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by Al French
 Al
French |
December 21, 2004—A cold call is a very effective way to
locate, meet and qualify prospective customers. When you actually walk into their
place of business, they can't hang up on you; they can't tear up a letter you've
sent them and they can't just ignore you. Contact has been made! It's up to you
to make the best of it and make the sale. Follow these simple
rules and your cold calling program will be successful:
- Don't pre-judge. The "rookie," by thinking that a prospective
customer is too small or too big, has missed the boat. Even if the prospect is
too small or too big, they may know of other business owners who fit your profile.
Don't "assume" that they couldn't afford your product or service by
what you see. Remember, Sam Walton used to drive an old pick up truck!
- Don't
"cherry-pick". The rookie, by making a few calls here and then running
to the other side of town, is wasting time, gas and money. Select an area and
call on everybody there.
- Make a good first impression. Select
appropriate dress for the occasion. Good grooming habits are very important. You
want to look professional and successful, but not gaudy. Be friendly. Smile.
- Make
your call "short & sweet." Unless your product or service requires
a "first call close," you need to accomplish your objective quickly.
Develop a script for what you're going to say. Know what questions you need to
ask ahead of time. This is not a social call. If you waste the prospect's time
with meaningless chit-chat, you won't get invited back.
- Find out who
the decision maker is. The one who is going to decide to buy your product
or service may not always be the owner or the manager. Simply ask a question:
"Who would handle ……?" Don't assume that a receptionist or counter-person
can't influence the decision. While they may not be able to make the final buying
decision, you can count on them killing it if you've been rude to them.
- Ask
for the business. If you are there to actually sell your product or service
(first call close), ask for the sale. If your objective is to set an appointment,
ask for the appointment. If you want to find out who the decision maker is, ask
for that person's name. Follow the ABC principle…..Always Be Closing.
- Be
"memorable." Your business card is your best advertisement. Give
one to your prospect. In fact, give one to everybody that you meet there. A "leave-behind,"
such as a brochure, flyer, or even a sample might be appropriate. Always make
sure that it includes your name and contact information.
- Follow up.
If the prospect has shown interest in your product or service, follow up with
them by phone as soon as possible. Always follow up with prospects even if they
haven't shown an interest. They may be interested (or better qualified)
down the road. Sending a letter or a printed flyer will suffice if they are not
hot. Continue a routine follow up until you determine that there's
no hope.
- Learn to handle rejection. You are not going to get a
positive response all of the time. Learn to live with that! If you are
rejected, don't take it personally. Don't get "down on yourself" and
have it affect the rest of your day. Learn from whatever "mistakes"
you felt you made.
- Overcome your fear! Don't believe the sign on
the door. They aren't really going to shoot you. There's a pretty good chance
that they're not even going to hit you. At the very worst, they'll tell you NO.
Get over it and move on. Remember, there's a "yes" out
there somewhere waiting for you. Find it!
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Al
French is a Franchise Relations Manager for Fiducial in the Mid-Atlantic and
Southeast Regions.
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