Are you a cold calling failure?

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Follow these steps to turn a cold call into a hot lead. (photo: iStock)

If you’re like me, it’s not so much the fact of cold calling that you hate, it’s the results (or lack of) that has you filled with despise. If eight out of 10 cold calls resulted in a sale, I’m sure you would have a different view of making those cold calls.

So let’s fix the problem.

Why your cold calls are failing

If we are going to come up with a solution, we first need to identify the problem. And when it comes to cold call failures, there’s a whole list of possible culprits.

Here are a few…

You’re calling the wrong prospects 

What makes the lead you are about to call at least “pre-qualified” to be considered a suspect? Leads should meet at least two to three specific criteria for your industry before being called. No, more dials won’t lead to more sales. If you’re calling the wrong prospects, calling more of them will not get you better results.

Right prospects, wrong message 

Assuming your leads match the specific criteria needed to be considered a suspect but you’re getting shut down right out of the gate, your message or OVS (opening value statement) is most likely the problem. Instead of piquing interest, you’re creating resistance. That needs to change.

Right prospects, right message, wrong strategy 

So you’ve got the right prospects and the right opening value statement message, but sales are still not increasing. Your strategy may be off. There are usually three factors that come into play here.

1. Timing

It’s possible that if you are cold calling, that even with the right prospect and the right message, that your prospect’s timing might not fit with your need to close by end of month/quarter/etc. This is why it’s important to make sure you keep your dials up at all times. Top sales people are “farmers” and they are always planting their crops.

2. Trust

Maybe you’re hitting the right prospects with the right message and timing is right, however they don’t trust you! So my question is this: What have YOU done to build yourself up as a trusted advisor or SME (subject matter expert) in the field you are selling in? Sales are a lot easier when your prospects get to “know you” from a distance and see that you know what you are talking about and can help them get what they want.

3. Need

There’s a reason why top BRANDS advertise over and over again. Just pick up your favorite magazine and you will see the same companies advertising month after month. Why?

Because they know that not everyone who sees that ad in a particular month will have a need right then and there. But if they keep advertising, they know eventually the masses, on their own time, will have a need, and when they do, they will remember who to call.

So how does this knowledge help inside sales people? Well, hopefully it changes one’s mindset from win/loss sales calls to a broader timing period. Just because you got a “No” now doesn’t mean that “No” is forever.

So when you use tools like LinkedIn, newsletters, webinars, etc. to constantly “touch” or get on your prospect’s radar, not only will you build trust, they will know whom to call when the timing is right and they have a need, thus turning that one time cold call into a hot inbound lead.

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Are you a cold calling failure?