3 Reasons Why Cold Calling Still Works
Many salespeople tend to consider the cold call dead and an ineffective way of approaching prospective customers. Social networking and email and inbound marketing tend to be the way to go, as the general feeling is that customers are not as receptive to cold calls and the method is not as effective as what newer technology can offer.
But this isn’t really the case; there are actually cold calling strategies that really work and when used properly, can be a great benefit to your sales team.
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Stand Out From the Crowd
The thing about emails is that they can often get lost or overlooked in a prospective customer’s inbox, especially for more important contacts who can receive thousands of emails a day. The same goes for connecting to customers via social media – people get bombarded with advertisements and online solicitation, so it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. Cold calling can set you apart from the competition because it puts you at the center of the customer’s attention.
Of course, putting yourself on someone’s radar can be quite intimidating, but it presents you with the unique opportunity to connect with them on a personal level that (not for lack of trying) digital engagement just can’t achieve.
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Personalize the Experience
Online marketing tools are often designed to reach a number of potential clients in batches, all with the use of email templates or standardized online advertisements. Cold calling allows salespeople an opportunity to personalize the customer experience by using a unique engagement method that is tailored to that individual customer.
Salespeople will have to do their research first and have an idea of what the customer’s needs are. They will also have to feel out the reaction of the customer and adjust their sales strategy accordingly. By doing so, they can have a dynamic conversation with prospective customers that wouldn’t be possible via online methods.
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Get Faster Results
Contacting someone online or through email can give them the opportunity to delay their response to you. Consequently, you may have to repeatedly follow up on a lead by sending reminder emails, only to get blown off. An email is easy to ignore – but a phone call isn’t.
By jumping into direct engagement with the customer, you will be able to quickly identify their needs and what their pain points are. A cold call is a perfect opportunity to hear directly from your prospective customers about what their goals are and how they are, or aren’t, achieving them.
Remember that a cold call isn’t about you – a successful cold call is one where your customer has opened up and begun talking to you about what their needs are.
Overcome Trepidations
A number of salespeople – whether new or experienced – can dread the idea of making a cold call. Not only is cold calling intimating because you may be faced with an unwelcome reception, but many people also think that it’s a waste of time that usually ends in rejection. The reality, though, is that when a cold call is done correctly, it can actually see decent results.
