How to do Cold Calling - The Playbook (Part 2 of 3)
Cold Calling?! Are you already getting familiar with the topic? And are you on your way to becoming a Pro?! 😎🤟
Here is Part Two of our Playbook!
In case you want to read Part One again, check it out!
Let's have a look at the topics that we are going to tackle in this playbook: Cold Calling Structure
Reception/ Switchboard
Introduction
The Hook
Find Demand
Closing
You can once again watch our educational Video, in order to jog your memory.
Cold Calling Structure
So how is a Cold Call Structured? And From where do you begin?
You should start your Cold Calling attempts of course by contacting the person you are interested in. >> Call the reception at the headquarters of the company that has sparked your interest and ask for the person you are looking for. >> After being redirected, introduce yourself and your company, continue with the hook, try to find the demand and close your talk.
But more to it later.
Before explaining everything in more detail, I want to remind you that it is of utmost importance to be prepared for a Cold Call! Take your time and do your research. Don't be one of those annoying sales people that call you out of the blue without any knowledge!
>> Research expresses that you have done your homework, it shows your interest and your knowledge on a certain topic.
So, how do you prepare?
As mentioned before, check the LinkedIn Profile of the targeted persona, look up the company website and then you should be ready to reach out.
Always take the DISC Personality Types into account and try to come up with some interesting touching points before the conversation.
>> Always Remember - don't let personal topics take over the conversation - solely focus on your goals!
What do you want to achieve? Why are you calling this person?
Now let's delve into the first part of your Cold Call!
1. Reception/ Switchboard
Probably most of the time you will not have the right number
of your prospects, soo…?? What do you do?
As stated before, you should call the reception at the HQ. But this is no easy task. I regard the receptionist as the gatekeeper that must ‘let you in’ and redirect you to your prospect. This is a tricky subject. How do you approach this delicate issue of becoming what you want and not being rejected?
Firstly and most importantly, you should never hide the reason why you are calling!
Tell the receptionist:
>> Why you are calling?
>> What are the topics that you are going to discuss?
The job of the receptionist is not to hinder you, but to sort out all the annoying call agencies that have no knowledge about the business and will not bring any value to the company.
Secondly, treat the receptionist as your best friend - they are the source of your information!
What do I mean by that? The so-called gatekeeper can give you all the relevant information that you need - ranging from email addresses to how you should properly address someone or how you spell one’s name. If you are lucky enough you can even extract the direct number of the prospect so that you are able to call them directly.
Insider Tip: If you have been in contact with the prospect before, you can mention it to the receptionist. It serves as social proof.
2. Introduction
In this part of the Cold Calling process, you should always bear in mind that you should keep it short and sweet.
Answer the question:
>> WHO AM I? - Introduce yourself and your company. Don't go into detail and just give a quick taste of what your company is all about. That is also the perfect time to mention some keywords that resonate with your prospect.
Example: If the Person is a BDR Leader, mention keywords such as ‘Sales Enablement with Playbooks’, ‘ Cold Calling’, or whatever resonates with the person.
Attention! The first 4 sentences are the most important ones - they will show the other person whether you have something valuable to offer or if you are simply going to waste his time.
3. The Hook
In the Hook you should primarily answer the following questions -
WHY NOW? And WHAT DO I HAVE FOR YOU?
Show me that you know me! Here you should include your previous research and show your knowledge of the person. Try to establish a connection!
>> WHY NOW? Try to answer the question why you are calling him now?
Try to spark interest and indulge him in the conversation!
Reveal your intentions and what the reason for your call is!
Afterwards, you should continue the conversation and show him
WHAT DO I HAVE FOR YOU?
>> What have you prepared for him?
>> How will you add value to his business?
>> Why are of interest to your prospect?
You can also ask him if he is the right person to talk to about your business. If he is - perfect, you can continue with your conversation
If not - you can ask him who you should contact.
From my experience, people are really friendly and eager to help. They will most probably redirect you, or give you the credentials of the person that will be able to help you out.
Insider Tip: In a conversation it always comes down to your intonation.
The tone of your voice is the key player here. Lead the conversation with curiosity. Try to get from one sentence to the next and keep your prospect always engaged.
>> The emphasis of your wording is key, keep the conversation indulgent and try not to speak monotonously.
>> Your conversation should always be a dialog not a monologue. Try to speak to your prospect as if he was your friend.
Instead of formulating a sentence, try to formulate a question of how you would bring value to the prospect - so he or she would automatically answer how important you are to the person.
Example: How important is automatization for you when you are doing your image processing? How important is automation when you are improving the design of your website? - Plant it more like a question than a sentence!
Hopefully , the hook was a success then you should continue to the next part!
4. Find Demand
In this Part of your Cold Call, it's time for you to ask all the important questions and to qualify the prospect.
Ask your prospect what solutions he uses for certain tasks, ask him how we would solve a certain issue. Ask any question that will help you figure out what your prospect really wants and needs.
>> What is he looking for?
>> How can I optimize his work?
Then answer these questions for him - show him the added value of your offerings and really highlight the benefit of your solution. >> Why should he consider your proposition?
>> How is my solution better than his current choice? >> Why is it worth talking to you?
5. Closing
If you have already found out the prospect’s demand, think about a proper closing.
Throughout the call you can repeat many times the goal of your meeting- let the prospect know the goal of your Cold Call.
>> What was your call all about?
>> How can you add value?
>> Why are you the right fit?
If the person throws any objection at you, and trust me - he will, take it like a man! Repeat your intentions again, let him know what your goals are. Repeat the proposed added value and engage in further discussion.
Eager to learn more? In the third part of our Playbook, we will go into more depth about ‘Objection Handling’ and how you should best respond to it.
If you want to learn more about Outreach practices, read our Blog Posts about: >> Inbound and Outbound Attribution