How to create a cold calling script. Script ("cold call"): example. Ready-made sales scripts: templates for cold calling

The concept of a cold call applies to the first communication between a seller and a potential buyer, which is carried out through a telephone conversation. With such interaction, on the client’s part, in most cases, emotional “coldness” and low interest in cooperation arise, which the sales manager must overcome.

Goals of cold calling

Many managers put the main goal of a call to sell, which is wrong. The likelihood of finding a person willing to buy something from a stranger immediately after a telephone conversation is very small. That’s why sales experts recommend choosing more realistic goals that lead to further sales. This includes:

• Set up a meeting with the buyer.
• Informing potential clients about the appearance of a new company or services on the market. The result of such communication may be the sending of a commercial proposal.
• Checking the database to assess the relevance and sort clients by level of possible profit and likelihood of cooperation.

How customer bases are formed

Telesales techniques are not applied to randomly selected subscribers. In actual practice, a database of potential clients is prepared that meets certain criteria (field of activity, regional connection, need for services or goods). Such databases are formed independently, by tracking existing companies in a given region and field, or ready-made ones are purchased. Purchased databases may turn out to be irrelevant or inactive.

Working with call databases is divided into two stages:

1. Ringing- assessing the relevance of data, reconciling and updating information;
2. Calling- direct calls to offer a product or service.

Which companies can use cold calling?

Taking into account the peculiarities of the domestic market, cold calls are not effective for all types of goods and services. In the B2B sector, this method is suitable for:

• Forwarding services;
• Companies that trade in construction materials;
• Wholesale suppliers of consumer goods to retail outlets;
• Advertising agencies;
• Sales of retail space and commercial real estate;
• Suppliers of raw materials for production;
• Suppliers of stationery and consumables for large organizations.

In the B2C sector, cold calling is effective for the following areas:

• Real estate agency;
• Telecommunications service providers;
• Financial services (lending, deposit).

How cold calling is done

In order for the conversation to be as effective as possible, it is necessary to plan the sequence of the dialogue, while trying to turn a “cold call” into a “warm” one.

How to Create a Cold Calling Plan

In the professional sphere, the plan for the first telephone dialogue between a seller and a buyer is called a cold calling script. Since the conversation is carried out over the phone, you can pre-compile a list of questions and hypothetical answers (objections) of the client, for which appropriate arguments are selected. This scenario is often presented in a flowchart format, which is in the seller's view as a guide.

Each manager develops his own script based on the main points:

• Introduction (greeting, introduction). In order not to lose a client already at this stage, you need to minimize mentions that you want to sell something. When introducing yourself, speak on behalf of the company, not the sales manager. Find a third-party reason to call that is not related to selling products or presenting services.
• Establishing contact, creating a friendly atmosphere and identifying client needs. To make this stage more effective, it is necessary to find out minimal information about the interlocutor in advance. The first thing you need to ask is how to address the interlocutor (if this is not indicated in the database) and how much time he is willing to allocate for the conversation.
• Provoking interest(presentation of a product or service).
• Achieving a goal (making an appointment). To obtain consent to conduct a personal meeting, it is necessary to put the client in comfortable conditions by offering several options.

There are two types of sales scripts:

1. Hard- these are scenarios for selling simple and understandable services and goods that have a limited number of characteristics and, accordingly, answers (objections). It does not require the ability to improvise and is built according to a clear pattern, so it can be used by an unqualified employee or manager with little work experience. Often used to dial the base.
2. Flexible- used when selling complex products with wide functionality and a large list of evaluation criteria. Such scenarios require extensive managerial experience and the ability to quickly adapt to the situation.

Cold calls: scheme of conversation with decision makers

For a cold call to be effective, you need to analyze and evaluate the company you are calling and determine which of its employees will be your caller based on your existing contact.

This could be a secretary (assistant manager) or a person with the authority to make purchasing decisions (DM). If you are forming a database yourself, you should initially select the appropriate contacts (supply department, company manager, advertising manager, technical director, development manager, regional sales director).

You can spend time and effort on a secretary, but only if the main client is absent (at negotiations, a meeting) and you are sure that the secretary brought to your side will inform the manager about you, preparing him for the second call.

In most cases, the secretary simply does not want to give you the decision maker’s contact, and therefore it is necessary to provoke him to do so. When bypassing the secretary you cannot:

• Demonstrate your intentions to sell, introduce yourself as a sales manager.
• Be rude and aggressive towards your interlocutor, considering him just an obstacle. Very often it is the assistant manager who suggests choosing one company or another.
• Use obvious lies to obtain decision maker contacts.

You can bypass the secretary by offering him an alternative reason for contacting the decision-maker:

• Agreeing on the conditions for a test drive of equipment or services. Example: " Good afternoon. I represent the AAA company, your company was selected as one of the applicants to test new equipment. For final approval of participation, we need to ask your CTO a few questions. How can we contact him?»
• Direct invitation to a presentation, forum, seminar. Example: " Good afternoon. I represent the BBB company. We are planning to hold a seminar on issues of trade development in the regions. How can I contact your regional sales director to find out what issues he would like to discuss?»

Overcoming the difficulties of communicating with decision makers

The duration of communication with the decision maker should not exceed 5 minutes. As a rule, people holding responsible positions are very busy and, starting from the 3rd minute of conversation, their interest drops and irritation arises.

The script for a conversation with the decision maker, in addition to the main plan, should begin with confirmation of the fact of communication with the person you need. Example: “Tell me, are you responsible in the company for the supply of raw materials for the production of semi-finished products?” This provides two benefits:

• Are you confident that you are communicating with the decision maker;
• You got the first "Yes".

Arguments not in your favor can arise at any stage of communication. The most common objections and effective examples of how to handle them:

• “We already have suppliers”. With this answer, you must agree with the client, find out the name of the competitor, evaluate its merits and offer to discuss options for expanding existing capabilities in a personal meeting.
• “Your offer is expensive”. This response occurs if the price has been announced, which is not recommended when making a cold call (except for promotional discounts). You can correct the mistake by offering to make an appointment to explain the wide range of services included in the quoted price.
• "We are not interested in your offer". Cold calling scripts in such cases may contain responses in the following format: “ I understand that our offer is difficult to evaluate over the phone. Let me come to you and tell you in more detail. Is Thursday afternoon convenient for you?»
• “Now is not the right time to talk.”. In this case, it is better to end the conversation with an offer to meet or contact by phone at a more convenient time.
• "Send us a commercial proposal". This answer seems like a success for many managers, but sometimes it is just an excuse to end the conversation. Therefore, after some time, after sending, it is necessary to make a second call (sometimes from a different phone number). At the same time, it should start with a reminder that you have already communicated and there is an offer to meet. Example: " Good afternoon, Pavel Ivanovich. We communicated with you regarding the supply of raw materials for the production of semi-finished products. Have you found interesting items in our commercial offer? We are ready to provide you with special conditions for a test batch. When would be convenient for you to meet and discuss details?»

In most cases, it is enough to handle three objections, ending the last one with a request for a meeting.

Improving overall call efficiency

The effectiveness of cold calling sales techniques is affected by:

• Number of calls. The maximum duration of a conversation is on average 5-10 minutes. Based on this, the daily norm should be set at 40-50 calls. In practice, there may be more of them, since many subscribers will not answer or stop communicating in the first stages.
• Constant updating and replenishment of the database. For this purpose, information is used from directories, online company catalogs, social networks, and a manual search of websites of potential clients.
• Continuous work with the script. Scenario analysis to identify critical stages (where a higher percentage of conversation dropouts or refusals occur).

In most companies, cold calling is carried out by the sales manager himself. This significantly reduces its operating efficiency. To solve this problem, you can turn to less qualified personnel for help, who will ring the database for relevance and sort interested subscribers.

Perform the following tasks:

• Call centers- large organizations that will help not only call clients, but also prepare a script. The disadvantages of this method are the high cost of services and the impossibility of personal control.
• Freelancers- remote employees hired via the Internet. The advantage is the low cost of services. Disadvantages - high risk of deception.
• Trainees and lower level managers. The advantage of this option is to provide control over the work and the ability to analyze the script to identify and eliminate errors. Disadvantages - staff training and psychological training are required.

Advantages and disadvantages of cold calling techniques

Despite the negative reviews about this technique, it still brings results.

Advantages:

• The cold calling technique is the most accessible and effective way to build a client base for a sales manager. Over time, you will be able to attract a sufficient number of regular customers and the need to use this method will significantly decrease.
• When making a preliminary call, in contrast to working “in the fields,” visits for meetings are carried out only to clients with a high potential for cooperation. This saves a lot of time.
• Using a script as a prompt simplifies communication and gives the manager confidence.
• A telephone conversation speeds up the communication process and allows you to immediately assess the client’s reaction to the offer.

On the other hand, this is hard and psychologically difficult work, which only sellers who are passionate about their work and have an active position can cope with.

Disadvantages of cold calling:

• A potential client becomes annoyed at a manager who is distracting him. This happens regardless of whether the product is needed by the buyer or not.
• The interlocutor may quickly leave the conversation or refuse.
• There is no visual component of communication and product presentation. It is impossible to analyze the client’s facial expressions and demonstrate visual images and characteristics.
• A large number of “idle” calls.

It should be understood that cold telephone sales are not suitable for every manager. If they do not bring results, it is necessary to check the correct application of the technique, reconsider the time of making calls, learn to overcome the fear of rejection and cope with personal negative emotions.

Cold calling is a telephone sales technique that should be included in the customer acquisition complex for both young and large companies. The effectiveness of this method is difficult to evaluate in the short term, but in the long term, it will become the basis for a significant share of your success.

Today we will look at one of the common technologies for working with clients and increasing the client base - the so-called. cold calls. I will tell you what cold calling is, what they are for, how to carry them out correctly, and then I will analyze the techniques and cold calling techniques For example. I think this information will be useful both directly to sales managers and their managers, who are faced with the issue of expanding their client base and increasing sales volume.

What are cold calls?

Cold calling is one of the methods of establishing contact with potential clients, which does not involve making a sale, but serves only for initial acquaintance and planning of some subsequent actions (more substantive telephone conversations, meetings, sending commercial proposals, etc.).

That is, the main goal of cold calling is to form a base of potential clients for further offers and sales.

The term itself is borrowed from English and in the original sounds like Cold calling. Such calls got their name “cold” because they are usually perceived by subscribers coldly, without enthusiasm and sometimes even aggressively. Cold calls are made solely on the initiative of the caller, and subscribers on the other end often do not support this initiative for various reasons, for example, even due to employment or workload with other, more important problems.

Interestingly, in some countries the practice of cold calling has serious legal restrictions or is even prohibited altogether!

However, all future prospects for cooperation with this client depend on how successful the call is: whether there will be any at all. Therefore, cold calls are a very important link in building the entire marketing chain of a company.

How to make cold calls?

Making cold calls is, in fact, very difficult, and only a few are capable of doing it truly competently, and most importantly, effectively. What is the difficulty? First of all, the fact is that, as I already said, the party receiving the call is almost always not happy about it. And this, even purely psychologically, always has a negative effect on the caller: unsuccessful cold calls reduce his motivation and desire, which makes subsequent ones even more unsuccessful. Even experienced people often cannot cope with such psychological pressure, let alone beginners.

So when thinking about how to make cold calls, there are a few important things to remember:

1. Failures are inevitable. There is simply no person in nature who would be successful in absolutely all cold calls over a long period. You need to be clearly aware of this and be prepared for it. You need to be able to hear and adequately perceive a firm “no,” and in order to learn this, you can practice on someone “your own,” for example, a colleague.
2. Well delivered speech. The success of a cold call simply depends to a huge extent on how confidently, clearly, competently the caller speaks, how he places emphasis in words, what pace he keeps, etc. Not everyone can initially boast of a well-delivered speech, however, this can and should be developed in oneself - it will not hurt in any business. You can practice using a voice recorder - make sure that the recorded sound of your voice suits you completely.
3. Talk about solving problems, benefits, emotions, and not about the product. In general, this rule applies to any sales, and when thinking about how to make cold calls, you also need to adhere to this principle. When trying to interest a client, in no case should you focus his attention on your company and its products. You need to talk about what benefits the client will receive from further cooperation with your company, what problems this will solve, and, ideally, about positive emotions and joy from using your product.
4. Follow the intended goal. The cold calls you make must have a specific goal in mind. As I already wrote, this is usually not a sale, but an appointment for a subsequent, more substantive conversation with a potential client, for example, a meeting. Therefore, before making cold calls, you need to immediately set a goal and outline a call plan that would lead to this goal. It’s absolutely not worth talking about “just about anything” in this case.

Cold calling techniques and methods.

Now let's look at popular techniques and cold calling techniques with examples. Before making cold calls, you must understand that no one is waiting for your call, and the person you are calling is most likely busy with other things that are more important to him than your call. It's quite normal. There will almost certainly be an initial reluctance to engage in dialogue, mistrust, or even aggression. Therefore, you just need to hone your cold calling techniques and techniques to perfection.

Collection of information. Before you make a cold call, you should already have enough information about the person you are calling. It can be collected in a variety of ways: from social networks, from mutual friends, from his colleagues, from the news, etc.

Making a call plan. Anyone who has ever encountered cold calling themselves knows that they all follow a certain already established pattern. And this is not easy, because it really is more effective. Make your own cold calling plan/template; you can use existing examples from the Internet as a basis. Literally mark down point by point what you will say and in what order.

Performance. Naturally, a cold call should begin with an introduction. It is best to state your name, position and the company you represent. Also here you can briefly describe the company’s field of activity, especially if it is little known, and this must be done in the most attractive form, however, excluding deception in any form.

For example, there is no need to say “we are a reliable Forex broker.” Instead, it is better to say “we are a leading company specializing in investments in global markets.”

Collection of additional information, control questions. Next, you should try to find out the information about the potential client that is necessary for further conversation, which you could not find in open sources, in order to build a further dialogue based on this.

For example: Tell me, have you ever invested money in global financial companies?

We don’t sell right away, but only interest the client. You have a cold calling goal that is not a sale, so work towards that goal. For example, you need to make an appointment or send. Try to interest your interlocutor as much as possible so that he gives his consent to the action you need.

For example: I can give you statistics showing how much our investors made over the previous year, and you can see for yourself how profitable it is.

Work with objections. As I already said, when cold calling, objections are inevitable, and sometimes even in a very harsh form. Working with objections is a separate topic, which I will discuss in one of the following articles. But you must be fluent in handling objections - only then will your cold calls be effective. Therefore, be sure to study this point.

For example: – Thank you, I’m not interested.
– Perhaps you will change your mind when you see the real results of cooperation with our company of our regular customers. Tell me how can I send you this information?

Respect for the client's choice. Whatever final decision your interlocutor makes, you must treat him with respect and demonstrate this, even if it is a refusal. Do not put pressure on your interlocutor under any circumstances - in this case, the path to him will be closed to you forever.

For example: – Thank you, but I have already invested money in another company X.
– Undoubtedly, X is also a very worthy company, I wish you to receive high investment income there. If you don't mind, I will periodically update you when we have offers that might interest you.

You are an expert and professional. Any cold calling technique requires that you have an expert level of knowledge in the area related to the topic of your conversation. Because if the interlocutor asks you questions (and this is quite likely), you should, without hesitation, give a professional and competent answer. But even if you cannot answer right away - in no case do you need to invent something (perhaps the question is actually a test of your competence) - it is better to say that you will clarify this information and call back.

Regularity. One of the most important rules for the success of cold calls is that they must be made regularly, thereby gaining experience and honing your skills literally to the point of automaticity. The more cold calls you make, the more ready-made answers to tricky questions and objections you will have prepared, because in general they will answer you in approximately the same way.

Smile. And finally, the last important rule of any cold calling technique is to smile during a conversation - this way your voice will sound more friendly and relaxed, which, of course, will be positively assessed by your interlocutor, and will give you a better chance of achieving your goal.

Now you have an idea of ​​what cold calling is, what it is for, and what cold calling techniques and methods look like. Practice, gain experience, improve your skills, and you will certainly achieve the desired success.

I wish you great results from your work! See you again at !

There is no business without sales. An employee who masters effective cold calling techniques is valued by the company's management and receives a good salary.

Cold calling is one of the most difficult and, at the same time, effective sales methods.

What are cold phone calls

Cold calling is an initial telephone call to potential clients who have never worked with your company before, with the goal of attracting them to the ranks of your customers.

The client is not waiting for a call. The call is called “cold” because the person on the other end of the line treats it coldly. Even if he needs the proposed service or product, you need to try hard to interest him.

Cold selling techniques are complex and require effort, experience, and good knowledge of the product or service being offered by the seller.

Video - how to make cold calls, examples for a manager:

Mastering the cold calling technique is not easy due to the many barriers that must be overcome in order for the call to be completed effectively. Often you have to listen to the interlocutor’s refusals and objections and reluctance to talk.

All this affects the mood of the manager making cold calls. To make such calls more effective, you need to constantly train and improve.

In what cases are they used?

This active sales tool is essential for B2B sales. Recently, cold calling has become increasingly used in working with ordinary people.

Cold calling is needed:

• to constantly increase the number of new clients;
• when launching a new project, to inform the market that a new organization has appeared;
• to update a large base of potential clients: when there is a list of potential clients, and from it those who are most profitable for work are selected.

Cold calling in Russia is more often used in the following areas of business:

• forwarding companies - advertising rarely works, and clients are scattered throughout the country and abroad, there is no possibility of personal meeting;
• advertising agencies, magazines, print publishers - use calls to find new advertisers;
• manufacturing companies selling goods for business - to search for new markets and expand the customer base;
• wholesale companies selling goods to organizations;
• real estate agencies - for the purpose of selling commercial real estate.

Conversation outline

For a cold call to be successful and produce the desired result, you should prepare for the conversation in advance and draw up a rough outline. The conversation itself can be divided into the following stages:

• call to the secretary, switching to the decision maker (DM);
• getting to know decision makers, introducing your company, establishing contact;
• clarification of needs, presentation of a company, product or service, elaboration of objections;
• completing contact and scheduling an appointment.

Video - how to overcome the fear of making cold calls:

You should not call all clients indiscriminately. Before the call, you should study in detail the potential client, his profile, and possible needs. According to only 20% of customers make up 80% of the profits.

How to bypass the secretary

When working with organizations, there is often an obstacle between the sales manager and the person who makes the decision - a secretary or personal assistant. Many calls go through it throughout the day. Often people call and offer something.

In order not to distract the manager, the secretary does not call him, but answers that nothing is needed and hangs up, even if the product and service are really useful for the organization. The larger the company, the more difficult it is to bypass the secretary.

In such cases, techniques are used to bypass the secretary. Here are some of them:

• first find out the name of the decision-maker and, when calling the secretary, ask to be connected with the right person, calling him by name and patronymic. The secretary will decide that the call is repeated and will connect without asking unnecessary questions;
• use swiftness and suddenness, say in a confident tone: “Hello, please connect me with the commercial director.” Further questions should be answered briefly and confidently. For example, to the question: “Who are you?” We answer: “Serey Ivanov.” “What kind of company?” — “Company A”;
• instill confidence that this is not the first time you have called. You can say: “hello, company “A”, switch to the purchasing department”;
• call when the secretary is not there. This could be lunch time, the end of the work day, or 30 minutes before the start.

To get results, you should follow the following rules when communicating with the secretary:

• speak confidently;
• there is no need to tell the secretary about your proposal, since he does not make decisions;
• Before calling the manager, you should find out his full name, this will help you bypass the secretary much faster.

Video - how to bypass the secretary during cold calls:

How to start a conversation with a decision maker and get him interested

The conversation with the decision maker is the most important stage of the call. The overall result and prospects for working with this company depend on how it goes. When you make the first call, you should not try to sell. The main purpose of the first telephone conversation is to collect information to draw up a profitable offer and a meeting agreement.

Here is an approximate diagram of a conversation with a decision maker:

At the beginning of the conversation, you should introduce yourself and identify your company. Briefly tell us what she does. It is better not to mention the position of sales manager, as it evokes unnecessary associations in the decision maker, fear that something will be imposed on him.

After the introduction, it would be correct to clarify whether the person has time to talk. You can start like this: “Hello, my name is Sergey, I represent company A, which produces raw materials for companies like yours. Is it convenient for you to talk now?”

If the decision maker says that he has time, then we continue the conversation using the sales script. If not, you will have to find out what time is convenient to call him. You should offer the person several call time options so that he can choose from them. We call back at the agreed time.

During the first conversation, it is necessary to arouse the person’s interest: tell about your company, the advantages of work, say that you work with the same companies as the one you are calling. Try not to talk about numbers or a specific proposal; this information should be left for the meeting.

Basic rules for conversation with a decision-maker:

• the main goal of the first call is not to sell, but to get acquainted, interest and schedule a meeting;
• The recommended duration of the call is no more than 5 minutes; as the time increases, the effectiveness of the call decreases;
• you need to speak confidently, smile when talking, as the client feels the mood of the caller;
• your interlocutor should be called by name;
• The key to successful sales is to feel the client’s mood and be able to adapt to it.

To make a presentation that may interest the decision maker, offer something interesting that makes the product stand out from the mass of other offers and explain how the client will benefit from the offer. It could be:

• promotion or super offer;
• cost reduction;
• increase in sales;
• reducing time costs.

Dealing with client objections

At the very beginning of a conversation or after a presentation, you can hear objections from your interlocutor. The main types of objections when cold calling:

• “we already have everything”;
• “we are not interested in the offer”;
• “I don’t have time to talk to you”;
• “Send us an offer, we’ll consider it.”

Having heard such phrases, you should not convince the client otherwise and prove the benefits of your offer. This is a common mistake and can end the conversation.

To avoid objections you should:

• from the beginning of the conversation, try not to give reasons for objections, ask more, be interested in the interlocutor’s situation, his concerns, which can be solved thanks to the product or service you offer;
• If an objection is voiced, it is necessary to answer them easily, arousing the interlocutor’s interest in continuing the conversation.

To the client’s response: “We already have everything,” you can answer: “I understand that you don’t want to change anything, everything is debugged and works great for you. But we will be able to make an offer for your company that will be profitable, because new is development.”

Video - how to work with objections:

How to make an appointment

Having worked through the objections, you need to end the call with an appointment, which is the main goal of the first cold call. You can offer several time options so that the client has no alternative - to meet or not. You should also clarify the nuances:

• date and time;
• place;
• meeting participants;
• discuss the purpose of the meeting;
• get confirmation from the client.

When ending the conversation, you need to leave your contact phone number, renegotiate the meeting agreement and say goodbye on a positive note.

Cold calling scripts

A call script is a pre-thought-out or programmed sequence of a conversation with a client, established in the company. It is convenient to use ready-made modules when making an initial call to a client. There are rigid and flexible scripts.

Video - 24 tips on how to create your own cold calling script (part 1):

Hard- used when selling a simple product, where there are not many options for customer answers. Such a script does not require a lot of knowledge and skills from the operator.

Flexible- used for complex products that involve ambiguous offers. Such scripts require managers to be creative and prepared.

Video - 24 tips on how to create your own cold calling script (part 2):

When developing a script, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the industry and the characteristics of clients. Standard, familiar phrases irritate people and cause rejection, so you should develop a unique script, different from other organizations, that will arouse the interest of your opponent.

How to organize: full-time managers or call center

An entrepreneur may be faced with the question of what is better to organize: cold calls on the basis of their organization and include them in the functionality of their managers or provide calling to a call center. To decide on this issue, all the pros and cons of these options are highlighted and considered.

The main advantages of outsourcing cold calls to call centers:

• there is no need to recruit and train your staff, in the call center the staff is already trained in such calls and has experience in making calls;
• no need to create sales scripts;
• receiving a full report on the work done.

The disadvantages include:

• lack of personal control;
• lack of specific knowledge about your specific product. Call center specialists are working on several projects in parallel; their employees only handle your order and know everything about it;
• minimal focus on results. Your staff, if motivated, is more focused on results than call center specialists.

Contacting a call center is beneficial when it is justified by calculations and the cost-benefit ratio. In small organizations where hiring an additional employee and training him is unprofitable, to increase sales it is worth contacting a call center.

Video - an example of a cold call according to the scheme:

If an organization has many employees who interact with clients, then investing in systematic training and motivation of its own staff brings good results over time.

In this case, it is better to choose the option of training your own staff and including cold calling in the functionality of your employees. At the same time, managers should be financially motivated for good results.

Pros and cons of cold calling

The main advantages of cold calling are:

• saving time and money due to the absence of the need to travel when meeting a client for the first time;
• faster communication by phone compared to correspondence;
• the ability to understand the client’s reaction over the phone to the information received;
• the opportunity to ask clarifying questions in a conversation and eliminate misunderstandings;
• the ability to lay out cheat sheets and necessary documents in front of you during a telephone conversation and look at them if necessary.

Cold calling also has limitations that must be overcome:

• the interlocutor perceives the call as a nuisance, distracting him from his own affairs;
• It’s easier for a client to refuse or come up with excuses over the phone;
• the opponent can end the conversation and hang up at any time;
• it is impossible to track a person’s reaction, since gestures and facial expressions are not visible, conclusions about the reaction can only be drawn from intonation;
• there is no way to support words with graphs or images;
• When making a phone call, there is a high probability of misinterpretations.

Conclusion

Mastery of cold calling techniques does not come to most managers right away. This requires experience, patience, constant learning and motivation.

Having learned the technique of conducting such sales, writing scripts, methods of working with objections and other elements of a cold call, an employee improves his financial situation and increases the profit of the company for which he works.

A brief one will help you understand the difference between them.

What you should pay attention to when submitting the acceptance certificate for completed work.

With the help of cold calls, it is unlikely that you will be able to sell equipment for the production of self-tapping screws; in such cases, several meetings will be required.

Video - examples of real cold phone calls to set up meetings:

Do you like it when strangers call you and offer you something? I don't think any of us like it. “You call me without knowing anything about me and offer me something I will never need. Why are you wasting my time?” - this is the reaction that an uninvited call causes.

The main reason why cold calling is annoying is because it is thoughtless and unprepared. Many salespeople turn cold calls into banal calls, forgetting that their goal is not to call a directory, but to set up a meeting with a client. If your goal is not to torture, but to sell, then the following rules and techniques of cold calling will allow you to achieve it.

Rule 1. Find a reason

A cold call is a call that your potential client is not expecting and without prior preparation the chances of establishing contact with him are very low. Before contacting a company, gather as much information about it as possible. Talk to someone in the customer service department and find out what they offer their customers.

A good reason for a cold call could be a discussion of materials published on the company’s website or in online media. And viewing publications or interviews will give you an excellent opportunity to contact a company representative directly, for example:

“Good afternoon, Sergei Stepanovich! My name is Igor Makarov, StarNet company. I read your interview in Vedomosti yesterday and am calling to express my respect to you as a far-sighted leader.

I agree with your words that a large company must have a resource that unites all divisions and creates an integral structure of the organization. We are just working on intranet systems, I would like to come to you to talk about our solutions and get to know you personally.”

Rule 2: Don't sell over the phone

In telephone conversations, all you have is your voice and your smile, which is always heard over the phone. Product knowledge and belief that you are offering the right product will give you confidence in your voice.

Start the conversation by introducing yourself and the company. Remember that you are not engaged in sales over the phone, but call to understand interest. The phrase “We want to offer you” is perceived by the client as “We want to sell to you.” It's better to start like this:

“Good afternoon, Sergei Stepanovich! This is Viktor Mikhailov from the PromElectro company. We supply welding and electrical equipment. Could this interest you?”

The undoubted advantage of communicating by phone is that you can be anyone and in any position. It's all about how you control yourself and how you control your voice. When used correctly, this cold calling technique is very effective.

Rule 3. Respect the client's choice

The company you call most likely already has established relationships with suppliers of products similar to yours. Always respect the client's choice and do not question it. Cold calling pressure does not work and causes beeps on the other end of the line.

I also want to warn you against aggression and farce. Don’t say: “I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.” Communicate with people simply and with their permission: “Let me tell you about the opportunity...”

When you receive the answer: “We are already working with another supplier, we are satisfied with everything,” you can clarify: “I understand. Are you completely satisfied or is there still a need to improve anything?”

Focus on discussing what your client likes about working with their supplier and what is most important to them. By establishing good contact without showing obvious interest, you can understand whether everything is really so perfect.

Rule 4. Distinguish between a waiver and an objection.

Be prepared for the fact that no one is waiting for your cold call and a potential client can:

a) don’t want to talk to you;
b) not be able to talk to you.

When communicating on the phone, immediately include the client in the dialogue - it will be more interesting for him and easier for you. Forget about your presentation, save it for a personal meeting.

When you hear the answer: “I don’t have time for this,” this is an objection, not a refusal. Make an appointment in person: “I understand. Let me come to you to tell you everything. Will Tuesday at three o'clock suit you?

Learn to feel the line between importunity and persistence. When you are told a categorical “no”, this is a refusal. Don't invite fire on yourself, just end the conversation.

If you know that there is potential interest in your product, then continue to call from time to time. The situation in the company may change and, perhaps, after a series of refusals they will tell you: “Okay, let’s see what you have.” The advantage of this technique is that over time, a cold call ceases to be cold.

Rule 5. Make an appointment

Take every opportunity to make an appointment. Remember that sales cannot be made over the phone and it is easier to refuse over the phone. Sometimes you can tell the client directly: “We are engaged... and we want to become your supplier. Let’s meet and I’ll tell you about our products.”

The optimal duration of a cold call is 2 minutes, the maximum is 5 minutes. If the call goes on longer, the likelihood of scheduling an appointment decreases dramatically.

Separately, I would like to dwell on the answer as: “Send your proposal by fax.” You can continue the conversation like this:

“I will be happy to prepare all the information for you. In order to offer me exactly what you need, let me clarify...” or like this:

“Of course, I can send you our price list. But it is on 10 sheets and I feel sorry for your paper. Tell me, in order to shorten the information and save your time, which section from our list of products may be of most interest to you – this one or this one?”

After you have clarified the questions you are interested in, prepare an offer on letterhead and deliver it in person, explaining that you want to get to know each other. Be sure to bring a positive attitude and recommendations from your clients to the meeting.

Why use ready-made scripts if you have a team of experienced managers?

Firstly, because sooner or later newbies/trainees without experience and skills in working with objections may appear. Secondly, the right script can help out a manager if he is confused, lost in thought and the client is about to lose his temper, but there is no time for thinking and improvisation.

A script is a ready-made script that can be used to build a dialogue with a client and get the expected result. Needed if you have regular telephone sales and a desire to increase the efficiency of calls.

What are the disadvantages?

The script can limit the manager and be the reason why sales fail when it is written incorrectly or there is a strict attitude to follow only the written algorithm. A step left or right means execution. The script is an average universal solution, following which the likelihood of a positive outcome of the conversation is greater. But this is not a 100% guarantee. Having a script does not mean turning off your imagination and following only a memorized algorithm.

Managers often make mistakes when calling clients.

• Poor presentation and lack of a clearly formulated proposal.
• Transition to price without voicing the benefits of the product for the client's needs.
• Weak arguments in favor.
• The goal of the conversation was not achieved. The manager answered the questions and made no attempt to engage the client (offer to send a CP, schedule a meeting).

If you have a ready-made template for calls, there is less chance of making a mistake.

Universal script for sales

The basic stages of any script are:

1. Establishing contact. Greeting + introduction.
2. Identifying needs or problems
3. Presentation of the product, focusing on how it can help.
4. Answers on questions. Work with objections.
5. Target action. Sending a CP at the end of the conversation, setting up a meeting, agreeing on the next call.

For example:

Greetings: Hello.

Acquaintance: My name is Natalya, I am the manager of the company “N”, we repair industrial equipment. How can I contact you? (Semyon Semenovich).

Establishing contact: Semyon Semyonovich, is it convenient for you to talk to me for 3 minutes now?

Suggestive questions: Tell me, what equipment do you use in your work? How often do breakdowns occur? How long does it take to eliminate them?

Target: We offer... We give a guarantee... We will fix it for free in case of a repeated breakdown... Our specialists will come and fix it at a time convenient for you...

Answers to questions: With us you will receive the additional advantage of...

Ending a conversation: Thank you. Have a nice day.

If everything is done correctly at the problem identification stage, then the presentation of the product will not raise any objections.

For b2b clients, the script will be approximately the same, but a preparatory stage will be added

Namely:

• Collection of preliminary information. Search for the person responsible for procurement or decision-making + his email. If you can’t find it via the Internet, you can, for example, find out by calling the secretary: “Tell me how to correctly spell the manager’s full name...”, “We would like to send a personalized invitation to an industry exhibition for the full name, tell me which address is best?”
• Sending a commercial proposal.
• Call + visiting the secretary.

How does an incoming call differ from an outgoing call?

When a client calls, the manager’s task is to demonstrate excellent knowledge of the product and its scope. The questions can be very diverse and you need to be prepared for them. If you have a ready-made script, it’s easier to navigate.

Example of an incoming call to a real estate agency

A: Hello, AN "May". My name is Svetlana.

TO: Hello. I am interested in buying an apartment on Lenina, I found your ad on Avito. Is it still relevant?

A: How can I contact you?

TO: Leonid

A: Nice to meet you. Leonid, can you specify the advertisement number?

TO: 2#189324#67

A: Thank you. Apartment on Lenina, 14, 70 sq.m. On the 9th floor. It's like that?

TO: Yes.

A: The announcement is current. Do you have questions or want to watch it right away?

TO: Yes, tell me, are there meters installed there? Is there a telephone and internet? Is it possible to install an electric stove?

A: Yes, it's all there. There is already a gas stove, but you can also install an electric one.

TO: I would like to see.

A: Great. When would it be convenient for you to arrive today within two hours or tomorrow afternoon?

TO: Better today?

A: Okay, call me when you get there and I'll meet you.

TO: Fine.

A: Thanks, see you.

Example of a cold calling template

What is the difference between these calls? The client knows nothing about the company or the product. The manager’s task is to briefly form an idea of ​​the company, identify the pain of a potential buyer, and tell how to solve it with the help of the product.

Greetings: Good afternoon.

Acquaintance: Employee name + company name with a brief explanation of what they do.

For example: Our company supplies furniture fittings. We have a large assortment to suit any request and affordable prices.

+ find out the client's name.

Establishing contact: Make sure this is the person who will make the decision on cooperation. And find out if he now has a few minutes to talk or is it better to call back at another time (which?).

Leading questions: For example, “Are you using this product?” and then “Then you probably often have difficulties with...”. That is, those that will help reveal the client’s pain.

Answers on questions: Arguments and more arguments. Why does the client need your product?

Ending a conversation: Thank you. Goodbye. (Based on the results of the call, the contact moves to the next stage).

Learn more about handling objections

Most often these are statements like this:

• We don't need it
• No money
• Expensive
• We have been working with one supplier for a long time
• We will call you back
• Send CP

In the response template, you can pre-prescribe several convincing options for arguments in favor, which will make the work of managers easier. For example:

- “I understand that now you have no time for me and you want to hang up the phone quickly. Let’s meet and in a calm atmosphere I’ll tell you about our product, you can ask questions and decide whether you need us or not.”

“I’m not suggesting that you abandon your suppliers, I’m offering you a choice, the opportunity to compare whose conditions are better. You yourself will decide with whom it is more profitable to cooperate. Let's meet and maybe our offer will interest you...”

No money. “Yes, you are right, there are always not enough of them, but let’s calculate how much you will save/earn for the company if you accept our offer...”

- “What needs to be done to cooperate with you?”

What a manager needs to remember when cold calling

1. The initiative should always remain with the manager. Use the counter-question tactic. The client’s task is to find out the necessary information and hang up. The manager’s task is to schedule a meeting, agree on the next step, and finally sell. Questions help you break through a client's defenses and avoid objections.

2. Avoid overly long phrases. Remember that this is a dialogue, not a monologue. Moreover, the more information is dumped on the client, the less he will hear from what is said. This will most likely make him angry and he will hang up the call. Pause and speak in short sentences. Maintain the main principle of the dialogue: “you tell me - I tell you.”

3. Remember the purpose of the call (to make an appointment). If you tell all the information over the phone, the client will no longer be interested, he found out what he wanted. The manager’s task is to intrigue and bring the client to a meeting.

If you work in CRM INTRUM, you can configure

And managers will be able to make and receive calls, having before their eyes a ready-made script with possible answers and examples of working with objections.

During a conversation, you can simultaneously fill out the data received from the contact into the card.

If the client is already registered in the CRM database, his data will be automatically inserted into the text of the script when calling.

During a conversation, the manager can quickly move through the branches of the script.

You can set up step-by-step scenarios for different situations: cold calls, receiving incoming calls from new clients, etc. This way, your managers will always have ready-made recommendations, which will increase the success of negotiations.

Remember

A good script is a cheat sheet, not a rigid set of rules. It helps the manager quickly get his bearings and choose the best answer in order to direct the conversation in the right direction, avoid difficult moments, and not get stuck if the question is a dead end.