My Cold Call script... (critique or suggestions?)

10 replies
Going to start Cold Calling businesses on Monday and next week Im shooting for 100 to 200 calls per day.

I run a business already and do calls for that (it's a service business), I've sold $2,000 packages over the phone before so I have some experience when it comes to sales and being able to convert someone on the phone. The approach I use for that calling strategy is a bit different but none the less I've done well with it.

I have done some call/sales training stuff as well so I'm going to incorporate some of that into the script.

Here's the basic run down:

Intro: Hey Name, is this a bad time to talk?

- No.

-Okay great, let me take a minute to tell you why I called and you can decide if we should keep talking or not, Sound Good?

-Yeah fine.

-My Names Thomas from WebFusion Marketing & Design, I'm calling because I noticed (You don't have a website/you have a website that isn't optimized to bring in customers). I'm wondering, is bringing in more customers for you business something you can handle & would be interested in right now?

-Yeah I guess I could

-Cool, so the first thing I should ask is (why don't you have a site to take advantage of all the online traffic searching for your services? Or, are you satisfied with your site, is it bringing you a lot of leads and business?) - I already know the answer to these, just having them sell themselves on why they need a new site.


-Yeah, it's something I don't know much about.

-Sure, let me give you some basic info... right now there's about X amount of searches for your services in your city. Now, I did some research and it seems like no one is really taking advantage of these potential customers. If we could turn 1 out of 20 of those people into customers for you that would be an extra X amount of dollars per month for your business. Is that something you'd be interested in?

-Yeah of course.

***So it seems like I'm asking a lot of obvious or basic questions but I'm building "Yes" momentum... it could be a load of B.S. but I've seen good results with it from selling on the phone in the past***

At this point I may ask another question about what their ideal and perfect site looked like & what they would be willing to pay for a great site that could bring in x amount of customers... just to make sure they're sold or have them sell themselves on it. From there I would go for the close:

-Okay great, so based on everything you just told me I have the perfect solution for you. It's a web package with your own site optimized to bring you more customers. I'll be setting you up with Blah blah blah.... (I'm going to offer a packaged deal, not just a site so it would include google analytics, google local listings, Domain and hosting registration).



As far as scarcity I'm going to include some info on how I'm contacting others within the area and ethically I cant sell to too many or I would be running my clients thin.



That's the basic run down of it. I'm sure I forgot some stuff, my biggest concern is that I'll waste time asking too many questions to someone who isn't interested but the question/prospecting has worked very well for me in the past. It really has them selling themselves on the offer and allows me to tailor my close around whatever they tell me their needs are (or why they aren't getting any customers online).

Appreciate any feedback!
#call #cold #critique #script #suggestions
  • Profile picture of the author Climb Online
    Looks pretty good. I am also starting calling next week, with quite a similar script.

    My hook is going to be a free domain name and hosting for the year, I will be trying to one call close. Selling price is $595 per 5 page website.

    My target is 200 dials a day, 4 days a week. I will do the actual design (hopefully) after each calling session.

    Good Luck!
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    "It is your choice of message that targets the customer, not your choice of media. There are rare exceptions, of course. But not many."
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    • Profile picture of the author EmptyEternity
      Having cold called myself and trained others in the art I would suggest opening with, "is it a good time"...its better to start off that way instead of asking if its a bad time.

      Also, you are educating too much on the phone, which is bringing down your prospecting time. Sell the appointment. Most people have contemplated web design for their business, EVERYONE, so finding out what their competitors are doing is paramount. If all the dentists in the same area have a site and they don't, that would be a better motivator, it takes you outa the equation and now makes it about them.
      If I was gonna mention any knowledge, data, info I would mention the fact that "87% of all searches is for something local, question is, do you want access to that 87%?"
      If they don't own the vision they don't have any neck in the game, so with their help project into the future with them owning the vision by asking them, "what effect would that have on your bottom line", or "what effect would it have on your business if suddenly your services/products/business was available to that 87%"
      Your trying to engage them in conversation by talking about them. You are also selling the appointment. If they ask you to "just send me some info" then ask back, "what exactly would you like me to send you"...try to draw them out, don't deal with tire-kickers, they are wastes of time that don't have the balls to tell you NO.
      Yes's and No's are great, MAYBE's will kill your business.

      Here is how I would open your script,

      "Hi is Thom in"?
      after they answer,
      "Hi Thom, this is Justin B giving you a call, and Thom, your not going to recognize my name because I am calling you as a cold call. Would it be ok if I quickly tell you the reason why I am calling?"

      this opening is pure gold! its honest, refreshing, and people respect your upfrontness. I have had business owner tell me how nice my opening is, I have had small biz owners thank me for being honest with them.

      When they give you permission, THATS when you deliver your speech.

      "I work with small business owners like yourself in this area and I am wondering if you are unhappy with the amount of leads you get from your site (or something like that)."

      YOU HAVE TO FIND PAIN or there is no impetus for change. Find out reasons that drive small business owners to feel pain and then take action to revamp their site etc.
      Is the pain in the form of a small bottom line or smaller profits? maybe they are lacking credibility without the site?
      FIND THE PAIN
      FIND THE PAIN
      FIND THE PAIN
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      • Profile picture of the author vndnbrgj
        In your script you talk about the website.
        Then you talk about traffic.
        In your package you talk about Google + Local.
        Is that all you will be doing for SEO?
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  • Profile picture of the author Volux
    So do you just call and ask for a manager or the owner?

    If it's a restaurant or somewhere you would call and have to make reservations or such, would you be relaying this information to a waiter?

    Asking for an owner or manager for situations like that might make more sense. Or do you plan on doing something different?
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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    Intro: Hey Name, is this a bad time to talk?

    The answer to this is typically going to be "Depends on what you are calling for", and as long as that statement isnt immediately followed by "If its a sales call we arent interested"....then you can take the first response and justify running right into your presentation with it.

    This pitch will work on a percentage of people, just like most pitches, they appeal to a percentage, and that percentage is what you are looking for , and you dont care about all the others who dont respond to this approach...

    In the first telemarketing report I talked about the idea of just saying "Not my market. Click".

    There is a market for your pitch... a market that responds to the kind of thing you are saying, it's the only market you care about. The rest of it is simply "Not my market. Click" - No big deal.

    "You dont like telemaketers? Not my market! Next!"

    My market is people who respond to telemarketers. No big deal.

    But...but... I know they need a website...

    Well you can spend the next two hours learning how to communicate to them in a way they respond to, end up sending them something in the mail, and calling back later...Whatever...

    You can try to be all things to all people...but thats not optimal. Optimal is focusing in on people who are attracted to what YOU offer, and what YOU are saying.

    There is always a percentage who do, no matter what pitch approach you take almost, and likewise, no matter what approach you take there is a percentage who wont.

    In closing,

    Some will respond to this opening how you desire for them to, and others wont...doesnt matter, you are just looking for those who will respond. There is a guy who responds to the ki9nd of thing you are saying with "Yeah, Im glad you called". BINGO! He is your market.

    So, yes, will work "IF" you work it. I think there are more optimal ways... but its better not to confuse you with a bunch of different ideas...if you already have one, that is reasonably workable, then run with it.

    It's not the best pitch I ever read, but it isnt the suckiest either.

    -John
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    • Profile picture of the author thomharvey87
      Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

      Intro: Hey Name, is this a bad time to talk?

      The answer to this is typically going to be "Depends on what you are calling for", and as long as that statement isnt immediately followed by "If its a sales call we arent interested"....then you can take the first response and justify running right into your presentation with it.

      This pitch will work on a percentage of people, just like most pitches, they appeal to a percentage, and that percentage is what you are looking for , and you dont care about all the others who dont respond to this approach...

      In the first telemarketing report I talked about the idea of just saying "Not my market. Click".

      There is a market for your pitch... a market that responds to the kind of thing you are saying, it's the only market you care about. The rest of it is simply "Not my market. Click" - No big deal.

      "You dont like telemaketers? Not my market! Next!"

      My market is people who respond to telemarketers. No big deal.

      But...but... I know they need a website...

      Well you can spend the next two hours learning how to communicate to them in a way they respond to, end up sending them something in the mail, and calling back later...Whatever...

      You can try to be all things to all people...but thats not optimal. Optimal is focusing in on people who are attracted to what YOU offer, and what YOU are saying.

      There is always a percentage who do, no matter what pitch approach you take almost, and likewise, no matter what approach you take there is a percentage who wont.

      In closing,

      Some will respond to this opening how you desire for them to, and others wont...doesnt matter, you are just looking for those who will respond. There is a guy who responds to the ki9nd of thing you are saying with "Yeah, Im glad you called". BINGO! He is your market.

      So, yes, will work "IF" you work it. I think there are more optimal ways... but its better not to confuse you with a bunch of different ideas...if you already have one, that is reasonably workable, then run with it.

      It's not the best pitch I ever read, but it isnt the suckiest either.

      -John
      Yeah gotcha, one thing I have learned from doing calls with my other business is that it's much easier to turn a buyer or someone interested in your offer into new/repeat buyer than it is to convince someone who's not interested. You could potentially do it but you'll be wasting a lot more time trying to convince someone rather than having someone see your point of view and sell themselves on it.

      The script isn't finalized... in fact after the first day or 2 I'm sure it will look much different but this is what I'm running with for now. Also, I am going to try and close over the phone, as I mentioned I've closed 2k deals over the phone on a first time call... I've done followups and closed as well but never needed to set an appointment in person.

      What I've always done is touch on emotional needs in both the pitch and rebuttal and then used numbers to sell them on the logical reasons. I'll try to keep the thread updated with how things go this upcoming week.
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      • Profile picture of the author mmbone4
        I actually think the phrase "is this a bad time?", is actually better. The idea of cold calling is that of conversational dynamics. There is a book out by Thomas Freese, one of Harvards top sales trainers, whom I have met...that talks about the reverse dynamics in a conversation. "wow, it sure is nice outside...only to hear the other person say "sort of...". It is an automatic response to show they have value.

        I have tried this many times...call some one and ask if this is a good time to talk. 90% of the time they will say it is not. Call someone else and ask if this is a bad time to talk...you will get more often than not...no, its' fine...

        Other than that, the script is good. The main caution I would have to any script is that it needs to not be about you or your service. It needs to be more about the end result of what they get. And not really what they get, but the result of that...Getting them to the front page of G is only the result of yoru work...the benefit to them is increased traffic, more sales, higher ROI, more profit, etc...Make them realize through the script that what they have is broken and these are the consiquences of that and then you have the solution.

        Best of luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author Rearden
    What's up Justin.

    You'll like this forum a lot.

    -Rearden
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    David Duford -- Providing On-Going, Personalized Mentorship And Training From A Real Final Expense Producer To Agents New To The Final Expense Life Insurance Business.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    My Grandfather use to tell a story, of a monkey who got his hand stuck in a jar. He saw a peanut in the jar, and reached in to grab it...and with his closed fist around it, he couldnt get his hand back out of the Jar... still, he refused to let go of the peanut...and open his fist, so he could get it back out of the jar.

    The ironic thing was that 5 feel away was a whole pile of peanuts...if he would only let go of the one that he had his grip around.

    Thats how you have to look at cold calling.

    Find someone who responds to what you are saying...there is a whole pile of peanuts...dont get so hung on the peanut in the jar that you cant get to the whole pile thats only five feet away.

    In other words, dont try to be all things to all people and get hung up with your hand stuck in a new jar every five minutes....Learn to let go, keep rolling, saying your pitch, and get to the one who responds to what you are saying with little resistance- "That guy" is your market.
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  • Profile picture of the author Natasha2003
    John Durham,

    I think your a genius when it comes to cold calling and will be using one of your scripts for an appliance service that i recently got hired to do. My question is how can I track leads from clients who "claim" the sale didn't go through?
    For instance, I can get a lead for a client, they go down there to fix the problem and can say that "It didn't go through" even though it did but they're just too cheap to pay up. Or would it be best to close the appointment, have them PAY FIRST then give them the information to the customer? I'm looking forward to hearing back from you
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