Cold Calling: How to Establish Interest?

Your goal in the first few seconds is to make a connection and get them to interact with you.  Contrary to what you might think, it’s not to rush into your pitch.

Acknowledge that your prospect gets a lot of calls - because they do. This will immediately help you establish a connection because you will be saying exactly what they’re thinking and feeling.

“Hi ______, this is (your name) with (your company). Great. ______, I know you probably get a ton of calls so I’ll make this brief.”

Quickly state your value proposition and ask a qualifying question.

“______, we provide (your local marketing service) to companies like yours (ideally state the specific business), helping them (state a big benefit: broaden their reach / increase sales, etc.).”

Use an up-front contract to reduce perceived risk. Your prospect is afraid you are going to waste their time, so reduce this fear.

“Let me ask you a quick question. If I promise to keep your time invested to no more than 5 minutes today...”

-or-

“I know I interrupted you and I don’t want to take any more of your time right now...”

Ask for what you want.

“... would you be interested in a brief conversation to learn how you can (state a big benefit: broaden their reach / increase sales, etc.) at your business?”

-or-

“I’d like to get time on your calendar for a half-hour follow up call to share them with you. What looks good on your calendar in the next week or two.

Telemarketing Magical Phrases

Prospecting Clients

You must make sure you have your prospect's undivided attention.  So you need permission to speak.  Asking for permission to speak by saying:

- May I ask you a quick question?

- Do you have a moment to talk about this now?

In-A-Hurry Easy Exits

- Thank you very much, I've only got a minute.

- I've only got a minute, I'll be real quick about this then I'll be on my way.

- I can't stay long because I've got another appointment.

- Folks, I don't want to waste your time or mine, so let's get right down to it.

Take Away

As soon as anyone shows even a glimmer of interest, start to reverse the process and take it away from them.  Start to make it a little more difficult for them.   Start a little more skeptical of them; letting them know that:

- Hey, I might not stay here much longer.

- Who do you know that might be interested in this?

- I don't want to waste your time, I don't want you waste my time, so before I go any further I do need to ask you a few questions. May I do so?

Appointment Setting

- If I’m with you more than __ minutes it’s because you have a bunch of questions, fair enough?

Take a look at our program/service, I promise you it will not take more than __ minutes, if I am there any longer at your home/office it’s because you ask me to stay, fair enough?

- You know something, maybe this isn’t for you but let me just ask you one quick question and I’ll get out of your way.  If I can show you how you would benefit from __________, would you give it any consideration?

Great! May I make a suggestion?

Let’s set a time to get together to discuss this further.  You can accept it or reject it, and if I’m in your office/home more than __ minutes it’s because you have a bunch of questions, fair enough?

Leaving Voicemail to Warm Prospects

Below are examples of three messages you can leave on voice mail to a prospect that you have spoken to but they're not ready to set an appointment. They have indicated an interest but you keep getting voicemail messages every time you call and they are not returning your calls.

Call 1

Hello Mr. Jones. This is Andrew with ACB Company. You recently had me explain our (products/services) and you indicated an interest in our program. Would you please give me a call so we can discuss if we should go to the next step or not. My number is, 561 XXX-XXXX. Thanks.

If I don't get a response within 48 hours, I call again and leave the message below.

Call 2

Hello Mr. Jones. This is Andrew with ACB Company; calling for the second time regarding the (products/services) you were interested in. If you are no longer interested in (benefits), that is no problem. I don't want to pester you. Would you please give me a call and let me know if you want to pursue this or not. My number is, 561 XXX-XXXX. Thanks.

If I don't hear from the prospect within 48 hours of the second call, he or she gets the message below.

Call 3

Hello Mr. Jones. This is Andrew with ACB Company. I am in somewhat of a dilemma. You indicated that you had an interest in our (products/services) but yet I don’t receive any emails or a phone call from you. If you have decided that for whatever reason you are no longer interested in (benefits), I have no problem with that whatsoever. But I do need to know one way or another. So if I don't hear from you within 48 hours, I will assume that you are no longer interested and I will close your file.

That usually gets their attention.

How To Get Through The Receptionist

Decision makers are never going to be easy to get hold of 100% of the time. And you have the receptionists/gatekeepers at the other end of the line preventing you from speaking to the decision maker. We can use some incentive approaches to make our odds of getting the message through a little more attractive, but we can never expect the impediment to vanish entirely. They are there, and if we can’t adjust to them, sales may not be the job for us.

Instead you use manipulative tactics to get through them, make your introduction warm and friendly, and realize that they are actually there to help you. Doing so, you will leave the pressure for you to try to get through them, instead simply ask for their help.

Top Three Techniques to Eliminate Screening:

1. Use Please

2. Give your full name and company name

3. Use instructional statements

"Hi! Good morning, could you please connect me with __________ please?”

Remember, it’s a receptionist's job to screen you out. So when they ask “Can I tell him who’s calling?”

You respond with “Please tell him Andrew Borda with the ABC Company is holding please.”

Just giving your name or company name invites further screening.

Receptionist: “Can I tell him what this is about?”

Andrew Borda: “Yes, please tell him it’s about (the problem your prospect is having or your solution). I’ll hold while you put me through.”

Always end with an instructional statement like "I’ll hold while you put me through"

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