Cold Calling strategies have evolved in the modern marketing world beyond the stereotypical “dialing for dollars” into a warmer informative conversation.
Below are a few tips which will help to make your next outbound tele effort as effective as possible…
Focus on a “Sweet Spot”
Cold-calling should not be a broad-brush approach targeting everyone in your marketing database. Instead, focus your proactive outbound teleprospecting efforts on a specific group of accounts and contacts which meet the definition of your ideal prospect profile, using criteria such as industry, segment/size of company, title, current environment, marketing engagement, and/or buying history.
Go Beyond the Phone
Successful cold-calling campaigns do not solely utilize the phone. In today’s mobile marketplace, fewer professionals are spending significant time at their desks. Effectively integrating online content and email, as well as utilizing call-email-call techniques, will help to provide a clear purpose for your outreach, while increasing the odds of connecting with your target prospects.
Leave Voicemail Messages
In your personal life it’s rare to leave a voicemail. After all, your friends and family can see you’ve called and will call or text you back. However, that’s not the case in the business world, especially if you’re calling prospects. A voicemail is a mini advertisement of your company and the benefits that your solution offers. They also let your prospects know that you are reaching out, outline the purpose and value of your call, and set the expectation that you will be following up via email or with another call. We recommend creating several voicemail messages based on industry, title and/or common business situation to have available for your tele-prospectors. A pinpointed voicemail has a greater change of piquing the prospect’s interest and potentially enticing a returned call.
Be Ready!
When your target prospect picks up the phone, the first 30 seconds will make or break the conversation. So you must be ready! It’s important to have a compelling opening with a clear benefit statement to pique interest. Additionally, in today’s hectic business environment, explaining why you are calling upfront is crucial in establishing a positive rapport with your prospect.
These are just a few of the tips which will help to make your next proactive outbound strategy warm and effective.
For more information on our outbound teleservices, contact TeleNet today.