How to Turn Cold Calling into Warm Connections
It’s as Easy as 1…2…3
I believe that you should never have to make another cold call. Just the name of this activity sends shivers down my spine. We have entered the information age and while at times it can feel overwhelming and even sometimes useless, with a slight shift of focus and intention, you can use ‘information marketing’ to turn cold calls into warm connections. When I refer to ‘information marketing,’ I’m not referring to the process of selling your information to other people (that’s a conversation for another day), I’m talking about utilizing the information that’s readily available to you at no cost to improve your marketing efforts and increase your results!
Are you ready to put an end to cold calling? Follow these easy guidelines and learn how to turn cold calling into warm connections that want to do business with you!
- What do you know about the person or group you are about to call? Even if you’ve never met, the internet is the perfect resource tool to learn about your prospect. Start by Googling them, then head to social media for more info. (I just love how “google” is now a verb!)
- Look for clues to build rapport and find their ‘hot buttons.’ Anyone in sales knows that building rapport is one of the first steps in the sales process. What do you (or your company) have in common them to start a warm conversation based on commonalities rather than a cold call out of the blue? The receptionist who answers the phone is more likely to put you through to the head honcho and decision maker if you can quickly get to the bottom line of what’s in it for them. You’ve got to know what it is they want (by doing some research first) to be able to concisely convey that message.
- Engage in their sales process, sign up for their newsletter or free course. Today most businesses offer some entry level way of getting to know more about them directly on their website. When you engage in their process you receive two great benefits; first, you let them know you’re interested in them; and second, you become familiar with their culture and way of doing business. Both of these benefits allow you to make a warm call instead of a cold call.
I understand that some of you may be reading this article and thinking “I don’t have time to do all that up front work. I just need to bang through as many cold calls as possible. I know the statistics … 1 in 100.” For those of you that like making 100 cold calls to find the needle in the haystack, go right ahead. BUT (and yes, I used the word ‘but’), for those of you who prefer quality over quantity, I invite you to take a few extra minutes on the front end to reap huge rewards on the back end. Create your own statistic. Use information marketing to your advantage and turn cold calls into warm connections that lead to fast results and increased revenue!
And…when you’re the recipient of a cold call, rather than abruptly hanging up the phone, make it a point to create a warm connection there too! Ask where they’re calling from, how’s the weather where they are and thank them for calling you. Understand they probably don’t like cold calling either and perhaps, you can be “The One” to treat them with kindness and respect that sticks in their memory as the best call of the day – even if you didn’t buy!
Join me this Wednesday (and every Wednesday) at 9 am eastern for my *FREE* Tele-Class. A 30 minute class bringing you mid-week motivation, education and inspiration that keeps you consistently in harmonious action towards your goals.
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Nancy Matthews
Speaker ~ Author ~ Strategist
