Cold calling potential customers: where to take the base, the script. Attraction of new clients

If you work in the field of sales, then you do not need to explain what the cold calling customers. It is because of this that young managers often decide to try themselves in another profession. Even for experienced colleagues, this task is often a real test. His hands are trembling, his voice is broken, and the discontented tone of voice at the other end of the wire makes you want to hang up quickly and never call anyone again.

What can be said about the effectiveness of such work? Most likely, it will be zero. Today we want to talk in detail about what cold calling is and what tasks the caller faces. That they were achieved, you must first teach the manager to work with the instrument entrusted to him.

Wait to open the directory

How does this usually happen in a trading company? A new manager comes to her ranks, and experienced colleagues give him a directory of companies of the city with a sigh of relief. Instead of the required internship and adaptation, he is offered to call 100, 200, 300 people per day and tell them something about a company that he himself does not know anything about. What is the impression of potential customers? Would they want to listen to information about your company again? Apparently, this event needs to be prepared more carefully.

What is cold calling?

In fact, these are calls to strangers. Sometimes the managers of the company are engaged in the fact that they regularly call up existing customers and inform them about the acting shares. This is a somewhat different technique, which implies other mechanisms of influence, and even a different style of communication.

Cold calling is just communication with strangers. It is not always the goal to sell an opponent a product or service. It is much more important to provide information in such a way as to interest. And here lies the main reason for the lack of results. This is an incorrect goal and lack of proper preparation. This leads to a negative reaction from customers.

The main thing is to reach the end of the list

This is exactly how young managers perceive the task. It is necessary to ring the entire telephone directory, well, at any rate, as many people as possible. Maybe someone and will be interested. That is, this method is treated very frivolously, do not try to reach everyone. Therefore, first we change the goal. You should interest the potential client, give him a maximum of useful information in general terms and force him to ask for "supplements". Moreover, even now you can try to neutralize all objections and doubts. It is not necessary that the customer will make a deal on the phone. But a week later he can remember you and come to the office to ask more details.

Is it necessary to have a telephone directory

Let's talk about the introduction of such a mechanism as cold calls. Yes, it is usually realized simply: open an endless list of phones and start calling. No one is delighted with it. You tear people away from business and pour out a stream of useless information on their heads, often without even asking if they need it. Therefore, it makes sense to first collect the customer base. That is, not only contact information, but everything that can be found. How long has this firm been in the market, who is managing it, where they are, with whom they cooperate. Agree, it is much easier to conduct a dialogue with a person about whom you know something, imagine the sphere of his interests and can formulate an offer that he will not refuse. This is much better than calling a company that sells shoes, and offer to buy bolts for the production of plastic windows.

Where to get the base

Cold calling of potential customers is practiced not only by newcomers. Experienced sales specialists have their own base, but without a constant development, no company can do it. A constant flow of new customers is the key to success. Where are they to be found? There are a lot of ways, you just need to think.

• Business events, trainings or conferences are held regularly. The representative of the firm should visit them, and not only to obtain new information. Anyone present here can become a potential customer of your company. And it is not necessary to immediately start the proposals, it is enough to take contact information and agree that you will call.
• Sarafannoe radio - it would seem, to whom you can tell about your goods and services in everyday life? It turns out, to many. Involve friends and acquaintances is not necessary, but their friends - this is a very suitable audience. Therefore, tell your hairdresser about your company while sitting on a haircut, a taxi driver, a dentist. How many people go through them in one day!
• Buying a ready base is a popular service today. Through the Internet you can buy a list of phones. However, information about clients is often minimal, and many numbers may be irrelevant.
• Search for companies through advertising. There are two ways. Look for advertising in which the firm offers its services to customers, and also recruits new employees.
• Social networks. Attracting new customers from the Internet has long been a priority for many managers. And social networks are an ideal option. Here the person shares his aspirations and aspirations, puts out information about his family and friends. Therefore, even individuals become comfortable objects for cold calls. It is logical that if the avatar is a young woman with a child, she hardly needs information about auto parts. It's quite another matter - her dad, on each photo, flaunting next to her favorite car.

Tips and Tricks

Now you have an idea where to get the base for cold calling. However, it can not be done once and for all. While your company is working, the base should be constantly open for new customers. However, the results obtained can not be ignored. Many make a mistake. We made a number of effective cold calls, maybe invited a client and made a deal ... and forgot about the client. But it is the focus on long-term cooperation that adds stability to your relationship. You need to call clients regularly, regardless of the results. If he refused today, it's not a fact that the same thing will happen tomorrow.

Cooking speech

Do not rely on your eloquence, this is not the option when it can help out. The cold call scenario should be pre-compiled and rehearsed. Ideally, it is based on the implied questions of the potential client. It's you who planned the call, and the person who lifts the phone does not know anything about it. And he should literally in 30 seconds receive information:

• Who you are?
• What do you do?
• What do you want from him?
• How can you be useful?
• Why do you deserve trust?

You should prepare the scripts in advance, but try to use them as a cheat sheet. The conversation is strictly pattern-based, like a conversation with a robot. And do not forget to smile. Even on the phone, a person feels your mood.

Sample scenario

It may not come personally to you, but it will give a general structure in which direction to act. So, the algorithm of the manager on a cold call includes ten standard elements. Let's take a closer look at each of them:

• Representation of an employee and company. Explanations are superfluous.
• Identification of the interlocutor: "How can I contact you? Who in your company deals with issues ...? "If the tube was removed by the personnel officer, it is useless to talk about procurement with him.
• Be sure to get permission to contact. If the interlocutor is busy, ask when it will be convenient to call back.
• Formulation of the goal of the call: "Since we specialize in the introduction of goods ... for your industry."
• Formation of the value of the call: "With the equipment of XX companies I, J increased sales by X%."
• Value proposition: "It is possible that the introduction of ... in your company will give a similar effect."
• A call to action: "Do you think if you had such a tool, could you act more effectively?"
• Bait: "I can not waste your time now, but I need only 20 minutes for a personal meeting, on which I will tell you about my proposal on examples."
• Purpose of the meeting. Parting.

Main problems

Do not forget that all this will work only if we are in the "pain point" of the client, that is, in the form of his product or service offered his immediate problem. In fact, this is not always the case. There are only two ways to find out about the client's problem. This is to make a proposal or ask a question. In the first case, you run the risk of making a mistake, and in the second case, you do not get an answer. Therefore, at the stage of cold calls, it is enough to get the minimum amount of information about the interlocutor, to report on services, to make an offer to start a more detailed package of goods or services. Then you will have a chance to re-meet and have a more detailed conversation.

Professional Services

As you can see, the work is long and difficult. Instead of training their managers and watching them make mistakes, one can hire a specialist who has already established such a job for a long time. Cold call services offer most call centers. You give them information about the goods or services provided, as well as the primary customer base. They look for new potential customers and make phone calls. Special programs record the number of calls made and their effectiveness. As a result, you pay for services and profit.