Edit: I wrote this post series back then when I was working as a sales person in a company. I was scared of cold calling but it was part of my job so I had to learn how to do it. It inspired me to write this post. I don’t work in sales any more 🙂
Not everyone is born a natural salesperson. There are people that are geniounly talended and love cold calling, it’s their oxygen.
I’m not one of those but I know that cold calling works and that’s why I’m doing it.
It’s not easy when you have to call someone out of the blue.
I have been lucky though to work in the B2B area which makes things way easier. I know who I’m calling and the people I’m calling pretty much expect phone-calls like mine.
However, I still do feel awkward and the first few times I did it I was shaking. It was probably obvious in my voice as well but the person on the other phone was always kind to me. Maybe they sensed that I’m extremely nervous and stressed and out of politeness they stayed on the phone to hear what I had to say.
But what is that makes us dread a cold call? I suppose a natural born sales person doesn’t have that fear. But for the rest of us that do, I have good news:
The fear goes away.
I don’t know what the reason is that makes us feel scared. Is it the fear of rejection?
The fact that we have to talk to a total stranger?
The fear that we will make a fool of ourselves?
Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know, but there is one thing I do now:
Cold calling works
I don’t have any e-course or webinar to sell you. This is my personal experience and whatever tips I have I’m willing to share them with you for free cause I know how it feels like.
If I get to help ONE person, then I would be extremely happy.
So here are a few tips that have worked for me:
– Try not to over think it. Just call, be prepared for a either positive or a negative answer, and don’t take it personally if they reject you. They don’t reject you, they reject the “service” or the product you are selling. I say, whatever, their loss.
– Try to write down some scripts. Test and see what works for you. Write down a few lines and try to avoid sounding a selling bot. I know I know, easier said than done, but if you practice you will get better.
– Think like a sales person. This one is a bit tricky I suppose. But what is it really that you are trying to sell? If it’s a physical product, why do you want to sell it? Write down some of the benefits, what is the problem that this product is solving? In other words try to put together a mini script where you mention that you have a solution to this “common problem in the market”.
– Avoid asking questions. I know I do that mistake as well but avoid “Would you be interested in …”.
Instead use “I will send you an email with more information so you can take a look at your own time”. That way the person might or might not read that email, but you have something to follow it up.
– Practice, practice, practice. At first you will most probably suck, or maybe you won’t. But if you do just know that the more you do the easier it gets.
– Statistically you will get a positive answer. And that’s going to boost your shelf confidence big time!
– People are generally kind, at least in the B2B area.
One small advice, from my humble point of view:
If you are in the B2C sector, avoid calling random people. Do some market research. What are you selling? Who might be more willing to try it?
– Bonus tip from a colleague: Pretend you are talking to your buddy. It’s funny but it works because you lose that “sales bot talk”. It becomes more casual if you pretend you speak to your friend and you have more chances to get the other person on the phone interested in you and your solution.
I hope the above was helpful to you and if you want please share it with your friends or colleagues.
Do you have questions or comments? Leave them in the comments below 🙂
