Do you wince at the thought of cold calling? You’re not alone. Many salespeople dread the idea of having to make a call. What’s the deal?
It could be that cold calling is one of those things that people inherently dislike doing, like doing the laundry or renewing your driver’s licence – it must be done, but it’s not fun. But this strong dislike for a sales technique could often lead weak salespeople to look for an easy way out. So, they give that responsibility to someone else in the company or to a third-party that specialises in finding potential prospects.
Here’s why that’s a bad thing…
Cold calling allows the salesperson to be the first contact point between the company and a potential new client. This person probably has no idea who they’re talking to, what the company does, or why they’re being called in the first place. So, as a salesperson this is where you get to introduce yourself, your company and what you’re all about. According to our sales courses, this is also the perfect opportunity to generate interest, which could lead to more calls or meetings. Essentially, grab their attention, build rapport and provide clear value of the product or service the company delivers. Even though cold calling can be challenging it still yields good results, especially with some added research about the customer, personalisation in your message and a good pitch.
Good salespeople are aware of this and still do cold calling despite their dislike for the technique. However, the weaker ones would find this difficulty indicative of an entire system to be “faulty”, “old fashioned” or whatever excuse they’d like to mention. This is where those good-old sales fundamentals come in to help you get out of this quick fix mindset.
Remember how your success is determined by how much you’re willing to keep learning and acquiring knowledge? Attending keynote events, in-person and online sales courses, and anything else you can get your hands on. That same effort also goes into sales techniques like cold calling.
Imagine this scenario: Meet our main character Fletcher, the salesperson. Fletcher’s walking back to his office after having a relaxing lunch at a nearby park. On his way back he walks past a bookshop window and sees a book titled Your Methods Are Outdated and Suck. His curiosity piqued, Fletcher enters the bookstore and reads the excerpt. It reads, “Today’s sales techniques are bland, boring and mundane. Drop the techniques of yesterday and embrace the ones of tomorrow. Quick, easy and lucrative. No more cold calling, emails, referrals, networking or prospecting!”. Fletcher gives it a shot, but after a month of following the book’s methods he has gotten terrible leads, no connections, and whenever he does make contact, the client gives him a blank stare like they weren’t expecting him to be there. Moral of the story? No one should be afraid of a little hard work, or going the extra mile to secure that sale, especially people who have the word “sales” in their job title.
It’s all about continuous improvement and when you’re constantly trying to improve, sales will constantly keep growing. Don’t neglect the fundamentals and don’t assume anything, especially when it comes to what you think you already know. As a salesperson, you’ve got to be honest with yourself and not let ego get in the way of growth. There are plenty of sales courses available to choose from, and some of them might even perfectly suit your needs. Whether you’re trying to get over your prospecting anxiety, or looking to get away from the “quick fix” mindset, you’re bound to expand your knowledge and sharpen your skills. And yes, for the salesperson that’s working from home, there’s something for your virtual needs too.
