Whether you’re placing a cold call or a follow-up call, outbound calling efforts can be intimidating. However, the most intimidating tasks are often the most worthwhile, and a methodical, intelligently developed calling campaign can make an enormous difference to your bottom line.
Here’s a simple primer that reveals how to increase your success rate in next calling campaign.
1. Calm your nerves
Let’s face it: Making an unsolicited phone call is nerve wracking – especially if you’re not used to doing it every day. Calming your nerves before picking up the phone can help you perform your job confidently.
Maybe a cup of coffee takes the edge off. Or an extra hour of sleep. Or just a good, deep breath. Determine which activities help you perform your job most effectively, and do those before picking up the phone.
2. Practice your presentation
One way to calm your nerves before placing calls is to know exactly what you’re going to say. Practice your presentation in front of the mirror. Put on your headset and pretend you’re making a call. The more prepared you are, the better you’ll handle yourself on the call.
And if you don’t have a presentation or outline, write one!
3. Ask relevant questions
After you’ve reached a suspect and exchanged pleasantries, it’s time to discover that person’s status. Are they a lead at all? If so, will they be ready to buy in the near future? Are you talking to a bona-fide prospect who has the capability of buying from you or just someone who’s “kicking the tires.”To find out, be sure your questions cover:
- Does the organization have a business need for your product or service?
- Can the person on the phone make a buying decision? If not, who can?
- Have they allocated funds to invest in a solution like yours?
- Is there a timeline to resolve the defined business need?
A qualified lead will provide affirmative responses to most or all of these questions. In any case, you’ve asked pertinent questions and will have a good read on the organization’s current status.
4. Establish next steps
Regardless of your contact’s situation, you should always inform them about what to expect from you. Maybe they’re in the early phase of their evaluation process, in which case you can send them information about your solution – think: white papers, case studies, or product specifications. Let the contact know you’d like to follow up, and get their buy-in that you should do so.
Ultimately, generating leads with a calling campaign requires patience and persistence. An experienced demand generation partner can help you connect with new leads and qualify them, all via a process that fits your specific business goals. If you’re ready to increase the volume and quality of your leads, contact Intelemark today!