Cold calling tips are a dime a dozen. Everyone thinks they know the best way to capture a prospect’s attention, but what do the industry leaders say about all this? What do the experts with skin in the game do to attract customers?
Well, sales industry experts divulge their tips, tricks, and expertise all the time. All we need to do is track down the quotes and apply it to the modern day. Consider the legwork done on your behalf. 😉
We’re gonna highlight 8 cold calling tips extracted from sales industry leaders, and we’re gonna mine them for a deeper insight into how we can apply them to cold calls in the digital era. Buckle up, baby, the tips start here!
1. Ensure the Prospect Knows You’re Calling For Their Benefit
“Selling is a transference of feeling. If you transfer the feeling that you must make the sale for your benefit, the chances of making the sale are greatly reduced. If you transfer the feeling that you want to make the sale for the prospect’s benefit, your chances for success are dramatically increased."
Who Said It?
Zig Ziglar was a salesman, turned motivational speaker, turned author. He was a jack of all trades, but an expert in the realm of sales.
Highly regarded as one of the most influential salesmen ever, he has published numerous books relating to sales, including Selling 101 and Secrets of Closing a Sale.
How Can You Apply This Today?
Just because we’re living in the digital age, it doesn’t mean sales fundamentals have changed. The sales game isn’t always about you and your performance. You need to guide your prospective customer to achieve a solution to their problem. Your focus has to be the prospect and the prospect alone. If you’re focused on your performance, you’re not focused on your customer.
This is especially true when cold calling, and it’s the reason it’s our number one cold calling tip. Showing you care, empathizing with the prospect’s problem, and being genuine with the solution you suggest, increases your chances of your prospect becoming a customer.
When you call a new prospect, the first thing you should be focusing on is how to build a relationship with them. It’s the most important thing you can do. A genuine connection will increase the likelihood of your prospect purchasing from your company. Work on your sales skills so you can build a stronger rapport straight from the off.
By talking with the customer face-to-face on a video call, you can promote your company’s customer-centric ethos better, connecting with the prospect on a deeper level and showing that you’re focused on customer satisfaction, not just revenue. When you can see a cold caller, it develops a mutual feeling of trust; it’s not just a sketchy voice, it’s a human being. This is the key to “transferring the feeling” that you’re here to help the prospect, not pull the wool over their eyes.
2. Persistence Is Key
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
Who Said It?
Dale Carnegie said it in his book, How To Win Friends & Influence People.
Carnegie was an author and lecturer who frequented public speaking and course development programs based on sales and self-improvement. Carnegie’s teachings come from a background in human psychology, which, as he often emphasizes, is easily transferable into the sales world.
How Can You Apply This Today?
In the digital age of cold calling, setbacks will happen. It’s guaranteed. But that doesn’t mean you should give up. Carnegie’s advice encourages us to evolve, adapt, and overcome obstacles in the rapidly changing digital sales landscape.
You have to face those setbacks and rejections head on. Failure is just the stepping stone to success. 80% of sales require 5 follow ups before they get a yes. If that doesn’t convince you to push on, nothing will.
Keep learning, keep refining your sales approach, and never stop until you reach your goals. With increased competition, vast swathes of data, and ever-changing customer expectations, the digital sales age is a challenging era. But nothing good ever came easy.
Use the quote as a reminder to remember why you’re here and to maintain a positive mindset. Be consistent with your communication. Don’t forget you can use other sources of communication too. Emails, text messages, and social media are all ways you can grab your target audience’s attention in the modern era. If there’s a will, there’s a way, even when prospects are difficult to get hold of. Learn from your failures and it will make you a better salesperson.
3. The Whole Conversation Matters
“The buyer’s decision to purchase is not made in response to the salesperson’s message after he has completed it, but rather throughout the salesperson’s message.”
Who Said It?
David Hoffeld is a CEO, chief sales trainer, and the author of the best-selling The Science of Selling. His book is an in-depth look into the relationship between human behavior and sales.
He’s known as an expert in sales science and his work is highly evidence-based. He shares wisdom with the sales community as a frequent speaker at events, teaching the art of selling and the tremendous part that human psychology plays.
How Can You Apply This Today?
Hoffeld’s quote is one of the best cold calling tips because of its timeless significance. It’s not just about how you start or end the conversation, it’s about the entire interaction.
Sure enough, times have changed. Video conferencing is swiftly becoming the go-to for sales calls, with almost 90% of calls being in this medium since the pandemic. Sales teams have had to adapt to working from home, but the buyer’s decision making process hasn’t altered. They still take into account the entire salesperson’s message, regardless of their medium of communication. The benefit is that with video calls, you can make eye contact with your prospect and connect on a deeper level faster.
Building a rapport and focusing entirely on establishing trust is a great way to get to the prospect’s heart. To make their life easier, use customer touchpoints to highlight each stage of the customer journey. Infographics, educational videos, and product demos can be used to highlight these touch points in a more aesthetically pleasing way, lessening the learning curve and helping your prospect easily digest information.
When Hoffeld mentions the buyer’s decision is not made at the end of the salesperson’s message, it emphasizes the importance of being consistent the whole way through. It’s not always about selling the product, but providing a solution to the prospect’s problem. By listening to what the prospect has to say and empathizing with their pain points, you make the prospect feel understood.
You should also demonstrate your expertise in what you’re selling to establish authority, trust, and credibility. This is an important part of your overall sales message. Remember also that this is about long-term success, not short-term gain! An established long-lasting relationship is the most beneficial when it comes to sales and customer retention. This should be on your mind from the very first interaction.
4. Let Your Authenticity Shine
“Give someone a decree and give him your character. He will most likely follow the latter."
Who Said It?
Sam Taggart is the creator of the D2D association, an umbrella company with many strings to its bow.
Taggart is a public speaker, the author of ABC$ of Closing, and he runs his own podcast. He’s an expert in door-to-door sales and has plenty of tips for this method on his YouTube channel. Taggart teaches the importance of leadership, but also personal development and the mindset you need to have to be successful in the sales industry.
How Can You Apply This Today?
The quote is short and sweet but its connotations run deep. Being your authentic self is more important than just trying to sell a product by following a cold calling script word for word. However, if you take the principles of a well thought out script and add a human element with emotion and empathy, it’s the perfect combination.
Being authentic in the digital era not only represents your character but also your company’s ethics. This can be further backed up with digital branding that showcases:
- Your expertise in your field,
- The reliability and authenticity of your company.
Ensure your website is on song with the message your sales team is portraying during cold calls (and all future communication). Consistency in company voice is vital to achieving success in the digital era.
Prospects are far more likely to feel a positive vibe from you if you’re authentic and sincere with your sales approach. Once again, a genuine connection increases the chance of your prospect trusting and engaging with you far more than any script could. Let your true self be front and center when communicating with prospects.
5. Demonstrate Security And Customers Will Flock To You
“Selling yourself does not mean boasting about your accomplishments but rather demonstrating security in your goals and your lifestyle so your "customers" feel success and want to emulate it.”
Who Said It?
Joe Girard is a legend in the sales industry. He dominated the car sales business in the 60s and 70s and is one of the USA’s leading salesmen of all time.
Girard sold a whopping 13,001 cars for Chevrolet between 1963 and 1978! His success stemmed from his amazing ability to build relationships with his prospects, something that is still very possible in today’s digital sales era. It worked so well for him that according to the Guinness Book of World Records, he holds the record of selling the most cars in one year!
Known for his charming personality, he wasn’t just a schmoozer. He excelled at connecting with his customers on a personal basis before, during, and after the transaction.
How Can You Apply This Today?
Let’s be honest, Girard was ahead of the game. He was a leader in his industry, and his focus was based on being authentic and having confidence in his approach. The quote demonstrates the importance of empathy and understanding in regards to your customer. No one likes to be bragged to, but everyone wants to emulate success when they see it. By approaching the conversation from this success mindset, you ignite desire in the prospect.
This is one of the cold calling tips that can make a real difference in your approach. After all, in the digital era, cold calls still play a crucial part in sales. The difference is you can now leverage your accomplishments using the magic of the internet.
The best way to utilize Girard’s wisdom is to establish quickly why your company is the best solution to the prospect’s problem, using hard evidence to verify previous success. For example, testimonials of customers in a similar situation to the prospect are going to be more impactful than simply telling the prospect what you can do. Back up your words with evidence. Don’t speak empty promises. Allow the prospect to verify everything with statistics, reviews, and demonstrations.
The real importance of this quote, however, lies in the “not boasting.” You’ll want to master the art of speaking with confidence about your product or service. The idea is that you don’t need the prospect to become a customer. They need to become a customer because of how successful you’ll make them.
6. Create Value For Your Prospects
“To sell well is to convince someone else to part with resources – not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end.”
Who Said It?
Daniel Pink is a leading American author best known for his numerous publications regarding human behavior and sales. His ethos is centered around what drives humans, our behavior, and how basic principles drive our decisions when it comes to business and sales.
How Can You Apply This Today?
The focus has to be on your potential customer and how you’re helping them ease their woes with the purchase of your product. Put all the focus on the value you’re offering, stressing the ways in which it can benefit each specific prospect. Remember, though, cold calling tips like this one require a personal touch. Each prospect is different and each pitch requires a slightly different angle to hit the sweet spot. Pink’s advice isn’t a one-size-fits-all.
Put simply, if you show your customer why they’re better off parting ways with their funds, they’re more likely to be convinced to purchase the product. It’s deceptively simple. In reality, it requires an in-depth knowledge of the prospect’s wants, needs, and pain points to be able to pull off effectively. That’s why listening is so important in sales. You never want to interrupt your prospect as every word that comes out of their mouth can be used to market your product.
7. Position Yourself as a Reliable Industry Leader
“The key is not to call the decision-maker. The key is to have the decision-maker call you.”
Who Said It?
Jeffrey Gittomer, self-proclaimed king of sales, is an expert on how to achieve customer loyalty and how to master the art of sales. He’s released several books about sales and even runs a sales mastery workshop. When Gittomer speaks, everyone listens.
How Can You Apply This Today?
There are two ways to look at what Gittomer said. In regards to cold calling tips, the idea is that the follow up will be initiated by the prospect’s company. You want to get the prospect so invested in your solution, that they reach out to the decision maker in their business and get you back on the phone ASAP.
If you record your sales calls with tl;dv, your prospect will automatically get a copy of the recording. When the prospect rewatches the recording, you’ll be notified. If they do rewatch, it’s usually a good indication that they’re showing someone else in their company and they’re taking your product or service seriously.
However, it’s worth noting that Gittomer also expresses the importance of building credibility and attracting customers to you, rather than you going to them. Obviously, this can’t be relied on, but it can certainly be implemented to bring in extra cash flow in the background. With an online presence, including a strong website, webinars, videos, socials, and SEO optimization, you can save time and resources spent on prospecting. The idea here is to get the prospect warm before you even interact.
8. Know Your Customer
"It's so important to know: Who is your ideal customer? And that is the sweet spot that you stay focused on."
Who Said It?
Mark Hunter is a world renowned sales leader. He’s released several publications and has 30 years of experience, with a leading sales podcast called The Sales Hunter Podcast. He’s a highly skilled speaker, sharing his tips and advice regarding prospecting and the ability to retain customers without blowing your budget.
How Can You Apply This Today?
One of the best cold calling tips is also one of the best general sales tips: know thy customer. Let’s face it, if you’re just calling people at random out of a phone book, you’re hardly ever gonna make a sale. What Hunter means by this is that you should have an ideal customer in mind and only reach out to those within this category.
By focusing on your ideal customer, you are far more likely to convert prospects (and keep them). In today’s digital era, you have a lot of help for this. Your CRM system, lead generation platform, and other sales tools can help you with prospecting, as well as customer persona generation.
It’s a good start to build a customer persona so you know who your target audience is. This is a key part of your long-term customer success strategy too. When you have this information, your cold calls suddenly take on a new dimension. You already know information about the person you’re calling and are better primed to pitch your product as a solution to their problem. You’ll still need to get them talking and build rapport, but you’ll have a clearer goal and a more well-defined strategy from the get-go.
Check out what the “sales hunter” has to say about cold calls himself below.
Take Your Cold Calls to the Next Level
Cold calling isn’t going anywhere. Regardless of how advanced technology gets, salespeople need to start somewhere. Even with a massive online presence, it’s still important to reach out to new prospects and help them understand the solution your product or service represents.
We hope these 8 cold calling tips have taught you something new that you can take into your next cold call!
