Of today's selling strategies, cold calling is often viewed as one of the lesser effective tactics for driving new business. With a shift in prospect behavior and how information is accessed, nowadays, the person on the other end of the call may often feel as if the sales rep is simply intruding. This often leads to a lack of trust right from the start. Because of content marketing and the Internet, prospects no longer feel the need for someone to "educate" them and tell them what they need. They have enough information and they come to the table with a reasonable idea about what they need. This informed prospect has changed the way we do business and how we engage in prospecting. The new prospect wants to feel assisted rather than invaded. A new cold calling strategy can be successful if the approach is redefined and updated to adapt to today’s informed consumers. Cold Calling 2.0 is about conversing with contacts who may already be expecting you to reach out. Here is how you can benefit by updating your cold calling tactics to cold calling 2.0; a new, warmer approach.

Prospects Will Be More Receptive

The new cold calling format is about conversing with contacts that have already interacted with your brand in some way. So, for one, prospects will be more receptive and attentive. You'll be working with a pre-qualified list, which means you can craft a targeted, more meaningful message. Prospects will be more inclined to expect a follow-up from you than be blind-sided by a call when they’ve never heard of you, your company or product.

Use Cold Calling As Research

Selling takes time, and a cold call does not ensure a definite yes or no, even if this is a lead you've exchanged emails with. Use cold calling to extract more information about the individual, company and industry. Accessing more information about your potential buyer will help you gauge whether they are a right fit and how soon they would be interested in making a deal. Taking the time to understand their business will help you deliver more value long term.

Quicker Connections

The lead has expressed some kind of interest by sharing their contact details, which has landed them in your database. With a call, you can politely ask and figure out how much interest they have in making a purchase and take it from there. Rather than the prospect feeling like you are intruding, they now appreciate your follow-up and assistance with their interest. And rather than having a lack of trust, you are establishing a trusting relationship with them. While email and social media are great tools for corresponding, they can also be long-winded. How much time does it take before they see your message and respond back, if they see it at all? How exactly should you approach them on social media: via a campaign, a direct message or a contest? In the end, picking up the telephone ensures the possibility of a conversation and a possible conversion to a qualified deal. You call and, if you don't get through, you can always leave a voicemail!

Salesvue makes the prospecting process easier by automating follow-ups and allowing you to customize the message. You don't have to use the same script for everyone; customizable campaigns help you refine the marketing message so that when you do make a cold call, it can be consistent with what the prospect wants. Request a demo to learn more today.