Cold calling technician. Submit a commercial offer

Active telephone sales or telemarketing is a tool that has long won its recognition and popularity in the business environment, as relatively inexpensive, but enough effective method attracting new customers.

In addition to the fact that it is almost universal in relation to the goods and / or services sold, it is also successfully used in working not only with legal entities, but also with individuals.

Hot, warm, cold calls as an effective way to sell goods and services

"Cold Call"- this is the initial, one of the main stages in the overall series of events in the hard battle for new consumers.

Currently, there is no clear definition of the term "cold calls". However, traditionally, cold calls are understood as practice of promotional phone calls carried out by employees trading companies almost all business sectors, in order to attract potential customers and / or conclude a contract for the supply of goods or services, as the final stage in the sales chain. Sometimes, the cold calling technique is also used to collect necessary information about potential customers, which can later be used to make a sale.

Cold calls are made without prior arrangements and only at the initiative of employees of companies selling goods or services.

At its core primary goal of all cold calls is an increase in the client base.

Experienced sales professionals, authors of various business literature, and developers of various sales courses and trainings share outgoing calls to cold, warm and hot.

cold type- this is a call made for the first time and is addressed to a person who is not familiar with the seller company, its goods, services, service and prices. At the time of making a cold call, the contact person does not plan to get acquainted with the activities of the company, its services and capabilities, therefore it is assumed that the manager making the call is on the other end of the line waiting for a “cold reception”.

Unlike cold calls warm type are carried out by persons who are already somehow familiar with the activities of the seller company and are to some extent interested in cooperation. The purpose of warm calls may be to restore once interrupted cooperation, to inform about new products or services, about promotions or upcoming price increases, to remind yourself in the form of pleasant communication with the contact person or to collect information about the intentions of the contact person or his plans for possible cooperation etc.

And finally under hot calls sales professionals understand calls made to customers with the direct intention of doing business with the selling company. Unlike warm calls, hot calls are carried out in order to bring the transaction to its logical conclusion, which in 95% of cases ends in success for the sales specialist.

The essence and purpose of cold calls

Cold calling is the hardest type telephone conversations. This is due to the fact that the majority of potential customers already, as a rule, have some suppliers of goods and / or services, cooperation with which suits everyone or solve their problems in some other way (for example, they have a staff of necessary specialists and do not need involvement of a third-party company to solve some problems).

Therefore, many experienced and practicing sales professionals do not set themselves the goal of making a sale as a result of a cold call. main goal in this case, it is the collection of information about the existing or possible needs of the company of a potential client, and the achievement of agreements on carrying out business meeting on which occurs:

• personal acquaintance of the representative of the seller and the representative of the company-potential client;
• presentation of the possibilities of the company-seller;
• discussion of plans for further cooperation.

Only if these conditions are observed, the chances of the transition of a “cold” contact to “warm” and “hot” are significantly increased.

difference calling by cold base legal entities and individuals lies only in the fact that when working with legal entities, as a rule, a sales specialist of the selling company travels to the territory of a potential customer. If cold calls are made on the basis of individuals, then they are invited to visit an event or institution on their own.

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The main challenges of cold calling

Can be distinguished the following difficulties when making calls to a cold database:

1. The main difficulty in conducting cold active telemarketing events is the reluctance of potential customers to communicate with strangers.
2. In addition, newcomers to the field of sales, who are forced by the nature of their work to call on a cold contact base, find it difficult to overcome various barriers that arise on the way to the right contact person.
3. And, of course, objection handling. Where without her? And potential customers have a lot of objections from the standard “We don’t need anything”, “Too expensive” and “We are already working with suppliers” to the most extravagant and unexpected, for example, “I don’t like your voice, so I won’t work with you” or "Stop calling me, I'm dead for you."

However, all these challenging tasks have their own professional solutions, and the sales technology of "cold" calling of the client base remains the most demanded technology in the field active sales.

Cold calling rules

There is a certain scheme for the implementation of almost any cold call. It is versatile and suitable for use in a wide variety of business sectors.

To improve efficiency such calls should be made preparatory work, which is as follows:

1. Necessary prepare an up-to-date contact base for an upcoming call. The current database is a list of organizations with valid phone numbers. Ideally, when the database already has the full name and position of the necessary contact persons. But often, managers involved in cold calling have to extract such information on their own in the process of work.
   In addition, before making a call, the sales specialist must know exactly the position and responsibilities of the contact person with whom he will conduct a conversation. So, for example, it is advisable to discuss the supply of stationery with the AHO service, staff training - with the personnel department, the supply software- With technical director etc.
2. The sales manager needs to thoroughly and carefully study the offered product or service. It is necessary to know all the features, unique qualities, disadvantages and the same about the goods or services of the main competing companies. This knowledge is necessary for effective work in general, and to work out objections if they arise already at the stage of a cold call.
3. Before making the first call, the salesperson must clearly understand the purpose of the call. It is extremely rare that a transaction is completed after the first and only call. That's why perfect option the goals of a cold call are to set up a meeting or reach at least some agreements, for example, send a commercial offer and call back, call back the next day if the contact person is too busy today or find out the contacts of the deputy, etc.
4. Preparing a conversation script. Even experienced sales professionals from time to time prefer to look into some "cheat sheets" - exemplary scenario or conversation plan. In professional terminology, the script telephone conversation is called a "script" and it schematically depicts almost all possible options development of the course of the conversation, with answers to standard objections and professional tricks in order to return the interlocutor to the mainstream of the conversation, which is convenient for the sales manager.
   For beginners, such scripts help to cope with uncertainty and fears and more or less competently conduct a dialogue to its logical conclusion.

As long-term practice shows, despite the fact that cold calls are one of the most popular sales technologies, the effectiveness of cold calls is very low in almost any business segment. So, the existing statistics show that if as a result of 100 cold calls at least 5 transactions are made, then these are very good indicators.

Therefore, for maximum efficiency, for a continuous flow of new customers, sales managers must make calls to cold bases CONSTANTLY. And this is a rather difficult, stressful and very painstaking process.

The following video training is devoted to the competent implementation of cold calls:

Features of the work of a sales manager

Concerning, successful managers salespeople working with cold bases must have some specific qualities that are either given to a person by nature (which is rare) or acquired in the process of professional growth.

Yes, to these qualities include:

1. Stress tolerance. A sales manager is a person who gets rejected probably more often than professionals in other industries, and the lack of a quick positive result can greatly affect overall motivation. Therefore, too receptive and sensitive people have no place in sales.
2. Tenacity and perseverance. The saying “they are at the door, and they are at the window” is the best description of successful sales professionals. Not infrequently, only at the cost of stubborn perseverance can one overcome all the barriers and obstacles on the way to the person making the decision to complete the transaction. Without these qualities, it is extremely difficult for sales managers to achieve great success in the profession.
3. Energy, high level activity, self-discipline and high performance. A specific feature of the profession is the dependence of the result on the amount of effort expended. And this means that the chances of success in the profession increase if the manager always has extra energy for a couple more cold calls over the plan or for one more meeting during the day.
4. Ability and desire to learn, the desire to find out as much useful and necessary information as possible, suitable both in professional activities when communicating with clients, and for personal growth and development.
5. Sociability. By the nature of their work, a sales manager has to communicate constantly, sometimes during the whole working day and even after it. Introverts, people who are not sociable and withdrawn, build professional activity much more difficult.
6. Responsibility and performance. Failure to fulfill the obligations assumed is fraught with the loss of a potential or existing client. So, for example, if a manager promised to call back in a day and did not call back at the agreed time, this may characterize him as an optional and irresponsible person, and the desire to work with such a “specialist” is sharply reduced, especially when there are a lot of other similar offers on the market.
7. Sense of humor- quality is not mandatory, but desirable. A good, correct sense of humor helps a sales person make contacts, even when they are still very cold. In addition, this is a very valuable human quality that helps to look at the current situation with optimism, no matter how it develops.

Tips for the proper organization of the work of an active sales manager are given in the following video.
Part 1:

Selling any product involves communicating with customers. And this communication should take place according to a ready-made regulation - a scheme in which there is both a conversation script for the seller and options for the opponents' answers.

Cold calls, chat on the site, a meeting at an exhibition - each business process must be written in a ready-made script. They are compiled according to a certain algorithm.

While creating finished script start with a goal - what a ready-made script is for. For example, the purpose of a cold call is to get to know the manager, arrange a meeting, tour the facilities, invite you to an exhibition or other event.

When compiling a finished script, it is important to see your client - gender, how old, what he does, what is his income, etc. It is also impossible to do without knowledge about the product: all the advantages, differences from similar products / services, uniqueness and diversity, the ability to adapt to specific needs.

Most often, a ready-made cold conversation script is written by either the head (), using a ready-made structure:

• performance,
• clarification of the need
• product presentation,

A ready-made cold call script includes phrases that will help start a conversation (“your application was accepted on the site at 12.00”, “you ordered a call on the site”, “Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky recommended you” ...), find out needs (“what are your preferences?”, “ I will list the options that are acceptable to you”…), advance the completion of the transaction (“are there any conditions that will help you make a decision?”, “Let's eliminate the contradiction in the contract”…). All this should be seasoned with emotions - feel the interlocutor. In this case, as a rule, the length of the finished cold call script should not exceed 5 minutes.

Ready-made cold call script: conversation scheme

A conversation with a client always starts with a greeting and an introduction. For example: “Good afternoon. My name is ..., the company ... ". Next, a ready-made cold call map is applied with the “clarity hook” technique, which helps to convince the client to talk right now. A ready-made cold call script can be built using various “hooks”.

The first cold call it is good to accompany the phrase "you were recommended to me." This works even if calls to a specialist are transferred by a secretary. The main thing here is clarification: “Is the recommendation correct? Is this your direction? Get a positive response, this will help prolong the conversation.

2. Agreement before contact

If this is not the first call, explain what agreements you had the last time, and then get to the point.

3. Public reason

A “clarity hook” built on open data will help to position the interlocutor: “I saw on your site ..., I decided to call” ...

The next step is to announce the purpose of the cold call: to become a partner, to consider cooperation, to start interaction.

Next, it is important to take control of the action. “I propose to do so”, “I will first tell you, then I will answer questions, and then we will discuss options for interaction. I’ll borrow no more than 15 minutes” - such remarks will help to program the cold call script. Programming succeeded if you heard the client's "yes". If the answer was “no”, specify the reason and propose other arrangements.

Ready-made cold call script: working out objections

Dealing with objections is one of the hardest parts of a conversation. Often the first contact in an unfamiliar firm is a secretary. Therefore, a ready-made cold call script should contain answers to his possible objections. Here you can consider various options.

Ready script for "Not interested"

- Company N also objected at first, but now they are happy to cooperate.

Is it right to refuse a profitable innovation? Just the usual becomes uninteresting over time.

- I do not exclude that my arguments and conditions will help change the opinion of the leadership.

"What if your superiors don't think so?" Let me talk to the manager myself.

Ready script for "We have another supplier"

- Very well! There will be something to compare. Two suppliers are always more reliable.

— Business of the head – to compare the offered conditions. Perhaps we are better.

Let's ask the boss if it's right to refuse attractive conditions.

- And if you were a manager and found out that you missed the benefit because of the specialist. What would you do?

- It is unlikely that your current partner will offer what we have. Connect with the manager so I can discuss in more detail.

Ready-made script for "Nothing needed"

- Do not need it now or do you need it cheaper? Do you have another partner or no budget? Is everything in stock or just out of season?

— Everything is available now, but a new need may appear in the future.

— The person in charge is always looking for the best option. Let's offer this one!

We have great prices and promotions right now. Let me tell this guide. Please connect.

Ready-made script for "Send a commercial offer"

Questions may arise, I will tell you everything much faster by phone.

- After talking, I'm just adapting our proposal for your company.

Does sending a commercial offer preclude a short conversation?

- A conversation with the management is no more than 5 minutes. Reading a commercial offer with all the arguments and benefits is a longer process. Let's save the boss's time together.

Ready script for "This is not my responsibility. We don't have such a person."

- Most likely, in response to a profitable offer, the CEO will appoint a responsible person. Let me talk to him.

- As a rule, such issues are decided by the head of the company. Or is it that he is currently busy? Can you tell me when I can call back?

Is the boss busy? His assistant will surely be able to help. Please connect.

- Strange, your competitor quickly found the one responsible.

- Often such cases are decided in the department ... To clarify, let me make a call there. Please tell me the phone number of the specialist of this department.

Ready-made cold call script: testing and implementation

The finished cold call script should be tested. Let the managers start the negotiations small companies, and the ROP will analyze:

• how clearly the script is used in the conversation,
• does it help you reach your goal?
• are there any unaccounted for answers and objections,
• did the manager get the client's attention,
• what points disrupted the negotiations.

Based on this analysis, it is necessary to correct the technological map of the conversation by adding more suitable phrases, words, emotions.

It is important that the finished cold sales script is automated. There are various services for this, including HyperScript. This will eliminate the use of paper records, which are often lost, will allow you to quickly change scenarios, as well as measure and analyze different versions. All this data should be integrated with .

Manager's work with technological map evaluated according to the "traffic light" system - the indicators are reflected in color:

• green - used more than 80% of the script,
• yellow - applied 60-80% of the scenario,
• red - passed less than 60% of the map.

Refinement of a ready-made cold call script (as well as any other business process) can take more than a month. All this time, the ROP must listen to at least 2 conversations of each employee.

The flexibility of the script is the degree of freedom that is available to the seller. In some industries with a product that is understandable and familiar to the market, you can sell it simply by reading the script. For others, the ability to read with expression alone may not be enough.

We've covered the steps involved in compiling a conversation script. Use it to understand how to quickly reach your potential clients and .

Every effective sales manager should know what cold calls are - the scheme of the conversation, his task, key features. All this ensures the successful sale of goods, as well as a good reputation of the company. How to make a "cold" nickname - we tell below in an understandable language.

Why calling is called "cold"

In management, a “cold” call is a call that occurs at the initiative of the seller and which the client does not initially know about. "Cold" calls - we will consider examples for a manager in a special section - one of the sales tools. It helps to expand the customer base and increase profits by increasing the volume of product sales.

The main task of "cold" calling is to form a desire in a potential client to purchase a product or even instantly purchase it. As you can imagine, this is very difficult to do. To achieve the goals, the manager must use a whole range of recommendations.

The main task of "cold" calling is to form a desire in a potential client to purchase a product or even instantly purchase it.

How do customers respond to calls?

The main difficulty in making cold calls is the initially indifferent attitude of the client. A person does not wait for a call, does not know about the product and is not ready to spend his money on it. He may be busy, not in the mood, and even tired from a previous call from another company.

All this, of course, does not add enthusiasm to new managers. However, you can overcome the initial negative reaction using special call scenarios and simple psychological tricks.

The theory of cold calling

Topics relating to cold calling are well developed in management theory. In the United States, this type of search for new customers was used already in the 1960s. She came to Russia not so long ago - about 15-20 years ago.

The first cold calls were made according to a ready-made algorithm, which provided an exact answer to each “question” of the client. At first it worked, but then the clients “saw through” the method and its effectiveness dropped sharply.

Some Russian companies still use ready-made templates for calls, but in most cases this does not work. The conversation algorithm should be more variable, and the responses to customers should be more personalized. Calling is not enough to successfully implement a product at present a large number of customers, you need to monitor the quality of each dialogue.

What dialogues with clients are effective

Interaction with each client within the framework of a telephone conversation will be individual. Obviously, the presentation of the product for the head of a large company and the student will differ - both in content and in the manner of presentation.

However, successful cold dialogues have several general characteristics which will help to increase their efficiency from the first days of work. There are also typical mistakes which, unfortunately, even experienced sellers allow.

For the successful implementation of the product at present, it is not enough to call a large number of customers, you need to monitor the quality of each dialogue.

Signs of a successful cold call

1. The first impression of the client from the call is not even connected with the presentation of the manager and the presentation of the purpose of the dialogue, but with his voice and intonations. Good seller speaks confidently, separately and loudly enough. You don't need to ask him again.
2. A professional clearly introduces himself and the company, clearly articulates the purpose of the call, and then makes sure to find out whether it is convenient for the client to talk in this moment. If it is inconvenient - appoints the time of the next contact.
3. Personalized customer service. If this individual- by name (or first name and patronymic), if the sale is addressed to the company - by name to its manager, as politely as possible to the assistant and secretary.
4. A capacious and colorful presentation of a product, product, service. Literally in a few sentences, with coverage of all the strengths.
5. Intelligible, clear answers to questions about the product. To do this, you need to know the product well and quickly delve into the essence of the issue.
6. Professional work with objections - according to a proven algorithm, but at the same time individual. Do not confuse objection and refusal: you can work with the first, after the second you should end the conversation so as not to harm the company's reputation.
7. At the end of the dialogue - short summary, indicating the details of the agreement reached (sales, meetings, deals).
8. It is the manager who provides live interaction during the conversation, with the right amount of humor and participation.

What Makes a Cold Call Fail

Even experienced managers sometimes make dangerous mistakes during cold calls:

1. Monotonous voice, lack of intonation, feeling of fatigue in the voice. Managers sometimes have to make more than 50 calls a day, but this should not affect speech in any way.
2. Indistinct presentation, vague purpose of the call. This will exacerbate the already negative reaction of most customers to an unplanned call.
3. Product ignorance. If the manager does not know the product inside and out, he will not be able to quickly answer the client's question. Or worse than that- will answer with an error. The seller must know all the characteristics of the product and the terms of the proposed transaction by heart, and not look for it during a conversation on a computer or memos.
4. There is no dialogue. If the client most the conversation is silent, and the manager describes the quality of the product to him, the deal will not be completed. As part of a "cold" call, it is important to set up the addressee for communication, interest, and make them ask questions.
5. Disrespectful behavior, intrusiveness. The question “Are you comfortable talking now” should be learned by every manager in the same way as greeting a client. If the person is uncomfortable talking, try to quickly set a date for the next contact and say goodbye politely.

Where to get the algorithm for "cold" calling

A good cold call is always made according to the algorithm. Only very talented and experienced managers are capable of effectively selling over the phone without a stock. It is better not to rely on chance, but to provide for all possible options for a conversation.

The algorithm should be developed by a team of specialists with experience in calling and sales. good sample conversation should be varied, provide a vivid presentation of the product in a few sentences, typical objections, summaries. All managers should learn the algorithm and have it in front of their eyes during negotiations.

Only very talented and experienced managers are capable of effectively selling over the phone without a stock.

How to negotiate with a secretary - examples

One of the most significant difficulties in cold calling companies is the so-called “bypassing” of the secretary. The sales manager wants to speak directly with the manager, but first he must get the switch from his assistant.

This is quite difficult to do, since one of the duties of secretaries is to save the boss from an intrusive stream of calls. Therefore, for each such situation, it is worth using your own approach. Let's consider an example of a dialogue that will help "bypass" the secretary.

• Secretary: “Good afternoon, Tekhstroy company, reception CEO».
• Manager: "Good afternoon, the Optstroymaterial agency, we agreed with
  Sergei Ivanovich to call and discuss the details of the meeting.

Most likely, after such a wording, the secretary will connect the manager with the head. First, he called the CEO by name, meaning they probably knew each other. Secondly, the manager said that he had already contacted the head and discussed the meeting (even if this is cunning), which means that the director is waiting for this call.

Complicated communication with the secretary

The above is the simplest option, but it is quite possible that it will not work for experienced secretaries who calculate "cold" calls for one or two. Then it is worth trying to use other schemes:

• S: "Good afternoon, Techstroy company, reception of the general director."
• M: “Good afternoon, it’s very good that I got to you, I think only you can help me. This is the Optstroymaterial agency, I would like to discuss the supply of bricks with Sergei Ivanovich.
• S: "Okay, I'll connect you."

A compliment to the secretary at the beginning of the conversation sets him up more positively, and business language gives the impression that the manager is interested in the call or even expects it. At the same time, it doesn’t matter at all that this may be the first conversation with the director, and the “delivery of bricks” means only business proposal arrange for its purchase.

Anyway, communication with the secretary must be approached seriously. Be polite at the same time, emphasize his importance as a link in the company and at the same time show that your call will be useful to his manager, that he even expects it.

Examples of responses to objections

Dealing with objections is the most difficult part of a cold call. The client is not waiting for a call, most likely he is not interested in the product, so his first answer is likely to be negative. Fortunately, all objections can be divided into several categories and find the answer to them.

All objections can be divided into several categories and choose the answer to them.

What to do in case of refusal

Refusals in "cold" calls - an integral part of the work. More than two-thirds of conversations end up like this. Can you use the rejection to your advantage? First, don't confuse rejection with objection. At first, most potential buyers still object. Find the objection in the table below and work it out.

Second, even if a potential buyer has refused to buy your product, create a future perspective. Tell the client that you respect his opinion, but if he changes it, you are always ready to advise and hope for cooperation.

How to deal with aggressive behavior

Unfortunately, cold calling managers sometimes have to deal not only with rejections, but also with rudeness. What if the potential buyer responds aggressively or insults the caller? Turning such a conversation in your favor is unlikely.

In no case should you respond with aggression to aggression - you will spoil the mood for the whole day and damage the reputation of the company. Therefore, try to complete the dialogue as correctly as possible, but do not hang up. In the telephone base, opposite the number of this client, make a mark.

Conclusion

Cold calling can be an effective sales tool. Its organization must be taken seriously, starting from the development of a communication algorithm and ending with the mood of the speaker. Employee motivation is crucial during cold calling.

Hello! In this article we will talk about "warm calls".

Today you will learn:

• What are warm calls?
• Who should make warm calls;
• How to write a warm call script.

What are warm calls

Telemarketing is one of the distribution and promotion channels for products. With this tool, you can increase the company's sales, or remind the old ones about yourself. Moreover, the achievement of a particular goal depends on the one chosen for telephone sales.

The type of phone calls depends on the target audience:

• – negotiating with a potential client who is not familiar with your products and company. His need has not yet been formed. The purpose of such calls is to find new customers.

Often the reception of "cold" telemarketing is used by enterprises from the service sector. They buy customer bases with certain characteristics and make random calls offering their product.

• Warm calls- a conversation with a potential consumer who already knows about your company and product. Probably, he was once your client or was interested in the product.

For example, you sell mobile phones. A week ago you bought a smartphone. You can call the client and offer him headphones at a special discounted offer for the purchased model.

• hot calls- a conversation with potential consumers who themselves show interest in your product. They have already made their choice, it remains to bring the matter to its logical conclusion - the sale.

In this case, your potential consumer, for example, has already left an application for the purchase of goods, you just have to call him and agree on the terms of the transaction.

If in the first and third cases the goals are clear and understandable - to find new customers and sell goods, respectively, then with warm calls everything is not so simple.

Warm calls are intended to remind the company about itself. To a greater extent, they perform the function of promoting the product, but often lead to sales.

In more detail, the goals of warm calls can be expressed as follows:

• Return of departed customers or those who have not purchased goods from you for a long period of time. The period of time allowed for the absence of purchases is the time of using the goods. For example, for mobile phone this period is a period of time from two to three years, and for a package of milk two to three days.
• Communicating information about new products and services to the customer. If a consumer bought a product from you or was just interested, you can advise him something from your range, tell him about new products that are suitable for solving his problem. It is very important to personalize your message here. You must offer products that will satisfy the needs of a particular consumer.
• Company promotion. In this case, we simply remind the client about us.
• Definition of needs. This goal is the most difficult to achieve: as a psychologist, you must identify the problem of the consumer that your product can solve.

If you compare cold and warm calls, you can find several fairly significant differences.

Let's name the advantages of "warm" calls over "cold" calls:

• Aimed at building long-term trusting relationships with consumers;
• More often lead to product sales;
• Do not cause a negative reaction from potential consumers.

How warm calls work

As a rule, calls to a "warm" base do not cause as many difficulties as "cold" telemarketing. But still, they are not as simple as hot calls.

When you dial a customer's phone number unintentionally (as happens with "hot" calls), you run the risk of running into a negative reaction. This needs to be understood by account managers.

Before you make a call, you need to determine the customer's need. This call should be useful for him. In addition, you must clearly define for yourself the frequency of calls. You should not bother the client, you should help solve his problem.

The frequency of reminding the company about itself, as a rule, depends on the period of use of the product. There are the following types of goods: consumer goods, durable goods (1-3 years), durable goods (more than 20 years).

It makes no sense to offer the client to buy washing machine if he bought it a week ago. The likelihood that he will be interested in your offer is very small, most likely, you will cause irritation and resentment. In this case, you can remind the client about yourself with the help of related products.

Identification of need is also very milestone in the implementation of "warm" calls to customers. The initial analysis can be carried out even before talking with the client. See what purchases your interlocutor made, what interested him. This will allow you to set the right direction for the conversation.

In general, there is a common scenario for making warm calls. Such a scenario is called in professional language. It allows you to standardize successful conversations and increase the efficiency of telephone sales.

Stages of a "warm" call:

1. Welcome and introduction. Remember that you have already contacted this client, so you do not need to get acquainted;
2. We ask whether it is convenient for your interlocutor to continue the conversation. If not, we will find out when it will be possible to call back;
3. We clarify the previous fact of cooperation;
4. We present the goods;
5. We respond to objections. It is better to prepare answers to possible questions and objections in advance. Analyze the products that you are going to offer to your consumer. Find flaws and justify them with virtues. For example, a high price can be explained best quality or greater effectiveness of the product;
6. We fix the purchase (or refusal) and say goodbye.

For making "warm" calls, it is best to choose employees with experience. Since it is likely that he will have to improvise and deviate from the script.

Yours should have the following qualities:

• Be sociable, be able to win over the interlocutor;
• Be able to navigate in non-standard situations;
• Be literate;
• Prevent avoidance main theme conversation.

An example of a "warm" call script

1. Good afternoon, "Customer Name"! My name is “your name”, I am a representative of the company “Custom Shirt”.
2. Can you talk now? (If the client answers “no”, then we ask the second question: “When can I call you back to continue the conversation?”)
3. You recently ordered a blue children's shirt from us.
4. Today we started a new campaign "Get your child to school with a 10% discount", we would like to offer you skirts and trousers for girls with a discount in addition to the shirt. We can send our catalog to your email to get acquainted with the range.
5. Let's imagine that the client said that he was already familiar with the assortment. We say: "This is a new arrival for the new school season, while we only offer it to our customers, since the offer is limited."
6. Goodbye! We are waiting for you again in our store.

Hello! Today we will talk about cold calls.

Today you will learn:

• What are the characteristics of cold calling?
• How to write conversation scripts;
• What rules should the caller follow.

What are cold calls

A certain type of call is called “cold” not at all because of the tone of the caller, but because of the attitude of the client who answered the phone. It is not in vain that salespeople are afraid to make such calls, because very often the responses to an unsolicited offer are rude and unpleasant.

The main task of a cold call is to set up a meeting. The second most important task is to expand the customer base.

Cold calls are made by new clients with whom they have not yet established business relationship. This is their main difference from warm and hot calls, which are addressed respectively to already familiar and existing customers.

In a number of countries, cold calling is restricted and controlled by law, and sometimes even banned.

In Russia, many companies strictly instruct secretaries not to facilitate cold calls. Phone sales are becoming more popular among marketers, and potential customers, in turn, are becoming more and more evasive.

Cold calling has its pros and cons.

The advantages of this type include:

1. Minimal cost of time and money. The search for clients is done from the office, the manager does not need to make many unnecessary trips.
2. Quick communication (relative to correspondence), a high chance to convince the interlocutor.
3. The ability to understand the client's reaction to the offer, ask additional questions.
4. PR of the company, increase in popularity and the number of customers.
5. An additional method of sales without prejudice to the main one.
6. Research of demand, competitors and the market as a whole.

Disadvantages of cold calling (even if the calls are organized correctly and the sellers do not make mistakes):

1. A deliberately negative reaction of the client to a sudden call.
2. It’s easier to refuse an offer if you don’t see the seller live.
3. The client can end the conversation at any time (hang up the phone).
4. It is impossible to visually demonstrate the product.

In our country, cold calls are most actively used:

• Forwarding companies;
• Advertising agencies, mass media;
• Manufacturers or wholesalers of goods for business;
• Real estate agencies.

Cold calls can be made by both specially trained in-house employees of the organization and third-party specialists from the call center.

Cold calling techniques

There are a lot of cold calling techniques. But it’s better to look at an example of how to make cold calls.

In every company, the customer base inevitably changes. Regular customers leave sooner or later, losing interest, necessity, or becoming interested in a new seller. To maintain a balance in the client base, it is necessary to regularly call not only the warm base, but also make about a hundred cold calls to new clients per day.

The main skill of the cold calling technique is to anticipate the client's responses and know the scenarios for continuing the conversation.

Cold calling is only appropriate in the following situations:

• The offer is definitely necessary for a potential client (for example, a watch repair shop always needs batteries and spare straps);
• Different clients may be interested in the offer from time to time (repair of computer equipment);
• The offer is not necessary, but may be of interest to various customers (printing of business cards);
• The offer is constantly needed and at the same time they choose the most suitable seller (courier service).

In practice, cold calling is a very complex technique, and sales managers who have mastered it are indispensable employees in any company. In addition to theoretical training, such a specialist needs self-control, self-confidence and the ability to accept refusal.

Components of a successful cold call: self-control, knowledge of the product, customer needs and sales techniques.

Stages of cold calling

Let's figure out what the cold calling technique looks like in a phased scenario.

Stage 1. Collecting information about customers

It is more pleasant to talk with the interlocutor who is well aware of whom and why he is calling. The Internet, directories and other media will help here.

If your client is entity, providing certain services or goods, you can conduct reconnaissance and, pretending to be a buyer, find out details about their offers.

At this stage, it would be nice to have a reason to call.

Example. The beginning of the conversation can be like this: “Good afternoon, Ivan Petrovich. My name is Victor Sidorov, I am a representative of the EcoPlus company. I saw a story yesterday about your new production line. I agree with what you say about modern production should cause minimal damage to the environment. We are engaged in the removal and disposal of waste from industrial facilities. I would like to meet with you to tell you more about our proposals.”

Stage 2. Scripting

This is a kind of cheat sheet for the seller. You can learn it by heart or have it before your eyes (the format of phone calls allows this).

Well-designed cold call scripts are true assistants to the sales manager, helping him to speak confidently and to the point.

Stage 3. Conversation with the secretary

Sometimes this stage can be avoided, but the first call most often goes through the secretary. At the same time, the larger the organization, the stronger the “wall” erected by the secretary in front of his leadership. We will talk in more detail about how to cold call bypass the secretary.

Stage 4. Conversation with the client

The total duration of the conversation should not exceed five minutes. Golden mean- three minutes. the main objective conversation - appointment of a meeting and conclusion of a deal.

In a conversation with a client, a sales manager needs to go through several steps:

1. Introduction: greet the interlocutor, introduce yourself and clarify the availability of free time for a conversation.
2. Establishing contact: refer to the source, use the information obtained at the first stage.
3. Getting more information: ask if the client uses a product similar to yours, if he is interested in improvements.
4. Attracting Interest: explain the benefits to the client from the meeting.
5. Work with objections(If you want to).
6. Meeting Arrangement: suggest your own date and time for the meeting.
7. Completion: repeat the agreed time of the meeting, thank the client for their interest, say goodbye.

Secretary on the path of cold calling

If you call not an individual, but the head of an organization, then it is likely that the call will be received by his secretary (or other third party). How to behave in such a situation?

• Introduce yourself politely.
• Try not to state directly that the purpose of your call is sales.
• Ask to be connected to the decision maker of your concern (for example, "Who can I talk to about advertising?").
• If at the moment you are denied a conversation with the manager, find out as much information about him as possible (name, when and how you can contact).

There are several tricks that will help you get around the attentive secretary:

1. big boss mask. The secretary will not refuse to communicate with the boss if he hears in the receiver the confident voice of not the seller, but the boss. (For example: "You are concerned about the reception of the general director Alekseev. Connect me with the director").
2. Recall Style. Such a technique is possible only if at least the name of the decision maker is known in advance. To the request “Please connect with Arkady Ivanovich”, the secretary most likely will not ask additional questions, but simply direct the call to the right person.
3. Request for advice. Friendly tone and the phrase "Please advise who is best to contact ...". The secretary will be flattered if the interlocutor raises his status (“only you can help me”).
4. Complex issue. Sometimes, in order to answer a caller's question, the secretary has to redirect the call. But to ask it, you need to know the structure and specifics of the company well.
5. false error. In this case, the caller goes to the trick and asks the secretary to connect him to another department. For example, if he is interested in the purchasing department, he goes through the secretary to the accounting department, and there he pretends that he made a mistake. “Hi, is this the purchasing department? No, it's bookkeeping. “Can you put me in touch with the purchasing department?”

tricks

For effective sales on the phone, first of all, practice is needed, and only then theory.

It is impossible to develop an ideal cold call scenario that is universally suitable for each seller and buyer - both have their own characteristics.

Here are a few basic rules that should be followed by all sales managers working in the technique of cold calling:

1. Find out the needs and interests of the client in advance.
2. Use scripts prepared in advance.
3. At the beginning of the conversation, explain the purpose of the call and ask for some time for you.
4. Do not put pressure on the client, communicate without aggression. Don't use expressions like "I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse." The phrase "Let me tell you about ..." sounds much softer.
5. Emphasize the importance of the client. Less "I" and "we", more "you".
6. Take your time, pause between speech blocks, speak clearly.
7. Be confident, friendly and be sure to smile - you can hear it even on the phone.
8. Don't try to sell your product. Your goal is to interest and make an appointment. In this regard, replace the common “we offer” with “we are engaged”.
9. Do not argue and do not prove that you are right. Respect the choice of the client if he is satisfied with his current counterparties.
10. To interest in a meeting, talk about the main benefits.
11. Know how to switch the attention of the interlocutor, to interest in additional offers.
12. For questions about the details, offer a personal meeting.
13. More specifics. When asking about a meeting, call a specific time right away. Instead of "Maybe we'll meet?".
14. Monitor the mood of the client and adapt to it.
15. Remove “not”, closed questions and complex terms from your speech.
16. Use attractive words: “promotion”, “free”. If there is an opportunity to offer a free trial product, do not miss it.
17. Do not drag out the conversation, keep track of the time. Three minutes is usually enough.
18. Listen to the recordings of your conversations, analyze and draw conclusions that could have been said differently.

Work with objections

In any sales it is important to distinguish objections from outright rejection. Cold calls usually become an unpleasant surprise for the client, and therefore objections arise in this format much more often.

It makes no sense to work with decisive refusals, it is better to end the conversation on a positive note and not waste your own and other people's time. But with objections, subtle work is needed.

Let's look at the most common examples:

Cold calling scripts

Sales call scripts can be of two types:

1. Rigid. They are used in sales of a simple product, where the variety of interlocutor's answers is minimal.
2. Flexible. For sales of complex goods and ambiguous offers. They require creativity and more experience.

Everyone who makes sales by phone should have their own scripts, and those who work in the technique of cold calls are no exception.

1. There should be as many scripts as possible. An experienced seller regularly replenishes its database.
2. Each script must first pass a practical test on colleagues and acquaintances. Obviously unsuccessful and inconvenient should be eliminated immediately.
3. The main task of a cold call script is to illustrate the essence of the conversation, and not become a verbatim scenario.

Download cold calling scripts

outgoing call script

incoming call script

Cold calling examples

Example 1

— Good afternoon, Ivan. This is Anastasia from international company"ABV", engaged in ... . I am calling you in order to arrange a meeting during which I could tell you about our new program, which ... (what the client is interested in). I am sure that you, like our other clients ... (examples of companies), are interested in ... (certain benefit).

Yes, I'm interested in it.

- Great, let's meet. How about Wednesday at four o'clock in the evening?

Example 2

— Good afternoon, Ivan Ivanovich. This is Anastasia Petrova from ABV. We are doing…. Do you use ... in your work?

“I don’t have time to talk to you right now, send all the information by mail.

— I will send you a presentation for you to review in free time, but I'm calling to set up an appointment and demonstrate all the benefits of our offer. Would it suit you on Thursday at two o'clock?

I'm afraid I've already got the whole month booked.

- Well, is this the same number next month you have busy?

- I'll take a look now. Not yet.

- So, maybe we will meet on the seventeenth of April?

Example 3

- Good evening. My name is Anastasia, I represent the ABV holding in your region, which is engaged in ... . Your company is … (type of activity), which means that you will be interested in our new offer for … (what the client needs).

“Sorry, but we are already working with another company.

- Let me ask you, is it by any chance the EYu company? Probably, you have chosen their tariff "First"?

- No, this is the "Second" tariff.

- Great, I think it will be useful for us to meet, because our programs perfectly complement this tariff. How about this Friday?