Many people say cold calling is a dead practice. With the rise of social media, email, and internet marketing, it’s easy to dismiss good old-fashioned phone calls as unnecessary. The stress of collecting phone numbers, making multiple calls to unexpecting strangers, and facing anger and hang-ups just isn’t worth the low sales yield.
However, many sales employees are simply not communicating effectively with their customers because of poorly written sales scripts that lack organization and a personal human element. Making simple changes, such as studying the anatomy of a cold calling script and taking on a conversational tone will help strengthen your cold calling script and turn your sales pitches from boring and basic to engaging and persuasive!
Know the Anatomy of an Effective Cold Calling Script
The basic anatomy of a cold calling script is:
1. State your name and your company, as well as some variation of “I hope your day is going well!”
2. Connecting statement. This is where researching the prospect comes in handy. Use the information you’ve learned about their company or interests and connect it to your own experiences.
3. Reason for calling. Tell them why you’re calling, but not explicitly. Explain that you notice that they are lacking a service or product that your company can provide for them. Be specific and connect with the prospect.
4. Qualifying statement. Tell them why your company can provide the best service or product and make their operations easier. Tell them what your service or product does and ask them if they already use a similar one.
5. Personalized ask. It’s all up to you from here. If they already use a similar service or product, tell them why yours is better. If they don’t, explain the benefits of your service or product. This will lead into your ask – and hopefully lead to a sale!
Many times, a sales call fails because of poor organization and preparation. Adhering to this basic structure will allow you to communicate the purpose of the call and begin your sales pitch to the customer quickly and effectively.
The amount of time a cold calling script should take a salesperson to read through should be 30 seconds or less. The entire sales call should take only a few minutes to complete. With a cold call, you are likely interrupting the prospect’s daily routine and you want to be mindful of their time. With a concise script, you will be able to communicate your message quickly, confidently, and clearly – qualities your prospect will appreciate.
How can such a short sales pitch be compelling enough to lure in new customers? The answer lies in the amount of prior research a salesperson does and his or her ability to hold a conversation.
Identify the Audience and Research, Research, Research
Once you’ve identified your prospective customer, take a few minutes to research them. Visit their LinkedIn profile and company website. Visit their associated social media profiles. Make notes of areas where your service or product can benefit them.
This information will help you craft a compelling qualifying statement and reason for calling. This research will set you apart from other sales calls in the customer’s mind, adding a personal human touch to your pitch that will compel them to learn more.
Have a Simple Opening
State your name and your company but try not to linger too long on your introduction. If someone detects that you are a cold caller, they may hang up immediately. A simple “Hi [prospect name], this is [your name] from [your company]” will convey a friendliness and a familiarity that will keep the prospect on the phone longer.
Try not to ask the prospect how their day or week is going. Both the caller and the prospect know that “How are you today?” is simply filler and doesn’t convey genuine interest. It is more professional to use a statement such as “I hope your day is going well” or “I hope you’ve had a good morning.”
Be a Human, Not a Robot
The purpose of a cold calling script is for referral, not to read word-for-word. Having a well-organized script will allow you to communicate in a credible, authoritative way, but if it’s obvious to the customer that you’re reading from a script, you lose that credibility.
Always adopt a conversational tone when using a cold calling script. Read the script like an actor, not a robot. You want to connect with your prospective customer – talk with them, not at them!
A Cold Calling Script Example
You can tweak the following cold calling script example to fit your sales pitch. It applies the basic script anatomy, takes on a conversational tone, applies simple research, and has a simple opening.
Jessica, a sales representative for Rooster Distribution, is trying to find new customers for her company’s line of phone accessories, including chargers, headphones, and charging blocks. She identified her city’s local aquarium as a prospect, since it is a tourist hotspot and many travelers may need to purchase emergency phone accessories. The following is the script Jessica plans on using to call Rob, the manager of the aquarium’s gift shop:
Hi Rob, this is Jessica from Rooster Distribution. I hope you’re having a good morning!
I’m a big fan of the Bishop Aquarium – I saw that you’re opening a dolphin exhibit next month! I can’t wait to check it out.
The last time I visited the aquarium, my phone was dying, and I noticed that your gift shop doesn’t have any chargers in stock. I know that a ton of tourists come around as well, and I imagine that they might need these products too… you know how hectic traveling can be and how important your phone can be!
Losing a charger or needing one in a pinch is super common and something I deal with all the time. Rooster Distribution supplies local businesses around Bishop with phone products like chargers, headphones, and charging blocks every day. Has your gift shop considered stocking products like these?
[continue from here and transition into ask].
Of course, even with the best cold calling script in the world, you will receive hang-ups and rejection. This is simply a part of the sales world. It’s important to keep pushing forward to success – and with a well-organized, conversational script, your chances of success will increase.
To learn more about cold calling scripts and other effective ways to boost your sales call success, schedule a corporate sales training session with Shapiro Negotiations today.
