Cold Calling Tips For Sales People

When it comes to prospecting, sales people often have different ideas on how to navigate the process. From generating leads and appointments, to how many times one should call on a business, there is often doubt surrounding best practices. I’d like to provide some of the tips I’ve learned over the years, working at both start-up businesses and large corporate companies.

Inside vs. Outside

I want to define the meaning of the two terms most often seen on job postings for sales people: “outside rep” and “inside rep.” The former, makes their sales outside the office. The latter, is responsible for generating sales from inside the office. It’s vital that outside reps get outside in their territory or vertical, to get their pulse on what’s happening in the community. Slowly, as the days go on, showing up in-person helps you to start building trust with the people who work at those businesses. Many outside sales reps over the years have told me that walking into a business and speaking in-person with a gatekeeper, will always get you more information then by just calling them on the phone. Plus, there are times when making an in-person cold call, that the owner will pop his/her head out and jump in on the conversation. Save the phone calls for rainy days.

Persistence

Part of the art of sales is being persistent, but not crossing the line of being annoying. Many outside sales reps worry about bothering business owners, by calling on them too many times too soon. It’s important to note that your 30-second walk-in, or phone call is an insignificant part of a potential client’s day. With all the various things they’re juggling on a daily basis, your quick ‘hello’ or request for an appointment is not going to get you blacklisted. It’s important to keep showing your face, because when the time is right, they may feel comfortable enough to hear what you have to say. I’ve always thought it’s best to call on a prospect twice a week (or at least once a week consistently throughout the month). You want to be persistent, without crossing the “Annoying” line.

Provide Value

When prospecting, always walk in to a business having something to say. Know a fact about their business, their competitors, or the amount of searches happening online for their industry. At the very least, quickly check see if their website is responsive or up-to-date.

NO SOLICITING

When riding with a newer sales rep, he and I came across a door with a “No Soliciting” sign. The rep was apprehensive to walk through the door. I let him know that if we were carrying a bag of yo-yos or a suitcase full of gold necklaces, that sign would be referring to us. But we weren’t there to sell anything. All I wanted to do was to ask if I could set an appointment with the correct person - to discuss their business, talk about their goals for the months ahead and see if there was an opportunity to work together. ‘No Soliciting’ signs only have a deterring factor if you’re trying to sell something… and we weren’t. ‘No Trespassing’ signs – that’s a whole different thing. I find it best turn around when I see those.

Motivation

I’ve been at companies where managers use all kinds of motivational tactics to get their reps pumped for the week. There are videos, quotes from famous sales people and pictures that adorn the hallway walls of guys climbing mountains and all that. But here’s the bottom line: we’re all in sales to make money. It’s as simple as that. A big paycheck at the end of the month, should always be motivation enough; for yourself, for your family, for your present and future. Don’t let the many deterrents of the day take you off task, to have you lose your focus. Remember: the more you do during the day, the more $ you can make! You need to be self-motivated, you need to want it.

Fitting Prospecting Into Your Calendar

The best sales reps work prospecting time into their schedule every day. I’ve analyzed what a typical busy day for a sales rep looks like. According to my math, with two one-hour appointments (and 30 minutes travel time for each), an hour internal meeting, an hour lunch and two hours of admin time, there’s still an hour and a half that can be squeezed in.

Learning From The Pros

In every well-structured sales organization, you’ll find sales reps with varying degrees of experience. Younger sales reps with little sales experience are usually hired because their managers see determination, confidence, drive and a positive attitude. It’s crucial for newer reps with strong personalities to keep an open mind when joining the team. It’s important for them to learn from the more seasoned reps; study how they operate and ask them lots of questions. It’s also vital at any level to always consider yourself a novice. Even the best sales reps are continually learning and picking up new angles on things.