Whether it's cold calling or not, the success of the sales call lies in a few details, and the art of selling is a craft that requires years of experience and practice. However, there are some basic tips and rules to be aware of, not only during the phone call, but also before it.
What's your goal?
Before the call, we must have a clear goal or desired output of the phone call with a potential customer. In marketing, we refer to this term as CTA – call-to-action. In the case of direct contact, it can be, for example, arranging another meeting, whether through an online video call or a classic meeting.
This strategy is appropriate if the product or service is more complex and the explanation of its conditions and term is not suitable for a few minutes call. In this case, the phone call is mainly intended to attract attention and leave something uncovered. In other words, desire is what motivates the lead to further invest time for your product or service.
However, the goal may also be to get a lead or register on the web or to sell directly, as mobile operators do, for example. In this case, the seller must already know his product well and be able to answer all the questions of the other side of the line promptly.
Content is goal-dependent
The aim of the sales call is therefore based on its content. While a phone call to get a lead and the next meeting will be more about the first feeling and trying to convince the addressee that if he agrees to the meeting, your product or service can bring him some benefit.
In the case of direct sales efforts, it is necessary to present the benefits immediately and thus focus more on rational justifications.
Preparatory phase
However, a preparatory phase is required before the execution itself. This consists both in a perfect knowledge of the service or product you offer, as well as in the knowledge of the addressee or the choice of strategy we wrote about above. We will now look at the information of your leads, that you need to know. Also how to find them, save them or even organize them.
If you have CRM system (Customer relationship management), CRM database should be the first place to look before a phone call. In the case of a customer who is not yet in the database, CRM is the first place to record lead data.
FLOWii CRM system can record recent conversions or other interactions with the company in addition to basic contact data. The CRM profile of the customer usually also includes the way of reaching out, position, employment or other information from which you can draw on both a phone call and a face-to-face meeting.
At the same time, you can get such information on the Internet and social networks. LinkedIn is one of the best sources, but other social networks such as Facebook and Instagram can also be useful.
What data to focus your preparation on?
1) First and last name
Information that appears trivial. However, with a busy work schedule, names can start to knit, and the awkward moment after saying a bad name is only a matter of time. Small mistake can then easily result in unsuccessful pitch, before you even had time to try.
2) Employment, position
That's where LinkedIn comes into play. If you know the job or position of the lead, you can better prepare and respond to its needs and everyday problems.
3) Company
Same as with a position, by carefully understanding the subject matter of the business, you can respond to the needs of the company and thus create a better position for deal prep. Quick research is a matter of spending a few minutes on Google.
6) Events in the company
It is also good to know about current or past events in the company, such as new products, profits or investments.
4) Profiles on social networks
These social networks can also get you closer to the customer or client. You'll find out about hobby, how lead spends his free time or even what humor lead prefers. All this information can be useful later.
If you haven't already created a well-filled LinkedIn profile, you should do so right after finishing this blog. Especially in positions like sales manager, LinkedIn is a powerful tool and necessity.
7) Common acquaintances
Personal recommendations sell best. That's why it's a good idea to do a short research and find out if you know someone who works in the company or there's no other connection between you and the client. Again, social networks can be very useful here, especially LinkedIn.
5) Career development
It is also advisable to understand the history of leads employment path. This will provide you with a better overview of his experience in the field and you will get a better context about his current job. You may also come across some of the common connections mentioned in the previous point. The best source of these information will again be LinkedIn.
8) Previous interactions with your business
Here, again, comes handy CRM system, which records data just like previous interactions. This way you can better tailor your offer to the needs of the client, company or customer. At the same time, the CRM system uses this data for other tools such as email marketing, customer support or invoicing, and many other everyday necessary business processes.
Find out more about FLOWii CRM
The art of selling is therefore clearly a craft that requires years of practice, which blogs cannot replace. At the same time as digitisation, this craft is still evolving and technology can be a useful selling tool. Whether it's trends in technology or not, it's good to keep watching them and thinking about them, because that's probably what competition does.
