But that doesn’t mean no more prospecting!

Every week I get a number of people asking me how to get past gatekeepers and in front of decision makers so let’s explore effective use of the telephone for that purpose.

The first tip 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, often the first phone call. Prospecting calls are nothing more than attention getting introductions that can lead to healthy business relationships;  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 your words.  If you refer to  prospecting as cold calling, you’ll be more inclined to treat them as a cold activity, and will likely  avoiding making them. From here on in they’re introduction calls, first calls, appointment calls or warm calls!

I have two rules when it comes to using the telephone:

1. If you’re not smiling, you shouldn’t be dialing.
   38% of what what we communicate is related solely to the tone of our voice.  On the phone, where prospects can’t see our facial expressions or body language, our tone of voice conveys more about our meaning than anything else.  When you smile (even when you fake it) you flood your body with a stream of endorphins which relaxes you and warms the inflection of your voice.   This is important because  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.

   Consider trying this: before making a call, simply close your eyes force yourself to smile, or even better, put a mirror on your desk and smile at yourself until you feel trickle of joy come over you. This little technique is powerful and it works wonders in influencing our general dispositions and the attitudes we convey. Turn this little technique into a habit and watch your results skyrocket!

2. You only have one goal on an appointment call: to get an appointment.
   You’ve got less than 2 minutes to capture a busy prospect’s attention, demonstrate that you might be relevant to them and secure an appointment.  The only thing you’re selling is an appointment – that’s it full stop.

Now that we’ve got the ground rules down, let’s see it in action.  Years ago, I developed a script (yes, even I use a script and so should you) that has worked wonders for over 20 years.  You need to be flexible with your customers but on the telephone all you want is an appointment and this script works.  So here’s my script as if I were a first introduction”

Hello, Mr. Smith.  This is Howard Olsen from High Output Training Systems here in Vancouver.  You and I haven’t met yet but the reason for my call is that we’ve been able a number of companies just like yours refocus their sales efforts to increase both sales and profits.  Let me ask you a question would you  be interested in a more productive and profitable sales force?

When I ask that question, the prospect only has one of two choices; yes or no.  When the majority of them answer yes I simply ask for a 15 minute appointment to see if there might be a fit between what we do and their goals and objectives.  I ask for an appointment  and 50% of the time I get one.  If the prospect answers no to that question I simply thank them for their time and politely hang up.

Now let’s take the exmaple I gave you above and put it into a template you can use.  Just fill in the blanks with your name and two compelling reasons someone would want to meet you:

Hello this is _____(your Name)_______ with ___(your company)____ here in _____(your city).  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.

When your prospect answers yes, go to part 2:

“Great, then here’s what I’d like to do.  I’d like to set up a 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?”

Now get out your calendar and schedule it. If, however,  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.   Please 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.

Remember: 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. 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!