Cold calling is a technique that will always remain in the marketer's gamut, although will never rise to be the favorite technique nor will drop down to the level that it will be eliminated. The obvious reason for the former is that cold calling does not really turn out to be as productive as other marketing techniques and the reason for the latter is that it is a relatively inexpensive method to reach out to a large number of customers So, if cold calling is here to stay, the focus should be on how to make cold calling productive and extract the maximum possible productivity from this method.

Connecting with the customer through a phone call has to be a systematic approach with the sales rep properly equipped with all the answers to be able to handle the queries of the customers. Basically, if you are using cold calling as a method for marketing, here are the three aspects on which you can equip your sales rep to be able to make successful cold calls:

1) The Profile of their Customers

It is extremely important to educate your sales representative about the profile of the customer that he would be speaking to when he makes his call. Since this is the first point of interaction, the sales rep would be confident to know what kind of customer is he facing and the customer would be happy if some of his needs are understood and addressed. The logical way of going about it is to assign a set of customers to a particular sales rep so that he knows exactly the profile that he is dealing with.

Taking the help of professional data providers, you can buy organizational charts and know who reports into whom and the people who are in the decision making or decision influencing chain. It is best to approach them and engage with them directly on the aspect of business selling. Time is at a premium when it comes to B2B selling and therefore, the sales pitch must be crisp and clear so as to turn the heat on a cold call.

2) Preparation before the Call

Before the sales representatives get ready to speak with the customer, it is worthwhile to make your sales rep prepared for the talk. Talking with some data about the company or the hierarchy or initiatives that the company is currently taking are points that can help strike a positive conversation.

Make sure your sales representative touches upon the aspect of purchasing intent that will set the tone that both the businesses are looking at a lucrative association. Enabling your customer as to how your business can help them capitalize on their opportunity areas will provide your customer the clear motive behind your cold call. In all honesty, this is what they will appreciate the most as all professionals detest unnecessary and non-productive cold calls.

There are enough professionals in the field who can train your sales representatives to make the right impression where it matters the most. Identifying opportunity areas and digging out customer insights, if done well by the sales representatives ensure that your sales funnel becomes largely productive.

3) Knowledge about themselves

Your sales representatives should also have sound knowledge about their own company. Right from the inception, history, recent achievements to the accolades and the hierarchy of the company, he should be aware of all these aspects. Having said this, it does not mean that he should have complete knowledge about everything since it is a tall order. But, he should know a bit about all the aspects and have complete knowledge about the subject matter that he has to talk about.

The sales representatives will make the perfect first impression if he is knowledgeable and this will immediately come to the notice of the potential customers. Based on data, enable your sales representatives to strike an intelligent conversation with customers and share the latest happenings of the company and industry with them. Make 'smart' cold calling a habit and see the way it catalyzes your sales funnel!

Techno Data Group is b2b marketing firm in Wilmington, Delaware focusing on business success. We can help you targeting key accounts using real time verified data; we can identify your buying personas, analyze your existing database and fill in the missing information.

We work with some of the world's leading brands and Fortune 500 companies. We are proud to say that we are their preferred database partners.

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