Turn Cold Calls into Warm Calls
by Elinor Stutz

• Are you tired of being told ‘no’?

Have you ever noticed that while many businesspeople begin at the same time, a few will stand out in attaining goals and achieving greater success? More startling is the fact that many of the hugely successful businesspeople are able to get past gatekeepers and voicemail. They are also able to defeat better known competitors and sell more at one time than ever imagined possible. How are they able to achieve this level of success?

Most businesspeople are single threaded, keep repeating the same effort, do not think creatively and do not remove themselves from the emotional side of negativity. Due to extreme frustration, these businesspeople simply give up. I know, as I was in corporate sales for 13 years and no matter the organization, the sales department had a revolving door.

Selling from the Prospect’s view of the world is the most effective way to advance your goals. This method will also turn your “Not interested” cold calls into warm calls.

When I first began selling there was no training. I had to teach myself. My style was adapted from that of a very successful hostess of business parties. This woman would give parties for her husband’s associates. Each guest would stand in a long line to talk to her. Why? When I had the privilege of speaking with her, I quickly realized that she had the unique ability to elevate each guest to the status of King or Queen. When speaking with her, I was the only person in the room, and everything I said was of great significance. I walked on air the rest of the evening.

How do you translate this to the business environment? My prospects and clients are my friends. I listen to their business goals and their personal goals. I learn how long they have been in their current position. If it were a short time, I find out what they did prior. I take a sincere interest in their personal and business life and listen well. Once I understand how they view the world, I am able to match my services to their needs.

Are you asking how can I possibly begin a completely cold call from the prospect’s view of the world? Again, listen carefully. Listen to the tone of voice, pace and intonation. You will quickly catch on whether you caught them at a good time to talk. If they sound impatient, ask when they would prefer you call. When you call back, remind them that they asked you to do so!

Before making a cold call to announce your name, company name and service try doing the following first:

1. Read the website of a business
2. Look for repeated key words of importance
3. Know their financials, corporate officers and mission statement
4. Devise a question of importance to the person you are contacting
5. Use your voice as if you are talking to your good friend
6. Sound confident

For example, I was about to call on a credit union. The words, “financial soundness” appeared on every page of their website. I was working for a Fortune 100 company at the time. I called the decision maker, and instead of announcing myself, I said, “I see that financial soundness is of great importance to your company. I’m with Fortune 100 – are we of enough financial soundness for me to earn an appointment with you?” I then gave my name.

By having done my homework ahead of time and asking a question regarding something that was of utmost importance to the other company, I sounded like a genius. The woman was so impressed she said “You are the first to pick that up!” She then asked how I knew. My strategy produced a warm conversation. I had instant credibility, and was invited in for an appointment.

You are now asking, “Yes, but what about voicemail?” No problem! How to leave your message:

1. Sound friendly
2. Leave a very short message
3. Give your telephone number twice
4. Throw your script away!

Always sound as if you are talking to a friend. This makes you more likeable. Be yourself. No one today has time to listen to a long message. If you leave a telephone number only once and if it sounds muffled on the other end, you will be out of luck. The best method is to leave the number at the beginning and again at the end of your message. If you do not remember, announce it twice in the middle of the message, and say, “again the number is”.

Each person has a different history therefore everyone thinks differently. I never understood why people think a script is in the form of ‘one size fits all’. Please, throw your script away and listen!

Would you like 100% response? After leaving the voice message, immediately send a duplicate short email. But, here is where it will be slightly different. In the subject line, you can type “follow-up”. Begin the message from the reader’s point of view by stating, “I realize it is easier to press the reply key than to dial back. Per my telephone message…” Keep your message down to one or two very short paragraphs.

When prospects realize you are concerned about their time and are making every effort to make it easy to do business with you, they will be interested to explore what you have to offer. I have always had a 100% response rate with the method described above.

Remember, by beginning from the other person’s view of the world and actively listening, you will enjoy a far greater success rate!

Elinor Stutz, CEO and Author
Smooth Sale
http://www.smoothsale.net