One of the secrets to cold calling success is personalizing your opening lines. When preparing an opening line, avoid using words such as “discount” or “contract.” Instead, focus on providing a more personalized, helpful experience for your potential customer. This will allow you to sell yourself and your product more effectively.
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Avoid “Discount” And “Contract” in a Cold Call
A cold call can increase or decrease your success rate depending on the words you use. For example, using words like “contract” or “discount” in your message reduces your chances of a successful meeting by as much as 22%. Instead, focus on building rapport and gaining insight into your prospect’s needs. Whether you’re making the call to sell a product or service, try asking open-ended questions to gain insight into your potential. Using questions like these will help you understand the needs and problems of your prospect and make your message more personalized and relevant.
A great way to increase your success rate for cold calling is by avoiding words like “discount” and “consumer.” Instead, focus on providing value instead of selling a product or service. Instead of pitching a “discount,” emphasize the benefits of your product or service, and highlight how it differs from the competition.
Plan Your Strategy Before You Make a Cold Call
Having the right strategy before you make a cold call is imperative to your success. This means collecting data and researching your target audience. The more you know about your prospects, the better prepared you’ll be and the more likely you’ll be to close a deal.
First, plan your time. Research your prospect’s regular working hours and try to reach them at a time when they’re most available. If you need help getting through, try calling at other times or on different days of the week. Additionally, you can set up Google Alerts to follow events related to your prospect’s company, such as expansion, funding, or new executive hires. The first sentence of your call can be the difference between getting in the door and being ignored.
Get Referrals From Existing Customers
There are many ways to get referrals from existing customers, but one of the best ways is to have an email list. You can segment your email list to target specific customers and ask them for referrals at the right time. Just make sure you follow email etiquette to avoid annoying customers or coming off as spammy.
Customers can also provide references for your business by providing testimonials. If satisfied with your service or product, they will be happy to recommend your company.
Personalize Your Openers
In cold calling, a personalization approach can make a big difference. It has been shown that introducing yourself using the prospect’s first name can increase your success rate by as much as 6.4x. Likewise, introducing yourself by asking how they’ve been is proven to increase success by as much as 2.1x. But personalization is more than just using the prospect’s first name. It’s about establishing a relationship.
Embrace Rejection
Embracing rejection is one of the most effective strategies for cold calling. Although it can be annoying to hear a person say “no” on the first call, it’s an integral part of the sales process. It helps you learn from the experience and move forward.
It’s important to remember that potential clients will only automatically trust a cold caller if you’ve built a relationship with them. This process takes time, consistency, and a genuine focus on meeting their needs. While you’re cold calling, don’t try to close. Instead, focus on gathering information and interviewing prospects to better understand their needs. If you can add value, tell them you’ll be back.