Many people can work hard and become exceedingly skilled in a profession. But very few have the bravery to find clients, earn their business and keep them for recurring services. Prospecting is the fundamental skill necessary for finding new clients. It requires a list, a telephone, tenacity, a playful attitude and the ability to let rejection roll off you. Lets’s first address what is huge in most people’s minds, the fear of cold calling. Friend or stranger, all are just people, two sides of the same coin. It depends on the industry, but people for the most part are great. The Master Seller sees everybody as their cousin. Yes there is rejection, but it’s nothing personal.
The trick to a successful cold call is to get the prospects to talk. First stand up. This adds volume to your voice and better emulates meeting someone in person. Dial the phone from a list of leads. Call your lead and someone will answer. It may be your target, or a receptionist. Who ever answers, treat them like they’re the CEO. You’re opening statement should contain:
- Who your are
- Where you’re from
- What you do
- Why you’re calling
- Finishing with an open-ended question
And do this in one VERY short sentence. Again, one very short, easy to say, quickly rolls off your tongue sentence. So easy to say you can memorize it. The goal is to listen.
What would you say in your opening statement? Would you like an example tomorrow?
The Tao Te Ching of Sales 