But that doesn’t mean no more prospecting!

I have an extraordinary number of people who call, write and approach me on the subject of the telephone and how to use it to get appointments so this issue is all about that.

The first piece of advice I ‘d like to share with you is to stop referring to prospecting calls as cold calls. Every relationship begins with the first introduction: it could be the first handshake, the first meeting, the first “hello” and yes, sometimes the first phone call. Prospecting calls are nothing more than first calls that often lead to great healthy business relationships and nothing at all needs to be cold about them. In fact I think you’ll find that when you approach them with a degree of warmth, you’ll be more effective at them. Don’t underestimate the power of words and the and perceptions attached. If you refer to telephone prospecting as cold calls, you’ll treat them as a cold activity, and in all likelihood you will be prone to avoid making them. From here on in they are first calls or follow up calls!

I have one rule when it comes to using the telephone: If you’re not smiling, you shouldn’t be dialing. A full 93% of what we communicate is non verbal. 55% of our communication comes from body language and 38% of what what we communicate is related solely to the tone of our voice. Over the phone, where propects can’t see us, our tone of voice conveys more about our meaning than anything else. It’s imperative to always stay conscious of the mood and feeling we convey when using the telephone. It’s here where prospects are making judgments as to whether or not they will consider or meet with you so it is absolutely essential to have positivity and happiness exude itself through your telephone line.

The very first thing you should do before you begin prospecting is to get yourself a mirror or simply close your eyes force yourself to smile. The most recent research has shown that we can can actually affect our mood through the muscles of the face; go ahead and try it right now: close your eyes, put a smile on your face (now hold it for 10 - 15 seconds) and you should begin to feel a twinge of joy and happiness come over you. This little technique is powerful and it works wonders in influencing our general disposition and the attitudes we convey. Turn this little technique into a habbit and watch your results skyrocket!
Now that we’ve got your disposition right lets get down to the purpose of the first call:

90% of propsects will answer yes to that question. If the prospect answers no, I just thank them, and hang up.
Now you try it:

Hello this is _____(your Name)_______ with ___(your company)____. The reason for my call is that we have helped a number of companies (or people as the case may be) just like yours ___(Benefit 1)___ and __(Benefit 2) ___. Let me ask you just one question: How would you like to __(Benefit 1 & 2)_____? Wait for response which should be in the affirmative.

Once they answer positively simply state:

Great, then what I’d like to do is set up time where we could spend 15 minutes together to see if there is fit between what we do and what you might be looking for?

When can you you find 15 minutes?

If the prospect responds with something like: Well tell me what this is all about, how do you do it, etc…. Simply respond: there absolutely no way that I could articulate it all over the phone, what I really need is just 15 to 20 minutes to se if there is a fit between what you’re looking for and what we can do. We’re both busy people and my goal is not to waste any of yir sales and their profits, simultaneously. Let me ask you a question, how would you like to improve both your sales volume and your profitability?” That question needs to draw out a yes answer and must be related to how you can potentially help the prospect.

90% of propsects will answer yes to that question. If the prospect answers no, I just thank them, and hang up.
Now you try it:

Hello this is _____(your Name)_______ with ___(your company)____. The reason for my call is that we have helped a number of companies (or people as the case may be) just like yours ___(Benefit 1)___ and __(Benefit 2) ___. Let me ask you just one question: How would you like to __(Benefit 1 & 2)_____? Wait for response which should be in the affirmative.

Once they answer positively simply state:

Great, then what I’d like to do is set up time where we could spend 15 minutes together to see if there is fit between what we do and what you might be looking for?

When can you you find 15 minutes?

If the prospect responds with something like: Well tell me what this is all about, how do you do it, etc…. Simply respond: there absolutely no way that I could articulate it all over the phone, what I really need is just 15 to 20 minutes to se if there is a fit between what you’re looking for and what we can do. We’re both busy people and my goal is not to waste any of your time because if I’ve done that, I have wasted my own as well. Here’s what I propose, we spend 15 minutes together to see if there’s a fit and if there is, we can then figure out how to exploit it. If there is no fit, we’ll shake hands and that’s it. I promise to make it a worthwhile investment of your time.

When the prospect agrees, set the time and simply confirm the meeting as follows: “Great I look forward to seeing you ___(Date) at __(the agreed time)___.”

Often you will hear the prospect ask if you can send them some literature first. Do Not Fall Into the Send Literature Trap. Simply state:
“We’ve got all kinds of material but again, it has no meaning or context unless I’ve got an idea about how we could potentially help you. All I’m asking for is 15 minutes, and I promise I’ll leave you with whatever is relevant based on our conversation” Ask when a good time to get together will be and confirm.

Your only goal on the phone is to get the appointment. Maintaining a positive attitude is essential in everything you do and is crucial on the first call. If you are to embrace a task and do it effectively, you have to approach it positively and the way that you perceive things greatly influences how you approach them. So, quit calling them cold calls and start referring to them as first calls and if you’ll do that you’ll probably make more of them. When you make more of them using the method above, you’ll find yourself having more fun, having less stress over it and enjoying greater success. Happy Prospecting!

Yours in Success,
Howard Olsen

Salesman, Trainer, CEO