Today’s Blog post comes from 
“Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work)”
by Stephan Schiffman
Get it off Amazon Here

One of the keys to embracing cold calls is success.   One of the primary ingredients of Success is Cold Call Mechanics.   Confidence increases with Competence.   Learn the 5 basic elements of the initial cold call

Chapter 4: Cold Call Mechanics

There are 5 basic elements to the initial cold call:

1. Get the person’s attention- Begin by making a statement that will get attention and open up a conversation.  If I’m calling you, depending on what I say, you’re going to respond.  No matter what I say, you’re going to respond somehow.  The better I get, the more likely I’m going to get a good response.
   1. People Respond In Kind:  Salespeople forget this so they try a nifty opening like “If I could save you 8 zillion dollars, would you be interested?”  How do you feel when someone asks that?   Gimicky openings don’t work because they produce a gimmicky response.  Ask a stupid question, get a stupid response.  Make a reasonable statement, get a reasonable response.
   2. The Best way to get someone’s attention:  Just call up and say “Good Morning Mr. Jones.”  It’s that’s simple.   When people call your name, you pay attention.
   3. When you analyze a call, you realize that the key points to focus on are the response and the turnaround.  How well can you handle the response and turn that response around??  Given that, we have to develop an opening that’s going to lead to that.  “Good Morning Mr. Jones” or “Good morning Bob” does that.  It’s going to lead to a response.
   4. The key is not the opening, even though people tend to obsess on it.  The reality is that no matter what you say in the opening, people are going to respond to you, and you can prepare for those responses.
2. Identify yourself and your company:  If you just call up and say your name and the name of your company – and they don’t know you – you probably won’t get the response you want.  So build a brief introduction.
   1. Not “Good Morning Mr. Jones, this is Dave Powers from Worldwide Sales Training”, but “Good Morning Mr. Jones, this is Dave Powers from Worldwide Sales Training her in New York City.  We’re a major sales training company that’s worked with over 500,000 salespeople.”
3. Give the reason for your call:  When calling for an appointment, I suggest you say the following: “The reason I’m calling you today specifically is to set an appointment.”
   1. If you just said THAT enough, you would get appointments.
   2. You generate a better response if you indicate what you want.  If you sit on a bunch in the park with a hat in front of you, you will get more money than just sitting on a bench.  Add a bell and you are even better.
   3. 1 in 12 will book just because you asked.  They will determine in their own head a reason why.

Now ENHANCE it by saying “The reason I’m calling you today specifically is to set an appointment so I can stop by and tell you about our new sales training programs and how they can increase productivity of your sales force.”

• Paint the picture by explaining WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM.
• Makes the call directed.  I’m not calling to introduce myself.  I’m not calling to send a card.  I’m not calling to sell anything.  I’m calling to set an appointment.  That’s it.

1. Make a qualifying/questioning statement:   Now add a questioning or qualifying statement that’s going to allow the prospect an opportunity to respond to me in kind- favorably.  The question I’m going to ask has to be based on why I’m calling Mr. Jones.

• Could say “Mr. Jones, are you interested in having qualified salespeople?”  But problem is that kind of question can produce a negative response.  Even if doesn’t make sense.
• Better= “Mr. Jones, I’m sure that you, like a lot of the other companies that I work with …” and here I insert some real names.  Mention other companies would recognize.  Might sound like “I’m sure you, like ABC Company, are interested in having a more effective sales staff.”   We now have a name inserted for reference, Mr. Jones will be much more likely to say “Yes, I’m interested.”

1. Set the appointment:  The request must be specific, direct, brief, and specific.  Don’t change it.

• Just say “That’s great, Mr. Jones, then we should get together.  How about Tuesday at 3:00?”
  • Don’t give alternate times.
• Now the discussion is on when we are going to get together, not whether we’re going to get together.
• Biggest mistake most people make is to fail to ask directly for the appointment.   MUST POSE IT EXACTLY AS STATED HERE!!!

Put it all together:  “Good Morning Mr. Jones, this is Dave Powers from Worldwide Sales Training here in New York City.  We’re a major sales training company; we’ve worked with more than 500,000 salespeople.  The reason I’m calling you today specifically is so I can stop by and tell you about our new sales training program and how it can increase the productivity of your sales force.  I’m sure that you, like ABC Company, are interested in having a more effective sales staff. <positive response>  That’s great, Mr. Jones. I think we should get together.  How’s Tuesday at 3:00?”

You must emphasize that you are calling for an appointment.

“But I don’t want to use a script!” = Have you seen a move or TV show recently that you liked?  Did it sound like a script?  No.  It doesn’t sound like a script because the actor has internalized what has to be said.  And that is what you must do.

• The key is to develop a scrip that will help you say what you need to say, while freeing you to pay attention to the prospects response.