Cold calling is a challenging but rewarding skill that can help you generate leads, sales, and referrals. However, not every cold call technique works for every situation, prospect, or industry. That's why you need to test different cold call techniques and measure their effectiveness. In this article, you'll learn how to do that in six simple steps.
The first step is to define what you want to achieve with your cold calls. Do you want to book a meeting, qualify a lead, pitch a product, or get a referral? Your goal will determine the type of cold call technique you need to use, such as opening with a question, using a value proposition, or leveraging social proof. Write down your goal and make it specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
In my experience, your cold-calling opener technique defines the call. It is the first 8 to 10 seconds that determine what is to follow. I know it is hard and electrifying, but rewarding if it is planned and practiced accordingly. Tip: Just like when you call your best friend - Tonality.
We should make specific goals and also that should be measurable. For example, instead of saying "I want to increase my sales," say "I want to increase my sales by 10% in the next quarter." Our goals should be challenging but achievable. If our goals are too easy, we won't be motivated to achieve them. If our goals are too difficult, we'll be discouraged and give up. Our goals should be relevant to our business and our overall sales goals. We should not set goals that are not aligned with our overall business objectives. Our goals should have a specific deadline. This will help us to stay focused and motivated.
The next step is to choose the cold call technique that matches your goal and your target audience. There are many cold call techniques to choose from, such as the SPIN method, the BANT framework, the challenger sale, or the referral approach. You can also create your own technique based on your experience, research, and intuition. The key is to choose a technique that aligns with your value proposition, your prospect's pain points, and your differentiation.
The third step is to create your script based on your chosen technique. A script is not a word-for-word transcript of what you will say, but a guide that helps you structure your conversation, anticipate objections, and deliver your key messages. A good script should have a clear introduction, a compelling hook, a concise pitch, a strong call to action, and a smooth transition to the next step. You can use templates, examples, or formulas to create your script, but make sure to customize it for your situation and your prospect.
The fourth step is to test your technique with a small sample of prospects. You can use different criteria to select your sample, such as industry, size, location, or role. The idea is to test your technique with a representative and diverse group of prospects that can give you valuable feedback. You can also test different variations of your technique, such as changing the opening, the hook, the pitch, or the call to action. The goal is to find out what works and what doesn't, and why.
We should use A/B testing that is a method of comparing two different versions of a cold call to see which one is more effective. We can A/B test different elements of our cold call, such as the opening, the hook, the pitch, or the call to action. We should use CRM system that can help us to track our cold calls and measure our results. This can help us to see which techniques are working best and make adjustments as needed. We should ask our colleagues, friends, or family for feedback on our cold-calling techniques. This can help us to identify areas where we can improve. We should use a call-tracking tool that can help us to track the results of our cold calls.
After you have identified and created your new talk track or technique you're going to want to test it. Before going live with some prospects, grab a few of your colleagues and run a roleplaying session. Use the new talk track with them on a few different scenarios and listen to how it plays out. The truth is that not all talk tracks will play out exactly how you expect them to be. Once you have reiterated to be more realistic, start placing some dials and test it on live conversations.
The fifth step is to measure your results and compare them with your goal. You can use different metrics to measure your results, such as conversion rate, response rate, meeting rate, or revenue. You can also use qualitative data, such as feedback, comments, or testimonials. The key is to use objective and consistent data that can help you evaluate your technique and identify areas of improvement. You can use tools, such as spreadsheets, CRM systems, or analytics platforms, to collect and analyze your data.
Measuring your new techniques will differ depending on what they are and when they happen in the conversation. The first metric to look at is how far into the conversation have you gone after using this new technique and how have prospects responded to it. If the answer is negative and not very far I would go back to the drawing board.
The final step is to optimize your technique based on your results and feedback. You can use different methods to optimize your technique, such as A/B testing, split testing, or multivariate testing. You can also use best practices, tips, or advice from experts or peers. The idea is to make small but impactful changes to your technique that can increase your performance and achieve your goal. You can also repeat the testing, measuring, and optimizing process until you find the optimal technique for your situation.