The Best Cold Call Script Ever
YOU HAVE your list of names and phone numbers. Before the end of the day, you need to make 100 calls. Your sales manager has given your team a big pep-up talk encouraging you to dial, dial, dial.
Now all you need is a cold call script. And not just any script … the best cold call script ever.
How to Create a Cold Call Script
Step 1: Identify 2-3 verticals
First, you need to cherry-pick who you’ll call. Your time is valuable — don’t waste it on markets that aren’t a good fit for your product. Think about who your best customers are (or who you’ve had the most success calling in the past) and look for common attributes.
For example, maybe your verticals are hospitality and retail. Or maybe they’re finance and banking. Once you’ve figured out which verticals to target, you’re ready for step 2.
Step 2: Identify 20 good-fit prospects
It should now be much easier to find specific companies or people who could use your product or service. Just use LinkedIn. Let’s say you’re looking for hotel companies who might benefit from your on-site goat yoga classes (who doesn’t want to do shavasana with a baby goat while they’re on vacation.)
Search “People who work at hotel” and/or “General manager” with the “Hospitality” filter.
Voila – a list of potential customers.
Bonus points if you look for local or regional companies. People love to do business with other locals, which I recently observed when I was in Brisbane, Queensland. If you’re in Queensland, you want to give your business to other Queenslanders, right?
Step 3: Research each prospect
I know, I know, you’d rather just pick up the phone and call. But trust me, spending just a minute upfront will make you wildly more successful. So do it!
You’re already on LinkedIn. Check out each prospect’s profile so you know:
- What their company does
- What they do specifically
- If you’ve helped a similar company in the past
- One “fun fact” about them
One thing I never fail to do: Look up how to pronounce their name. Nothing makes people more annoyed and less likely to listen than hearing their name butchered by some fast-talking rep.
Some people add how they pronounce their name on Facebook. If your prospect hasn’t, try PronounceNames.com.
And if you’re still out of luck? Ask, “I want to be sure I’m saying your name right. How do you pronounce it?”
The Best Cold Calling Script Ever
You may have noticed you’re not really cold calling anymore … You’ve winnowed down your list and done some homework all before picking up the phone. I promise you my friend, this extra work will be worth it.
Now let’s get to the script.
First, say your name and which company you work for. You need to sound confident and energetic. I can’t tell you how many cold calls I listen to that begin with, “This is mlkjdkfj from mnxcmvn.”
The prospect goes, “What? Who??” Right from the start, the call is going poorly.
You don’t need to yell your greeting, but you do need to articulate.
After you say, “This is [name] from [company],” give a short pause.
This is hard for cold callers. They want to jump straight into their pitch. But I want you to take a deep breath and say nothing for eight whole seconds.
While you’re pausing, your prospect is searching their brain for who you could be. It sounds like you know them – are you a client? A former coworker? A current one?
The call is already deviating from the standard cold call. Then you hit them with a question to establish some rapport. Your goal: Get ‘em talking and prove you’re familiar with them and their company.
Here are some sample questions:
- So, [prospect name], I see you went to [university]. How did you like it?
- Wow, you’ve been at [company] for [X years]. How did you get started there?
- Congrats on your recent promotion. How is the new role?
A good question is topical and makes someone smile. If they seem receptive to chatting, ask them a follow-up question.
For instance, if they say, “I loved going to UQ; the English department was fantastic,” you can respond, “That’s great, should I recommend it to my niece who wants to be a writer?”
Eventually, they’ll say, “Alright, why are you calling?”
I cackle. Seriously.
They’ll laugh, because you’re clearly having fun.
Answer, “Sometimes I forget.” Laugh again.
Trust me, this always lightens the mood. (Unless your prospect is in a major hurry, in which case, you should get the point.)
Use a positioning statement. This shows your prospect you work with similar companies and understand their challenges. You’re not talking about yourself, which is what most cold callers do.
Here’s a hypothetical positioning statement: “I work with sales managers in hospitality with five to eight reps on their team. My customers are typically looking to increase rep productivity. Does that sound like you?”
Since you’ve pre-qualified them, they’ll always say “yes.”
Simply say, “Tell me more about that.”
It’s all about them, baby! Now they’ll explain their pain points and objectives — valuable information to start building your pitch.
Everyone wants to have a better day. By making your prospects smile or laugh, giving them a chance to talk about their problems, and showing them you might have a solution, you’ll improve their days. That means stronger relationships and ultimately, more sales.
Until next time… Onwards and Upwards!
John
If you want to talk about sales success for your phone sales team (or yourself!), give John a call 0414 955 743 – advice is totally free of charge.