National Sales Center

Cold Calling Tips
From, Nick Moreno

When I first started my sales career, I hated cold calling and knew nothing about cold calling tips! I knew I need more sales appointments and I heard that message every day from my Sales Manager. Nevertheless, I still hated cold calling. Pleading with people, qualified or not, just to get an appointment did nothing for me and I was not very productive at it. I knew I had a major decision in front of me. Either get great at cold calling or find a new career. I learned a few things since then so I have some cold calling tips and advice for you.

Lucky for me, I discovered ways to make cold calling techniques more effective and went on to enjoy a long and successful career in sales. In this article, I want to give you some cold calling tips that will serve you well.  What I discovered about successful cold calling saved my sales career and saved me from pushing paper in some cubicle for the rest of my life. That’s the power behind effective cold calling tips.

Cold Calling Tip -  Is Not About “You”

As tips go, this cold calling tip is very important. Never begin a cold call by telling someone you’d like to meet with him or her to discuss something. Your prospect knows you are trying to sell them something. More importantly, why should someone meet with you just because you want to meet with them?

Cold Calling Tips That Work

Begin your cold calls with a focus on why someone will benefit from meeting with you. What’s in it for them? You need to give them a compelling, if not overwhelming, reason to meet with you. Successful cold calling is all about benefits so “sell the clean floor and not the mop”. This is a key cold calling skills set. I hope you’ll remember and use this cold calling tip.

As an example, which of these two cold calling approaches do you think with be most effective? In this cold calling scenario, I’m calling a Vice President of Sales.

“I’m calling because I’d like to introduce you to my sales training programs.”
OR
“I’ve just increased sales at the XYZ Company last quarter by 32% and may be able to the same for you.”

I hope the answer is obvious. The reason the second example is more effective is because it deals with benefits while the first example deals with a product. Focus on benefits and you’ll have more successful cold calls. Remember this tip when cold calling and more doors will open.

Key Cold Calling Tips

Never carve out a full day for cold calling activity. After a few hours of cold calling, salespeople tend loose both their confidence and enthusiasm. Taking a long walk through a rejection propeller is never fun. Effective cold calling demands enthusiasm and confidence and that’s hard to maintain when you spend a full day on the phones. This is a key cold calling tip.

Powerful Cold Calling Tips

I urge salespeople to make a few cold calls every day. This requires some discipline so here is what I’d like you to do to insure you’re doing some daily cold calling. Make an appointment every day with yourself and dedicate that time to cold calling. Some cold calling on a daily bases will keep you fresh and enthusiastic. Making 25 cold calls a day adds up to 125 every week! And, remember to put these cold calling tips to good use.

Take The “Cold” Out Of Cold Calling With This Cold Calling Tip

The term “cold calling” dates back before the Information Age. In today’s word, you can do two minutes of research on the Internet that will allow you to warm up your cold calls. Two minutes of research could be the difference between cold calling success and failure. Demonstrate that you know something about the company or person you’re cold calling.

Besides looking up your prospect’s company’s Internet site, there is one more thing I’d like you to do in this great Information Age. See if your prospect is listed on one of many social networking sites for business people such as LinkedIn. You’ll discover powerful information that you can use to take the chill out of cold calling. This cold calling tip will make you more productive on the phones.

Researching may cause you to spend a little more time cold calling, but you’ll make it up in added productivity. It will also provide you with a well-deserved break between cold calls.

COLD CALLING TIPS VIDEO

My goal was to give you some cold calling tips that will help you with your cold calling activities. I hope this information will help you be more productive and effective when cold calling.

Did you know that the number one reason for failing in sales has to do with ineffective prospecting? I can help you with your prospecting efforts if you’ll take a look at my new sales prospecting training CD program. In this sales training program, I discuss options to cold calling and new ways to prospect for appointments. These programs are packed with cold calling tips.

I wish you great cold calling success and I hope you’ll use all these cold calling tips!

Nick Moreno, Sales Trainer
National Sales Center

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Tags: Cold Calling, prospecting, sale, sales, salespeople, sell, Selling, Tip, trainers, training