We highly recommend you have a cold call script when cold
calling. Your cold call script must be well thought out, well prepared,
written down, committed to memory, and most important, one that is
proven to work.
If
you have thoroughly memorized your cold call and you're interrupted in
the middle by a prospect's question or comment, you'll be able to deal
with it and then go right back to where you were in the cold call. You
can also focus of how you're saying something rather than what you're
saying during your cold call.
Granted, in face-to-face selling you
can't have your written-out cold call in front of you. But writing it
out and committing it to memory ahead of time will ensure that you have a
consistent call and get consistent cold calling results.
Note: If
you can get a cold call script from one of the top salespeople, this is
the way to go. While they may not cold call anymore, they may have
their old call around, or remember it. You want their results, so if you
don't have to reinvent the wheel, don't, rather use a cold call that is
already proven to work.
Steps to creating a powerful cold call
When
creating your cold call script, make it interesting and to the point.
Your words need to catch and keep the prospect's attention and interest,
qualify the prospect (making sure he needs your product, can afford it,
and meets other necessary requirements) build rapport, and
finally-assuming the prospect is qualified- close on the next step in
the selling process, whether it's to set up an appointment or get a
sale.
Start your call with your name, your company's name, and a
powerful statement or a thought-provoking question. Here is an example:
"Hello, Mr. Prospect. Bob Chapin with ABC Company. Very nice to meet
you. We have been saving companies in your industry an average of 36
percent on office supplies."
It's important to open
strong. To make powerful statements, simply take the benefits of your
product or service and turn them into statements. Here are some
examples:
o "We have been saving customers (a certain percentage or amount of money) on (your product or service)."
o "We have been reducing customers' monthly payments by (a certain percentage or amount of money) on (your product or service)."
o "We have been providing customers with the same amount of (your product-life insurance, for example) coverage for less money."
o "I can show you how to get more (your product) coverage for the same price you're paying now."
o "We have been helping customers pay (your product) off an average of five years earlier."
o "We
have been helping customers get the same (results of your product or
service-for example, X-rays development) in half the time."
You can also turn your benefits into opening questions such as:
o "If
I could show you how to save (a certain percentage, or amount of money)
on (your product or service) would you be interested?"
o "If I
could reduce your monthly payments on (your product or service) by (a
certain percentage, or amount of money) would you be interested?"
o "If
I could show you how to get the same amount of coverage on (your
product or service) for less money would you be interested?"
Statements
work better than questions, as some prospects will feel that the type
of "no-brain" questions above insult their intelligence. However, we
included both because some people feel the questions suit their style
better.
In addition to starting your cold call with your name,
company name, and a thought-provoking statement or question, you can
also begin your cold call with your name and what you do worded in such a
way that it immediately piques the prospect's interest. For example, if
you are an investment advisor, you might say, "Hello. I'm (your first
and last name). I'm a money return specialist."
If you're an insurance agent, you might say, "I protect your most valuable assets."
After
this introduction, pause and wait for the prospect to say, "What's a
money return specialist?" or "What do you do?" At that point, explain
what you do and then go into your cold call script.
Other
attention-getting cold call openings involve mentioning an organization
that is familiar to the prospect and that endorses you or your product.
You can also mention other companies that use you or your product. Just
be sure this meets with the approval of the current customer(s) you're
mentioning. Here are some openings using this type of information.
o "Hi
Joe. This is Bob Chapin with ABC Company. We've been working with XYZ
Corporation and have helped them cut costs on office supplies by over 35
percent during the past year."
o "Hi Joe. Bob Chapin with ABC
Company. We've been endorsed by the National Association of Credit
Unions and have been doing work for most of the credit unions in your
area."
Again, the key to your cold call opening is to catch the prospect's attention and build some interest quickly.
After
your opening, explain why you are calling, followed by a commitment
question. Here is an example: "All I'd like to do today is set up a time
when I could spend about fifteen minutes with you to determine if and
how much we could help you. Could we take a look at your schedule right
now?"
From that point, you will bridge into the rest of your cold call.
Your entire cold call should take the following format:
o Your name
o Your company name
o A greeting such as, "Very nice to meet you."
o Your product or service's primary benefit
o Why you're calling followed by a commitment question
o Some discussion to determine interest
o Qualifying (do they meet all necessary criteria - affordability, need, health requirements, etc.)
o Rapport building
o Closing on the next step
o A strong final statement
