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Cold calling can be a chilling activity for any aspiring salesperson. At it’s core, unexpected interactions can feel deeply discomforting for both the salesperson and the potential customer. Not everyone is born with that easy charisma or silver tongue. However, success in sales isn’t determined solely through natural talent. The best salespeople have an unparalleled work ethic to grow company sales. Even if you are struggling, you can become a great salesperson. Here are some tips for improving your cold calling closing rate for company growth.
Believe In Yourself
Your mentality will determine whether you succeed or fail. Before you even begin calling your leads or walking your route, take a moment to get into the right state of mind. Focus on what you want to achieve for the day, and why your success is important for your overall goal. When you are filled with a burning desire to succeed, you will find ways to overcome your obstacles. Confidence in your product is good, but confidence in yourself should be a core value. Many new salespeople mistake excessive cheeriness and positivity for confidence. If you are confident, it will come across naturally in your demeanor. Every salesperson has a different style, so don’t try to limit yourself to a mold. If your attitude sucks then your sales will suffer as well. Are you a closer or a loser? If you see yourself as a loser than you’ve already lost your sales.
Icebreakers
Icebreakers are useful tools for building trust and getting people to buy into you. No one likes receiving an unsolicited sales call. Your first challenge will be to overcome that natural skepticism and distaste. By developing that initial trust with a good first impression, people will be more receptive to what you have to say. Jokes can be a good way of lightening a person’s mood. Similar to meeting ice breakers, say something positive like “Happy x day!” Holidays and weather are an easy jumping point as well. Some people may distrust you for seeming stiff, others will see that as a form of professionalism.
Identifying The Decision Maker
One of the most important aspects to making your sale is to identify the decision maker. Your pitch is near worthless if you’re speaking to the wrong person. As a salesperson, time is money. Time wasted speaking to the wrong person is money out of your pocket. Do your research ahead of time. Look into the business and see if you can find the owner of the business or the manager. If you don’t know anything about the business, use context clues to try and figure out who the decision maker is. If all else fails, politely but firmly ask to speak with the decision maker. Remember, spend quality time with quality people.
Getting Past The Gatekeeper
Failure to get past a gatekeeper means failure to close. There are a few ways you can handle this problem. A critical aspect of dealing with the gatekeeper is to control the flow of conversation. Lead the conversation where you want it to go, don’t let the gatekeeper run over you. Ultimately, there is a limited number of objections a gatekeeper will give you. Learn these objections and their variations, then learn your rebuttals. Not knowing how to respond will kill your momentum and your sale. If you feel that you are in control, you will treat interactions accordingly.
Developing Rapport With Customers
Developing rapport is key to completing your sale. Now that you’ve gotten through to the decision maker, you just need to close. People will buy into you first before they buy your product. Good salespeople are experts at selling the customer on themselves first and foremost. You can develop rapport by developing a personal relationship with the customer. Make them feel at ease and that you have their best interests at heart. As mentioned before, ask questions and let the customer talk about themselves. Take notes in your customer management software about useful details they mention. Mirror their tone of voice and their behavior, people are subconsciously attracted to others like themselves. By reading the interaction and responding accordingly, you will increase your sales.
Don’t be intimidated at the prospect of cold calling. Instead, view cold calling as an opportunity to share what you and your product have to offer the customer. You’re not bothering your customer, you’re enriching their life through your interaction with them. With the right mindset and skills, you will close more and sell more for your company.
