In today’s increasingly digital world, businesses are finding themselves with ever more outbound marketing and sales tools at their disposal.
However, when it comes to generating new leads and converting those leads to paying customers, it’s important not to overlook the classic cold calling technique.
Check out our top tips for B2B cold calling:
Target
First things first, if you want to optimise the success of your cold calling campaign, you need to ensure that you’re speaking to the right people.
Although it can be tempting to Google your target companies and start dialling, this approach is unlikely to be effective. Instead, seek out the right contacts at the right level, ideally the direct line of someone who has the power to make decisions on what you have to offer.
The more you find out about your potential customers, the better understanding you’ll have of their wants and needs.
Preparation is key
When it comes to B2B cold calling, preparation is key. Before you even think about picking up the phone, make sure that you have all of the information you need to hand and that you’re well versed on the subject you’re going to discuss.
You should also prepare for objections. By putting yourself in your prospect’s shoes and anticipating their potential concerns, you’ll be able to reframe the conversation in order to put them at ease and present a solution to their hesitations before they even have a chance to vocalise them.
First impressions count
The first 15 seconds of a cold call is the most important. This is your one and only opportunity to make a good first impression and to engage with the person on the other end of the phone.
So, prepare a strong opening statement that will appeal to your prospect and won’t give them a reason to end your call before you’ve even had the chance to make your pitch.
Tone of voice
When you’re calling potential B2B customers, it’s not just about what you say – your tone of voice can make or break the call.
Think about it, what busy decision maker is going to want to spend their time speaking to someone who isn’t sure of what they’re talking about, or someone that sounds off? No matter how unsure and self-conscious you are about making the call, make sure your voice sounds cool, calm, and collected, without verging into arrogant.
The ideal tone for cold calling is one that is warm yet business-like and curious yet straight to the point.
Focus
No matter how many potential customers you speak to in a day, it’s important that you give each and every one of them your undivided attention. Although it’s easy to get distracted when you’ve already had the same conversation multiple times that day, never lose focus and never try to multi-task.
Don’t give up!
No matter how much of a cold calling pro you are, it’s unlikely that every call will successfully result in a sale and those calls that do generate a lead can take months to close.
To find out more about how we can help you optimise your B2B cold calling results, give us a call on 0345 241 3038 or get in touch.
