COLD CALLING. What is it and is it really as daunting as people say?! Of course it is scary, at the end of the day, you are selling a product to a prospect who might know little to nothing about your tech. You are not alone! Almost all of the SDRs we place have no sales experience so cold calling is new to everyone.
Two of our Venatrix superstars put together a list of cold calling techniques for budding SDRs. Each technique has been tried and tested and as a team we have seen lots of success. When done right, cold calling can be an extremely powerful sales tool!
The main structure to follow is:
- Introduction & building rapport with your potential client. Some great tips for starting a sales pitch are to gauge interest before going in head first and showing the prospect that you’ve done extensive research!
- An elevator pitch - this is a very brief overview on why you are calling them. Explain some examples of how your product or service solves a pain point, and how this will benefit your prospect
- Qualification and discovery questions - this part is extremely important and will contribute towards the deciding factor. Ask open-ended questions to find out what problems they are facing and how they’re dealing with them
- Pitch the company (example of a case study is good here - this shows you have done your research and that you know what you’re talking about)
- Qualify - ask the client what their thoughts are off the back of what you’ve said
- Handle objections - Objections and rejections are a big part of the cold calling process, so don’t be disheartened as it happens all the time! There might be times when a potential prospect is very uninterested in what you have to say - this is totally FINE - move onto the next and come back to them in a few months time
- Book the demo - propose a select date and time and work around them. They need to feel like they are your number one priority!
Our Business Development Director, Sophie Allen, is a powerhouse when it comes to cold calling. Her two main pieces of advice are:
- Never pick up the phone to a prospect without a very specific reason as to why you are calling them
- Stay away from the script (once you get comfortable) and speak naturally in a conversational tone - with no cheesy salesy lines!
The main pointer is to remain POSITIVE. Speaking to a rude prospect, being shot down, handling awkward objections and trying to get through to the right person are more than enough to challenge even the most experienced SDR. So being able to maintain a positive outlook across different aspects of the call will ensure you have a higher chance of succeeding.
Let us know your best tips & practices when it comes to cold calling! Everyone has their own styles so it's always really helpful to learn from others in a similar field.
Get in touch with the team by emailing info@venatrixuk.com if you want to further your cold calling expertise by becoming an SDR.
Good luck!!