The New Rules of Cold Calling:How to Set More Appointments, Faster

COLD CALLING in 2017

Is cold calling worth my TIME and

ENERGY?

Will prospects TAKE MY CALLS and be WILLING

TO TALK?

Is cold calling as effective as other

channels, like REFERRALS or EMAIL

MARKETING?

Does cold calling REALLY STILL

WORK?

Increasingly, cold calling seems like an UPHILL BATTLE. Today’s sales reps constantly ask themselves...

THE NEW RULES OF COLD CALLING

Master the art of COLD CALL

EFFICIENCY!

Use strategies that get your prospects

TALKING!

Make cold calling a key component of a ROBUST BIZ-DEV

STRATEGY!

Set MORE APPOINTMENTS

(they’ll lead to MORE SALES)!

The answer to all of those questions is a resounding YES, if you UPDATE your cold calling strategy to...

Start With a Good Call List

RULE No. 1

Call as many prospects as you can.

Take the time to create a TARGETED LIST of your HIGH VALUE prospects.

OLD RULE NEW RULE

LIST BUILDING 101

A strong list starts with the right DEMOGRAPHICS. Use your CURRENT CLIENTS as a road map:

INDUSTRY SIZE SALES

LOCATIONSTRUCTURE REACH

◯ Banking◯ Telecom◯ Etc.

◯ Large◯ Medium◯ Small

◯ <$25M◯ $25-100M◯ >$100M

◯ Public◯ Private◯ Other

◯ Local◯ National◯ Global

◯ Office◯ Industrial◯ Retail

KEY POINTS

When you call “everyone,” you waste time on bad prospects

Time spent crafting your list = time saved on the phone

Focus on high value prospects = better success rate

In BWise, use the DESIGN QUERY feature to focus your target market according to your ideal demographic criteria!

BWise User Tip

Research Wastes Time

RULE No. 2

Research your prospects thoroughly before you

call them.

Profile your prospects according to CATEGORIES to

maximize EFFICIENCY.

OLD RULE NEW RULE

When you cold call, you’re ON THE CLOCK. Your goal is to MAXIMIZE the % of that time you spend talking to GOOD PROSPECTS.

THE COLD CALLING “CLOCK”

CALL TIME(Maximize)

RESEARCH TIME(Minimize)

KEY POINTS

Your cold calling time is finite; make the most of it

Research by category / industry = more efficient

Similar firms face common challenges / priorities

With the BWise ACTIVITY MANAGER, you can create call queues, log call results, and schedule follow-ups.

BWise User Tip

Don’t Sell Your Product

RULE No. 3

Sell your prospect on the benefits of your product.

Focus on what YOUR PROSPECT wants and needs,

and sell the benefits of an APPOINTMENT.

OLD RULE NEW RULE

THE VALUE OF AN APPOINTMENT

FREE KNOWLEDGE

The opportunity to brainstorm about problems and solutions,

and to gain NEW IDEAS.

NO STRINGS

You may not be the RIGHT FIT—make clear there’s no

commitment beyond a meeting.

2-WAY STREET

Not just seller-buyer; BOTH PARTIES BENEFIT from an open and honest discussion.

KEY POINTS

Prospects are focused on their problems / priorities

You won’t close a complex B2B sale with a cold call

Climb the ladder: aim for the next step, not the final step

After you set an appointment, use the LINKS menu in any BWise company profile to discover prospect-specific news and information!

BWise User Tip

Take “No” For An Answer

RULE No. 4

View every prospect as a potential appointment, and don’t give up.

Don’t focus on INDIVIDUAL prospects; focus on TOTAL

APPOINTMENTS.

OLD RULE NEW RULE

GOOD PROSPECT / BAD PROSPECT

The more phone time you use

trying to convince a NO...

Not every prospect is a potential YES. Whatever the reason (bad timing, no budget, not interested), they’re stuck on NO.

...the less phone time you get with

each potential YES.

KEY POINTS

Your goal: a higher total number of appointments

Learn to recognize a likely “no,” move on

Last resort: the 3-6-9 question

Scrap the Old Script

RULE No. 5

Develop a call script and memorize it.

Be SITUATIONAL, FLEXIBLE, and CONVERSATIONAL. Ask questions, and LISTEN more

than you talk.

OLD RULE NEW RULE

COLD CALL SCRIPTS: MYTH vs. FACT

MYTH FACT

Use a FORMAL greeting (“Hello Mrs. Jones”)

Introduce YOURSELF and your COMPANY

First, THANK your prospect for their time

State the purpose of your call as a QUESTION:“If I told you I could X, would you be interested?”

Offer TWO TIMES to choose from

Formality can be PANDERING

Unnecessary info = FRICTION

Get to the POINT

Smart prospects see through GIMMICKS

Avoid GIMMICKS (again)

KEY POINTS

Most scripts are outdated and ineffective

LISTEN: focus on what your prospect says

Regular role play sharpens your skills

INSIDERS

© Business Wise Inc. 2017

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