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HOW TO PREP FOR A SALES COLD CALL
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How to Prep for a Sales Cold Call

The Betts Team
October 17, 2016

Calling someone out of the blue doesn’t come naturally to every sales person. Cold calling takes research and charisma. It also requires stamina if you’re going to maintain your level of excellence for every call you make, regardless of how the calls turn out. If you’re about to do a sales cold call, know the four things listed below to prep.

Know Who You’re Calling

Always look up the person you’re planning to reach out to. Understanding their background and the position they have in the company. Following through in your prep by checking their LinkedIn can be an easy way to confirm or deny that you’re calling the right person. A person’s role dramatically affects what kind of issues they are facing and what solutions they are looking for. Reaching out to the wrong person at a company can set you up for failure. Looking for any commonalities can also help you build immediate rapport and differentiate yourself from other sales people.

Know Why You’re Calling

Have you found the right person to call? Have you found the right company to call? Before placing a sales cold call, double check that you’re calling with a solution for that specific company and consumer. Always come to a cold call with value to offer. Breaking down why you’re calling this person and this company at this time can help target your call. Knowing why you’re calling is the best way to know what you are planning to get out of your call. Setting up next steps on the phone is crucial to moving leads along the sales funnel. Have your call to action ready for your sales cold call and put your time to work.

Know Your Value

Don’t start off the call with an apology about taking up someone’s time. This puts both you and the person on the other end of the line in a negative state of mind. Before you dial a potential customer’s number, always remind yourself that you’re calling with a solution to someone’s problem. Valuing yourself ahead of your call will put you in the right mindset when pitching your product. Always come to a sales cold call with confidence. Consumers are much more likely to buy from someone who truly is passionate about what they are selling. Take a minute before each call to psych yourself up and avoid the monotonous feeling making multiple cold calls in a row can cause.

Know Your Pitch

Lastly, make sure you have your sales pitch down. Practice makes perfect in ever industry. Be able to handle common objections and hesitations about your product before placing your first sales cold call. If you don’t know how to articulate why your product is beneficial, you aren’t ready. Wasting someone’s time while cold calling can cause undue stress. Regardless of whether or not the product is a fit, you should always leave your potential client with a positive perception of yourself and the company. The easiest way to do this is to have knowledge and passion.