Even in this golden age of web-based communication and voicemail, telephone contact is still a valuable and reliable way for professional companies to get initial sales meetings.
True – it’s very easy to louse it up, but if you do it well, direct telephone contact can bring great results: more meetings, more relationships, more opportunities, more clients and increased revenue for your business.
I’ve been using the phone to reach prospects and secure meetings throughout my career in executive sourcing and B2B business development. In this article I want to share a few simple strategies that work for me, to ensure that I deliver consistently good ROI for my clients.
Planning the calls:
-
Look at it from your prospective client’s perspective
It’s not enough just to ‘introduce them to your services’. You’ve got to tell them about the value of what you are offering from the prospect’s point of view. Think of the person who will be receiving the call: what’s in it for them? Before you start a call contact campaign, you need to be clear about their sales needs. Don’t bang on about your services – they won’t be interested. Tell them what’s in it for them.
-
Get your list right
A poorly targeted or out of date list will get you nowhere. Think carefully about who you are going to contact. Make sure they are in the right industry, the right geography, the right sized company, with the right spending power. Make sure you have the right contacts, with the right buying influence.
-
Prepare a compelling pitch
It’s vital to know what you are going to say when you pick up the phone. Craft a compelling message, based on what’s important to your prospective clients. Write it down, test it and practice it before you pick up the phone. Preparation is all: know what you are going to say when you get through to the receptionist, the P.A., your contact, or their voicemail!
-
Do your research
Make sure you don’t pick up the phone cold. Research your contact and their organisation thoroughly before you start making calls. Google them, look them up on LinkedIn, read the company website and any articles you can find.
The call itself:
-
Get to the point quickly
Keep your introduction short and professional. You’ve probably only got about 30 seconds to introduce yourself, your company and state the reason for your call. If you take too long on this, you’ll quickly lose them. Don’t give too much information – just enough to get their interest.
-
Make a connection, then state your objective
Make a warm connection quickly: start by telling them what you know about them and the company. Flattery always works well.
- e.g. “Your company has been highly recommended by…”
- e.g. “I know a service provider that feels there is great synergy between our companies…”
- e.g. “Three of my candidates have asked me to contact you…”
Communicate the USP about your company and explain why you are calling: give them a good reason for your call.
Then tell them what you want out of this call:- e.g. to schedule a follow up call
- e.g. to get a meeting in the diary
- e.g. to invite them to a company sponsored workshop or lunch
Be specific. Ask for the meeting/call on specific dates.
-
Communicate well
Don’t talk too fast, don’t sound too hesitant or apologetic and don’t read directly from a script.
Do sound professional and confident. Go in with the right frame of mind – you’re a business person with something valuable to say.
Empathy is good. Acknowledge that you know they are busy and you’ll keep this brief.
Remember to listen too!
Direct, telephone-based contact is still an important part of any professional company’s sales and marketing mix. If conducted correctly it can bring you great rewards, but you only get one chance. Make sure you plan it carefully and get it right.