Need help with cold calling-script!

by 13 replies
16
Its time to come out of the closet and write my first post here on Warrior!

Me and my business partner are making websites for other Companies and have just started cold calling.

I've been calling for 4 days now. Maybe 12 hours and 200 calls. I've been calling hotels now in the beginning and that have been pretty easy. Either they already have a website (99% of the times) and if they don't have one, they are often interested or on their way to get one. I ask for their email and then follow up and offer them a demo site. No problem there.

But now I'm gonna start to call smaller companies, like painters for example.. I fear a lot of "Im not interested"-answers and Im not sure how to deal with those. The same with the old conservative type: "Thats not for me, try someone else". I just want to scream "WE MAKE THE BEST WEBDESIGNS IN SWEDEN(where we're from) FOR THE CHEAPEST PRICES, PLEASE HERE ME OUT".

I'm sorry for my english. 4 years since I graduated high school...
#offline marketing #callingscript #cold #coldcalling #offline marketing #webdesign
  • I expect it won't be too very long before someone pops in and demands that cold calling doesn't work or how it's the most horrible way to do business.

    IN MY OPINION, cold calling on the phone WHEN DONE PROPERLY is a great way to build your business. Having said that, there are many great places and resources where you can get some ideas about how to go about it and how to develop a script.

    The first thing I would suggest you do is look for any posts by John Durham and than you should join his Telemarketing Forum, download a free audio that has a website sales script as a major part of it.

    I would also suggest that you have an alternative offer to a website. For example, they may have a website, but you could show them the value of a blog, or fanpage.

    If you've got a decision maker on the phone and they have no need for your primary offer you shouldn't let them go without being able to offer something.

    This is probably going to turn in to a big thread...hope it does!
  • Did you land any clients from those calls?

    It seems like you are just calling random numbers you should research the business and see if they have a website before you even call this will give you a more targeted approach.

    And when you call you have to ask for the owner (grab it off Manta.com), a lot of contractors have secretaries who's job is to make sure they filter out solicitors so you have to make up a clever script to get passed them.
    • [1] reply
    • I have not landed anyone yet, but I'm close to two companies which are very interested. I'm gonna call them tomorrow, I'll let you know the results.

      I've downloaded information about all the companies I call. This information tells me if the compay have a website or not. Unfortunately the list isn't 100% correct and thats why I manage to call companies, that already have a website.

      I'm not that familiar with Manta, but I will check it out, thanks for the tip!
      About the secretaries. Almost everyone have been nice to me and told me their boss telephonenumber or have just given him/her the phone. Is it really something you should be worried about when you call small local companies?

      Thank you for your respons. It means a lot!
  • Aside from picking up the dialing pace... which is optional, because you are usually fine if you do 100 numbers per day to set a couple of appointments at least.

    The biggest issue I see is that you are calling mostly corporations and franchises, and or probably foreign owned family operated businesses (no stereo types implied) which is about the equivalent of targeting "nail salons", which I will not elaborate on, but plenty of people here know what I mean.

    ... Go for independent business owners. Pick another niche, Thats my take. Pick one that makes sense. Realize with plbmbers you are going to get 95% answering machines or answering services, because they are usually out on call... so you may leave alot of voice mail messages and your strategy might be to stuff the pipeline for a few days till it explodes, instead of going in with the idea of one call closing 20 people your first day. lol

    When considering a niche, apply your "common sense" and think about the daily operations of that persons business and how they work. For instance "Lawyers arent in on Wednesday".

    No niche is impossible, but some are easier to get through than others.


    Ps. On the other side of the coin, if a lawyer "is" in on Wednesday, he's probably wrenching his hands trying to figure out how to get more business.
    • [1] reply
    • When I used to sell Yellow Page advertising and I was on the road, either to or from walking from business to business, on occassion I would find myself stopped at a light with a plumber/electrician/landscaper/etc. truck or van stopped within eyesight. I would dial the number on the side of the truck and I could see him answer the phone.

      It made for some interesting opening lines for a cold call. "I see your left tail light is out....."

      There are a million ways to find opportunities to reach out directly to the decision maker.
  • To differentiate yourself, come up with some typical reasons people would do business with you. The rest of the web designers are going to say that they make a cool website that looks great. So what?

    If you can say that you help businesses in that niche who are:

    * frustrated that not enough potential customers are finding out about their company

    * concerned that it's difficult to explain everything that their business does in a quick phone call, and they're missing out on opportunities to do work because of that

    * upset about revenues that are up one month and down the next, and would like a machine that works 24/7 to convert visitors into qualified leads that call in for business

    then you're the person to talk to...

    ...you'll be different. Be the person who solves those problems, and you'll get clients.
    • [1] reply
    • I really try to pick out the small local busienesses. After a while you recognize the big companies with offices in every town and you can sort them out. But sometimes you cant see it and you here the woman on the other line say: Well we have 90 000 hotels all over the world and our headquarter is in Madrid, but I can pass you through to someone. "No thats fine thank you".




      I have now changed my script from just beeing polite and asking if they are interested, to pointing at a problem which is common for companies in there type of business and then direct come with a solution to their problem.


      Through the "Nice-script" I got one meeting in Januari with a company which seems really interested.

      I also came in contact with a woman at a hotel which were interested in Social Media and I told here what we could to for her, but she wanted more info sent to her e-mail, which she has not responded to unfortunately. I've tried to call her a couple of times, but no luck there.

      edit. I've been calling Painters this morning which seems to be a waste of time, with like 1 answers in 20 calls. More effective to call companies with real offices?
  • See what John said above about the availability of tradespeople.

    I was a credit manager for a national electrical wholesaler for 4 years. First thing I had to get over back then was the fact that hardly anyone answered. Took me about a year to realize they were under a house or halfway up a ladder and couldn't answer the phone at the time.

    Consistency in prospecting is the key. You can't do just one day of it and then sit back. What you did a week ago will come back to help you this week. So you had to make four or five calls to get ahold of someone. So do I! So does everybody else.

    The averages are: half the people you call won't be in. Half of those who pick up won't really want to talk right now. So right away you're down to 1 in 4 people who will actually pick up the phone and talk. Pick a trades field to call into and the number of people who are available will be lower. However, maybe when you DO have a conversation, it will be the only one they have with someone like you...because the rest of the people quit after one dial/attempt.

    Persist!
    • [1] reply
    • I prefer to target the small locally owned businesses. Many times they tend to get overlooked by the larger consulting companies in town because it's too small an account. You also don't have to go through a ton of layers of management to get a decision.

      The other thing I've done before is to send a letter to brand new businesses. The local business paper publishes a list of new business registrations each week. I have a form letter I send to them congratulating them on starting a new business and outline where I can help. Follow up a week or so later with a phone call to see if they have any questions.
  • If you're going to cold call on the phone then at least hire someone else to do it for you. Not only does this leave 100% of your time free to do the work and get paid, but a professional B2B telemarketing room will get MUCH MUCH better results. Check out "salesteamus" on Elance, they're the best and very affordable. Flexible too, and totally professional.
  • Hi Orrarah,
    I have had eight years cold calling business to business both face to face and over the phone. I know very little about your business model but I do know something about cold calling. Really you must capture their interest within the first 3 seconds of contact as to avoid psychological barriers coming up. One of the best ways to do this is to build a free offer into your initial approach.
    You should also use your first name and family name in the approach as this gives you credibility and legitimacy with the prospect.
    For example: Hi my name is (first name and family name) from (XY Marketing); I have free advertising advice for a plumber in your area…….
    By using “for a plumber in your area” this then personalizes the offer more to the prospect, having them feel if they do not listen to your free offer it will go to a competitor in their area.
    Also smile when you pick up the phone to make the approach to the prospect as friendship and warmth is relayed in your voice to the prospect.
    I hope this helps,
    Cheers
  • Orrarah. I have a lot of experience in selling B2B in Sweden and Norway over the phone and I have some pretty darn good results to. Where I'm working now I close deals for about 13-14,000 kr per day in marketing service every day.

    If you have any industry specific questions you can send me a PM.
Join the discussion

Next Topics on Trending Feed