My Prospecting Process
Get Contact Names
Once you have identified your list of viable suspects, you will need to uncover a contact name of the decision maker. Social media and the internet are useful, but they best way is to call up the company and ask them. Now, your company may have already given you a database to work on. I wouldn’t trust that the information is correct and so I would advise you still call them up anyway. If you are introducing your product or service by using some kind of marketing material, this can be a gentle way to kick off the relationship.
For instance, you could say to the person who answers the phone: “Hello, I wonder if you could help me. I am looking to send some information to the person responsible for XXX, about XXX and I am just wondering who I need to send it to.” If you stop there, one of three things will happen:
They give you the name – make a note of it, thank them and hang up. (They may even put you straight through).
They don’t know who you should send it to – in this case send it through to the most likely Job Title or department.
They have a no-name policy – see point 2.
Letters
Once you have your contact name, post off your literature or brochure along with a covering letter. If you would like a MS Word copy of a prospecting letter template, contact me and I will send you the one I use.
Telephone Prospecting
Give the prospect about 2 or 3 days to receive the letter before you call them up. Telephone prospecting is the first stage of selling process, proper. It’s not for the faint hearted, but if you get good at it, it can pay handsomely. Remember where the prospect might be in their buying cycle. If they call you, you are more likely to have competition.
Before making the calls, get yourself into the right frame of mind. If you work from home, get ready as if you were going to the office: showered, suited and booted. Organise your environment accordingly, with everything you need. Remove all possible distractions. Standing up is a great idea, it gives dynamism to your voice. Smile while you dial. The prospect will hear it in your voice. Be polite and thank them for their time.
Scripts
If you would like a copy of a telephone prospecting template, contact me.
Cold Call Reluctance
A final word about cold call reluctance. There is a saying from where I come from – “Shy kids get nowt”. Otherwise translated as if you don’t ask you don’t get. If the thought of cold telephone calling fills you with dread, you are not alone. You have to get over it though. There are many ways to overcome cold call reluctance. One trick is to translate each phone call into a £ amount. For instance lets say you get 1.5% commission for each sale. Using our figures from the post on sales targets, each telephone call earns you £2.50, that’s £62.50 a day.
Another trick is to reframe it. Instead of ringing for a yes, you are collecting nos. How many no’s can you get today. This is a trick I learnt in a book called Go for No!
The best cure for cold call reluctance, though, is to just do it and do it repeatedly. Do a little and often every day. Soon enough your mantra will be 25 calls a day, that’s just what I do. Twenty five calls a day that’s my job. Twenty five calls a day. If you would like coaching in prospecting or overcoming cold call reluctance, please do get in touch .