The sales trainer told me to read the script and all would be fine. I found a nice secluded corner desk where no one would hear me and dialed my first lead. I introduced myself and started to read the script I was given. I thought I was doing fine until the gentleman asked me a question. “You can’t do this to me; my trainer didn’t say anything about questions; there are no questions in the script!” Of course I didn’t voice this out loud; I just broke out in a sweat, lost my place in the script and felt my throat closing.” Since he had no idea who I was, thank heaven, I just hung up the phone. Silly wasn’t I?

At that moment I decided I needed a new mindset. The person on the other end doesn’t know me. The only reason they will speak to me is because I sound warm, friendly and polite and if I ask a question, even a simple one, I will wait for an answer. Have you experienced the caller who asks how you are today and doesn’t wait for an answer just starts reading some words on a piece of paper?

Wouldn’t it be nice to build up that trust and create a customer for yourself and the company you work for? You don’t need a script. You should learn all you can about your company, the product or service you’re selling before you pick up that phone. Try to be relaxed and get you’re customer in the same mood.

Here’s one of my best examples of listening and I think one of my favorite moments on the phone. A business owner called asking for some information to be sent to him. I tried to get some information about his operation to start a conversation but that’s all I could get was a yes or no answer. From the name of his business I realized he owned many pretzel concessions that were located in movie theaters, etc. I was listening to his tone and it seemed to me that he wasn’t unfriendly, perhaps just shy or had a really bad day. He proceeded to give me his name, address and in the middle of this information, I asked, “Do they come with mustard?” The long silence was deafening. I said, “The pretzels, do they come with mustard?” He started to laugh and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I knew he would become a customer and he did. I looked forward to calling him for reorders and I really think he liked hearing from me. The moral of the story, believe in what you’re selling, know your product and enjoy talking to your prospects. Relax and the orders will come.