Many salespeople dislike cold calling, because they fear being met by a hostile reaction due to the element of disruption unsolicited calls can inevitably cause. Learning the skills and techniques to cold call successfully can make the practice far more enjoyable and rewarding, however.
How to do cold calling for jobs.
Cold calling is usually the first contact of a sales process, and involves calling targets out of the blue to offer them a product or service. The purpose is often simply to generate leads, which can then be followed up and converted. This article will help anyone interested in positions that require cold calling to understand the skills required.
All kinds of sales jobs rely on cold calling to generate leads. Whether it's offering insurance to consumers at home, encouraging individuals to switch energy or mobile phone tariffs, or contacting businesses to encourage them to change their stationary suppliers. There are thousands of these jobs available across the UK, and most sales jobs involve at least an element of cold calling. Information on how to secure a position in sales using an existing skillset or transferrable skills can best be obtained from a recruitment agency.
Succeeding at cold calling.
Cold calling isn't for everyone, but those who have the required skills, and enjoy a challenge, can really excel. It's important to be able to handle rejection. By its very nature, cold calling usually has a low conversion rate, and is often a less targeted method than other sales techniques. For more advice on getting that sale over the line then have a look here. A thick skin is required to keep motivated, and press on to hit targets. The ability to work under pressure is also a bonus, as sales workers often have strict targets to hit. The challenge of persuading individuals, who are initially disinterested, can make good cold calling a very rewarding activity.
An individual's effectiveness can be improved by honing and developing techniques that work. One of the best things to do is think like the person who will be receiving the call. When selling to a businessperson, for example, it often pays to keep things brief - as they are likely to be busy - and to quickly set out the benefits. When selling to someone at home during the day, spending more time building rapport, and gaining the individual's trust is likely to be a more effective tactic.
Cold calling for sales.
While it may not possible when cold calling in high quantities, conducting research into the prospect before picking up the phone can make a huge difference, as can calling from a targeted list. If the call is personalised to meet the specific needs of the prospect, it's far more likely that they will be receptive. Quality is more important than quantity, and the wealth of personal information available on social media sites makes it easy to do some preliminary research about prospects.
The time a call is made is also important. It's incredibly annoying to have a meal interrupted by cold calling, so try and stick to times that are likely to be convenient. In a similar vein, it's rarely a good idea to try and sell B2B towards the end of the month, when deadlines are approaching and people are stressed. If selling to businesses, it’s usually best to aim to secure a face-to-face meeting, or follow up call, rather than directly sell the product/service. Avoid wasting time talking to people who are not authorised to make purchasing decisions.
