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Filed under: Tip of the Day
 It’s no secret that cold-calling is one of the most difficult parts of networking. Nobody likes to get turned down, and a rejection certainly isn’t conducive to future cold-calling ventures. Here’s three dos to master cold-calling:
- Connect. The first thing you need to do is connect with the person you’re calling by finding some common ground. You can even start the conversation by asking your prospect how her day is going, and respond back in kind. “Respond in a similar way,” says Gail Williams, business consultant for Allegre Communications and author of Effective Selling Techniques 1.0.1. “Whatever they give to you, give back in a respectful way. And, try to be humorous. Try to first connect with the person on a conversational level.” Also, use your prospect’s name. For instance, instead of saying “Thank you,” say, “Thank you so much, Mrs. Fitzgerald.” This builds your connection with your contact.
- Make it relevant. One of the biggest things business owners forget when they’re cold-calling is relevancy. It’s essential to communicate why your prospect should listen to you in the first place. “You want to get to the point, because they have 2,000 other things they could be doing,” Williams says. Be specific: Mention different decorating or marketing services or goods you could provide the person that would make your business interaction beneficial to him or her.
- It’s nothing personal. Recognize that rejection isn’t a reflection of you as a person. The person you’re calling is out to make money just as much as you are, and if he rejects you, it only means that your paths toward your monetary goals don’t intersect. Instead, try a different perspective. Williams suggests “treating rejection like a gain.” Make it a goal to make 100 calls, or strike up a friendly competition with another member of your staff to see who can make 100 cold calls first.
And here are three don’ts to cold calling:
- Unprofessionalism. It’s obvious that you’re not going to be intentionally rude to the person you’re calling. But sometimes the littlest “errors” can make you seem unprofessional to your prospect. Make sure you have your contact’s title correct, and that you address them by it initially. If they tell you that you can call them by another name, take the invitation. But until then, maintain a high level of respect. “You have to assume you’re speaking to someone who demands the highest level, because even if they didn’t, they appreciate the highest level,” says Joanna Grant, vice president of Affinity Express, a Chicago-based company that specializes in international digitizing, document creation and multimedia services.
- Talking too fast. If you aren’t rehearsed, and if you try to cram in too much information too quickly, your contact will be hesitant to trust you. That’s where the term “fast-talker” comes from. Obviously, don’t talk so slowly that your contact nods off, but don’t talk her ear off, either.
- Being unprepared. “Make sure you have the facts about your target and his business as strongly and completely as possible,” Grant says. “You need to be familiar with what they do, what they’re good at and how your products and services can help market their business.” Once you’ve got these facts down, rehearse what you know. “Have your talk track down,” says Gail Williams, business consultant for Allegre Communications and author of Effective Selling Techniques 1.0.1. “If you’re not rehearsed, then you aren’t going to get anywhere.” But, be ready to go off script based on the information your prospect gives you.
From Stitches Small Business Newsletter, vol. 46.
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