The Lost Art of the Cold Call
Greene agreed. "Don't sell. Connect. Build a relationship," he advised. "Find out what makes [prospects] tick, what their challenges are. Engage them and, sooner or later, they will ask you to sell to them."
4. SKIP THE SALES PITCH
One of the major drawbacks to cold calling is its inherent "surprise" nature, which can be uncomfortable for the prospect and worse for the salesperson. No one likes to be ambushed, and this "adversarial scenario," as Emmer calls it, can put salespeople at a disadvantage from the start. Warming prospects certainly helps, but sometimes it takes more than background knowledge to break through-you've got to connect with the prospect, and you've got to do it fast. To do that, Emmer suggested skipping the sales pitch and asking questions. "By simply asking your prospect what the most important thing he or she is working on at the moment, you will set the subject and mood of your meeting and any suggestions (selling) you make will be considered without the normal combative sales cycle kicking in," he commented.
- People:
- Gregg Emmer
- Rick Greene
- Places:
- Batavia, Ohio
- California