In the world of business, you cannot avoid making sales calls. However, do your salespeople avoid cold calling because they fear rejection? If yes, you have come to the right place to make your business grow by improving the quality of cold calls.
The question that arises is, what is cold calling? It is when the salesperson makes calls to other companies to sell its products and services to drive sales. It is the hour of the need in a business-to-business system.
Moreover, cold calls are a great practice to increase sales and revenues for your business. You do not have to make sales calls like it is 1990. The approaches and techniques to persuade people to buy from you have also become advanced.
A lot has changed over the years, so is the business world. If the buyers have enough knowledge about certain things, then as salespeople, you must also be fully prepared before making a call. However, sales reps still do not like the idea of making cold calls.
We have inferred that making sales calls is not the problem; how you are doing it might be. If your call hang-up rate is higher than usual, then this article will help you reduce it. However, there are common mistakes that every salesperson makes during a cold call. Read further to avoid those pitfalls.
7 Mistakes to Avoid During a Cold Calling:
Sales calling is tough, but it does mean you should leave it. You need to make these calls to enhance your profits. However, you can make your cold calls better by not repeating the mistakes.
But what are those mistakes that a salesperson makes without even realizing it? We have outlined some of the most common slip-ups that cause rejection. These are as follows:
- Experiencing a Static Cold Call List
- Making a Call Without a Thorough Research
- Using the Same Old Generic Sales Script
- Being Overfriendly
- Not Having Enough Product Knowledge
- Sounding Too Scripted
- Asking Closed Questions
1. Experiencing a Static Cold Call List:
After starting a business, business owners buy a list of potential buyers in the market. However, this list is a generic one containing basic information such as the company’s name, location, and the number of employees.
So, instead of doing a little research on the prospect, sales reps dial their number and offer their services to them. As a result, they spend hours on calls with them or get an instant “no.” That is why the cold callers must have information about the company they are making a call to.
In addition, only make calls to the companies you know can benefit from your services. You can reach out to your target audience and increase sales by having enough knowledge about the companies. So, do not make cold calls based on the static call list.
2. Making a Call without a Thorough Research:
If you have succeeded in avoiding the first mistake, you already have a list of potential buyers in your hand. The next thing to do is gather enough data about the clients before you cold call them. In addition, ensure you have authentic information about them. Otherwise, another rejection is on the way.
Before making a call, make sure you have knowledge about the following basic aspects of your client:
- The firmographic data about the company, i.e., you must have about their company, their location, how many employees they have and their annual revenues, etc.
- The second thing you need to know is the name of the person you are interacting with and their designation. If you do not pronounce their name correctly, you have started with a negative impression on their minds.
- Anything that indicates that your services are beneficial for their business in any regard. Technographic data is a great way to find out such details.
Let us look at an example. Suppose your clients run a business worldwide and you offer translation services. And you visit their website and find out that they have their site translated into different languages. This way, you know that they might need your services.
- Get insights into the recent events of the company. Your call center should know why now is the right time to dial their number and offer them your products.
Thus, when you know your clients’ pain points, they are more likely to buy from you. Hence, do complete research about your prospects instead of just calling them without any relative data.
3. Using the Same Old Generic Sales Script:
Now that you have done your homework on your prospect, you can renew your old generic sale script according to your client. You do not have to use the same old script as it does not help you achieve your goals.
Suppose your client is progressing in the market. When you make a call, start the conversation by congratulating them on their recent venture. Then tell them how they can improve certain parts of their business with your products.
As a result, your client feels that you understand their business needs and want what is best for them. Thus, they are happy to work with you when you gain their trust.
4. Being Overfriendly:
Yes, it is right that your tone should be friendly while interacting with your client; however, being too friendly might drive them away. Thus, please do not act like you and your client are best friends. Instead, stay professional with them while talking business.
Moreover, ensure the client sets the boundaries about how familiar you two are with each other. So, do not get too informal with the prospect as it leaves a bad impression, and you lose your integrity in the eyes of the client.
5. Not Having Enough Knowledge About Your Products:
We have mentioned earlier that the prospects have more knowledge these days, so one of the cold calling tips is that you must know everything about your products. Also, make sure you have all the details about the recent updates made to the products.
The reason is that the clients ask questions about your services if you do not know your products very well, how can you answer their queries. So, to avoid saying, “I am sorry I do not know.”, the sales reps must know their products inside out.
6. Sounding Too Scripted:
One of the most common mistakes during cold calling is sounding too scripted while talking to the prospect. It is easier to gain their trust and compel them to buy from you when you build a friendly bond with them.
However, if they feel like you are following a script, they feel like talking to a robot, which is unsuitable for you. So instead, make sure you sound like a helping hand to them. Moreover, you already know about your clients’ needs. Thus, instead of sounding too sale-sy, affirm them that you are there to help them succeed.
7. Asking Closed Questions:
Please avoid asking questions that can only be answered with either yes or no. The goal is to engage the client and ensure that you attentively listen to them. Moreover, ask them open-ended questions that show your interest in their conversation.
When you ask scripted questions, the clients lose interest and hang up the call instantly. To avoid that, ask relative questions about their business. Make them feel you are interested in knowing their goals. As a result, you gain their trust and achieve your goal.
Wrapping Up:
Though cold calling seems like a tough job, you cannot avoid it if you want your business to expand. Apart from an efficient phone answering service, your sales reps must be trained to make dynamic cold calls to gain new clients.
However, you can improve your sales calls by avoiding the aforementioned mistakes. In this way, you can generate more leads and enhance your conversions. Moreover, DOS is known to deliver the best phone support, whether inbound or outbound.
So, if you are looking for someone professional to handle your outbound calls, DOS is your choice. We offer the best customer support and virtual assistance services at affordable rates. Moreover, we treat your business like ours and ensure your success. So, choose us.
