Do you know how to turn those cold calls into warm calls? How do you motivate your team to close more first appointments, build rapport over the phone and follow up effectively? It all starts with having the right attitude and systems in place.
Salespeople are a tricky bunch. Many feel that picking up the phone to cold call is “below them.”
Yet, with the pandemic and even prior to it, prospecting has been imperative to refilling the sales funnel in order to close more business. Many salespeople are comfortable with dealing with only with existing clients and could be missing out on a ton of deals if their attitude can change so they are constantly prospecting.
Cold calling is not just for new folks in telemarketing roles or joining a new company. Picking up the phone should be seen as something you do to schedule a meeting. You are not trying to land a listing over the phone.
What about new sales reps who have little experience dealing with rejection? No one likes to be turned down over and over again. But there is a way out, thankfully. Using a strong script with three key points keeps things simple and real over the phone. Providing not too much and not too little amounts of information is a good start. Knowing how many calls to make per day will also provide structure and a way of measuring one’s efforts.
Next, learning how to qualify appointments, set more appointments and essentially increase your overall bottom line, will keep you motivated to constantly stay on top of your team. Cold calling involves continued practice and refinement. For instance, you can leave progressive voice messages, and send follow up emails when there is a low response rate. Knowing your numbers and understanding your sales cycle is the basis for improvement and knowing what to expect. No surprises. Just focus on what works and instruct your team on how to stay on track.
Nicole Attias is the owner of Prospect2Win. Prospect2Win is a sales-based company in Canada that is dedicated to helping businesses get in the door through cold calling and presentation training. Nicole facilitates workshops and webinars for real estate agents and various real estate boards. Contact – nicole@prospect2win.com
Stay tuned for my upcoming eBook, “Transform your sales approach – More than just a cold call.”
