Cold Calling can help your sales and business explode to the next level. However, many people don’t know how to Cold Call correctly, and they give up too soon.
When done correctly and efficiently, Cold Calling can be your best friend. If you want to make sure that your Cold Calling is effective, you need to start with the best cold calling opening lines. But before we start, what exactly is cold Calling?
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What Is Cold Calling
Cold Calling is contacting individuals/businesses for the first time and introducing yourself and your products to see if they will be a potential fit for your service.
It is a part of the sales process that should not be ignored.
The Benefits of Cold Calling
Cold Calling can do wonders for your business if done correctly.
Some of the benefits are:
It’s time-efficient.
You can literally reach hundreds of people worldwide in a matter of hours by being in the office or at home and using your phone.
It is cheap.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on marketing and advertising campaigns that may or may not work. All you need is a phone and a list of prospects.
You can gauge interest immediately.
When you Cold Call, you can tell right away if the person/business you are talking to is interested in what you are offering. If they’re not, you can move on to the next prospect without wasting more time.
You can control the message.
When you Cold Call, you get to control the message and how it’s delivered. You can ensure that your prospects hear exactly what you want them to hear about your product or service.
How Do You Start An Opening Call?
When you start an opening call, in a few SHORT sentences, you want to introduce yourself, your product/service, and your company in a way that will make the prospect want to learn more.
You also want to be sure to sound enthusiastic yet not overly sales-y.
You want to be quick and exciting because you’re typically calling prospects that are busy and are bombarded with sales calls throughout their day.
When you sound enthusiastic, you distinguish yourself from the average salesperson, and when you introduce yourself and your product in a few short sentences, you keep the prospect’s attention.
To make it simple, the mindset you need to have that will help prevent cold calling anxiety is to understand you’re offering something very valuable and can benefit many people. Therefore, when speaking to prospects, know your worth and express that through every cold call.
Why Are The First Twenty Seconds Most Important
Keep in mind you are calling prospects that may get dozens of cold calls a week.
The first 20 seconds are the most important because it’s when you can distinguish yourself and make your first great impression. It’s also when you’ll either engage the prospect or lose their attention.
Your goal is to keep their attention and get them excited about what you’re offering, so they want to learn more.
Here are a few tips to make sure you make the best possible impression in those first 20 seconds:
- Start by introducing yourself.
- Be sure to smile when you say your name because it will come through on the phone.
- State the purpose of your call.
- Get straight to the point and let them know why you’re calling.
- Tell them what you do and how it can benefit them.
Be sure to sound excited about what you’re offering. This is key in distinguishing yourself from other salespeople. One key tip that can help make more sales is cold-calling on the weekends.
What NOT To Say In Your Opening Line
- NEVER EVER start by asking a prospect if it’s a good time to talk. It’s more than likely they’ll say, “no, call back later.” And guess what? You’ll never hear from them again.
- If a prospect is a man, and a man picks up the phone, assume it’s the prospect and go straight into your introduction. The same goes for a woman.
- Avoid talking about yourself too much. In an introductory phone call, the prospect cares more about what you have to offer. Save the talk about yourself for your presentation.
- Don’t try to be too clever or sales-y in your opening line. Be direct and to the point.
- Finally, avoid using industry jargon that the prospect may not understand. Keep things simple, as if you’re talking to a child. This way, everyone will understand you.
Remember, the goal of your opening line is to get the prospect’s attention and make them want to learn more about what you have to offer. If you can do that, you’re on your way to making a successful cold call.
Ten Best Cold Calling Opening Lines
- “Hey (prospect’s name), this is (your name) with (your company). Grab a pen and paper. I have something you’re going to go crazy over!
- “Hi, this is ____, and I work for ____. We just started carrying a new line of ____ that I think would be perfect for your store.”
- Hey, what’s up, handsome! this is ____ with ____. How’s it going?
- “If I could show you a way to increase your sales by 20% in the next quarter, would you be interested?”
- “How much would you be willing to spend to increase your sales by 10% this year?”
- “Good morning! How are you today? This is ____ from ____. We’re a full-service ____ company, and I think we could save you a lot of money.”
- “Good afternoon ____! This is ____ calling from ____. Are you happy with your current ____ service?”
- “Hey ____! My name is ____, and I’m calling from ____. We just launched a new line of ____ that I think your customers would love.”
- “Hi ____! This is ____ from ____. Have you ever considered using ____ to increase your sales?”
- ” Hi, ____! This is ____ calling from ____. We’re having a special on ____ this week, and I wanted to give you a chance to take advantage of it.”
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many different ways to make a great impression in those first few seconds of a cold call. It’s important to be direct, excited, and to the point. And remember, don’t sound too sales-y or too clever. The best way to avoid cold calling anxiety is to act as if you’re talking to someone you know.
