7 Top Tips on How to Cold Call effectively

During The Growth Academy sessions which I run one of the most commonly asked questions is about the validity of cold calling and how to do it effectively.

The simple answer is that you don’t cold call. People don’t like it, and they could be put off doing business with you if their first impression of you is an over pushy unsolicited phone call.

For many years cold calling targets has been a highly utilised sales tactic and many companies still maintain this practise as a core part of their strategy, why?

Cold calling is basically a numbers game and although it can be a thankless and fruitless task, there are companies around who work on the principal of calling and calling until they get a result. The law of averages will dictate that if you call enough people someone will show an interest. But surely there is a better way?

I have been on the receiving end of a call from a guy trying to get me to buy a conservatory when I lived in a 4th floor flat. I had great fun with that one but joking aside, do some research! You are not only wasting their time, you are also wasting your time and damaging your reputation.

I encourage my clients to not “Cold Call” Targets but to Call “cold targets” in the right manner. I have listed below The Growth Academy 7 top tips on how to Call “Cold Targets” effectively. These tips are key parts of a process which we work on with our clients, and shouldn’t be taken as the only things to be considered.

1. Choose your targets sector very carefully and ensure that you have something of value for that sector.
2. Work out which contact you should be speaking to within the company ( FD, MD, HR etc)
3. Have a good solid qualification criteria of who you can sell to effectively. Minimise the time trying to sell to companies who will never be your customer.
4. Know something about the company you are calling prior to calling them, at the very least read their website home page or Linked In profile.
5. Do not try and sell anything on the first call to a company, use that first call as an introduction and information gathering exercise.
6. Remember that most companies will get hounded by cold calls and will be on the back foot, respect the person answering the phone and always be courteous. Do not underestimate the positive influence of a gate-keeper or receptionist.
7. Record the information properly and ensure that you follow-up on any requests they may have or any promises you make.

As I said earlier, this isn’t a complete or comprehensive list and I would welcome any additional tips you may have and we would also welcome any thoughts from people who have been on the receiving end of either good or bad cold calling in the past!