Cold calling tips and sales techniques leave most sales-people in the cold.

Most companies and biz owners would rather pretend cold calling doesn’t work than spend time calling freezing cold prospects.

Don’t let yourself (or your business) ignore these cold calling tips while your competitors are (secretly) using it as a bottomless goldmine…

BEST PART: The tips below literally make cold calling so comfortable, your grand mother could do it (and make loads of sales).

Cold Calling Tip #1 – Set Realistic Goals

I’m going to go ahead, be honest and level with you: The “real deal” freezing cold calling will not sell anything directly.

So many entrepreneurs (and wannabe sales-folk) set unrealistic cold calling goals – only to quit (prematurely) when they don’t work out.

Phoning total strangers and asking for credit card numbers is going to win you no friends (and the consolation prize is verbal abuse).

The cold calling “phone and ask for a sale” approach works in very few industries (I’d struggle to name three).

The realistic alternative is to incorporate cold calling as the first point of contact which feeds new prospects into your sales funnel.

When you set a realistic goal for your calling, then it’s easy to be successful. The feeling of achievement itself, for you and your sales reps, is gonna breed more success.

Here’s a couple of realistic, achievable and profitable cold calling goals:

100 “Permissions” to send info (via post or email) and follow up by phone call

If your product is top notch, you can hit this milestone in less than a week of part-time 8am-12pm calling. Try mailing out something remarkable (like a brochure in the shape of a giant tree – whatever) to ensure it gets opened. The recipient needs to notice it.

10 Sales appointments with qualified prospects

This works well in the B2B market and in industries like Insurance and Finance where cold calling for home appointments is appropriate. A masterful cold caller can convert around ten percent. Beginners can expect around five.

Just a single day of full time calling will net this result. I know Insurance guys who do it all on Sunday evening.

Cold Calling is for selling “the opportunity” to sell another day

These examples show that, when cold calling works really well, it is because it bags an opportunity to contact the prospect and sell to them.

There is a psychological reason this works so well…

People are conditioned to be immediately distrustful of anyone trying to pitch them. Any attempt to accelerate the sales process beyond the comfort zone of the prospect will be met with increased resistance and resentment. Don’t do it.

A couple of points of contact will give your prospects time to warm to you, your company and your pitch. Many effective cold-callers keep a database of numbers from 6 months (or a year ago) to continue “calling back”. Do this.

Cold Calling Tip #2 – You’ve got 3 seconds. No pressure

The crucial element of cold calling (where 95% of the wannabes get it wrong) is the first three seconds after saying hello.

Three seconds is the size of the “window-of-opportunity” you have to get your prospect interested. If they’re not curious after three seconds, it means they’ll dismiss you and your offer. Instead of listening, they’ll start thinking up objections and excuses to hang up the call.

How do you create Cold Call curiosity in under three seconds?

Have a legitimately exceptional product/service: Easier said than done, it really helps if your business is doing something so extraordinarily awesome that people can’t wait to hear more. This is a long term goal for some.

Offer a quick, easy and commitment-free next step: This could be asking for permission to keep talking, or even better, asking for permission to send a free sample.

Make the prospect feel special: If they feel like the 200th prospect you’ve spoken to that day, they’re not going to enjoy the call. In B2B cold-calling you can get immediate interest by mentioning vertical market competitors who you’ve “spoken to”… and explaining why you thought your prospect would be interested.

Have an eloquent, concise scripted three second intro: You’d think this would be obvious, but so many businesses and sales reps fail to recognise the importance of a fluid introduction. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP

A good three second intro that adheres to these principals would look like this:

“Hi <Prospect>! I’m calling for ACME gardening co. We’re doing a crazy promotion in your street by expertly mowing people’s lawns for free. If you’re interested, I just need to get a preferred date and time for your free mow.”

Regardless of how realistic it would be to mow lawns for free, do you see the cold calling principals in action here?

P.S. Secret cold calling tricks

I won’t lie – I added a few extra secret strategies into the example above. Let me know if you spotted them by leaving a comment below…

Smart entrepreneurs know the value of landing that “big fish” client or customer. Check out the business networking tips cheat sheet here…

Business networking is the only proven strategy for reeling in that big fish. Networking is the 80/20 principal in action – just a tiny bit of time invested can generate 80% of your business!

The reason? The clients really worth having will never beat down your door to meet you and probably won’t respond to your advertising either.

If you’re in retail or there is no such thing as a “big-fish” customer in your industry, then you could use the following tips for establishing relationships with the best suppliers or strategic partners.

Business Networking Tip #1: Introduction Magic

Do not underestimate the power of a live testimonial – generated, of course, by an introduction from a mutual friend. Better yet, get introduced by a raving fan customer.

You may need to coach your “introducer” to announce you to the “big fish” like this:

Introducer: “Hey Big Fish! I wouldn’t normally interrupt but I just saw my buddy at this event and I absolutely had to introduce the two of you”

If the big fish trusts and respects your introducer, then you just got their interest and attention in 5 seconds flat!

Business Networking Tip #2: Calm down and play it smart

The over-eager, rapid-fire card dispenser  wins no friends. In fact, it’s kind of embarrassing just to watch.

About once a month, I stand above my rubbish bin (trash can) and sort through the inevitable pile of business cards.

Each card gets a half-second glance while by brain searches for recognition. About 90% end up as recycling.

Being a smart player in the networking game means waiting for the ideal moment to approach your “big fish”. Striking at that right moment means you’ll have a chance to chat and create a lasting impression.

Believe it or not, it is this “impression” – not the design of your business card, that will ensure you make it into the Rolo-dex.

Business Networking Tip #3: Trying to sell will murder your chances

People do not attend networking events to be solicited by each person in the room. As desperate as you may be to kick off a relationship with this important person, resist all temptation to blurt out your pitch!

Instead, learn to ask questions that uncover problems or issues that the person (or their business) faces. You can then position yourself as the potential solution to one (or many) of those problems….

… Take their card and leave them with the expectation that you’ll be in touch shortly to deliver the problem solving pitch.

Questions to uncover problems could include:

“What do you do?…… I see! How is your business approaching this “recession” thing?”

“What big changes in your industry do you see coming up in the next 6 months?”

… and the cheeky option when you have enough rapport:

“What is going on in your business that you’d rather be here at this event, than in the office?”

Business Networking Tip #4: The biggest mistake

If someone does hand over their card to you, do not interpret this an invitation to phone them. Certainly, never ever phone their mobile.

By phoning, you risk destroying the fragile relationship by coming on too strong and/or presenting an inconvenience they never wanted or asked for.

Email is the best bet. You can increase the chances of your message getting opened and read by telling them you’ll be sending it.

A really cool tactic is to drop off custom, beautifully printed material (with a personal note) to their company receptionist. The receptionist will pass on the papers and mention the fact that, unusually, you actually turned up to it drop off. Typically, the “big-fish” person will then invite you back for a meeting.

Business Networking Tip #5: Introduce others

Remember, networking isn’t always about you. You’ll quickly develop a reputation as a trustworthy and useful contact when you regularly introduce people who have great value to share.

Doing this requires you to get over any scarcity fears that you have. There is plenty of business to go around and helping out others isn’t going to harm you (quite the opposite!). If you struggle with this concept, you shouldn’t be attempting to network at all.

If your clients know that you are a great networker and have benefitted from referrals that you’ve provided, then you’ll get many more useful referrals from them. Everyone wins.

Summing it up:

Business Networking isn’t as easy as many people think. Firing out business cards indiscriminately without introductions is going to do more damage than good.

The simple recipe of getting introductions, waiting for the right moment, solving problems, polite follow-up and giving back will result in the biggest and best business opportunities available… best of all, it’s low cost and hardly takes any time!

This psychological (but simple) sales technique is being used by some of the world’s top entrepreneurs, including a bunch of personal development and internet marketing gurus.

Fear of being let down, disappointed or ripped off is the biggest roadblock to any successful sale.  This technique literally eliminates “prospect fear” by building a very unique kind of trust.

The strategy is unique because not too many marketers, salespeople or entrepreneurs are using it yet. They will be soon.

Hear it here first…

If we look back at marketing and sales strategies that have produced mega-huge results, a certain style of selling starts to become obvious:

Total confidence

As entrepreneurs, we want people to believe that our products and services are going to give them what they want and need… solutions to their problem.

We need them to be totally certain that this will be the case – so the obvious way to do that, is to sell with our best foot forward.

Irresistable offers, Iron-Clad Guarantees, Risk Reversal and gushing Testimonials are all fantastic techniques to make your offer look like something unbelievably-freakin’-incredible.

Here’s the problem

Consumers have wised up. Potential buyers out there are getting street smart… and now more than ever, there are thousands of these “incredible” deals out there -  all competing for attention.

When everyone offers  a “100% guarantee” the impact is lost.

As consumers, we assume there are con-artists out there (which there are) so we guess (rightly so) that those con-men are offering 100% money-back guarantees… since, after all, everyone else is doing it. The result? 100% guarantee alone means nothing, because we know con-artists use ‘em.

What can you do about it?

To be successful in business, your primary offer… whatever it is you do… has to cut through the thousands of other “amazing” offers and be unique and believable.

The good news is this: You can be believable, build rapport with your prospects and easily get attention by doing one simple thing…

Admit your flaws.

Not personal flaws… I’m talking product/service flaws.

If you tell your prospect what is wrong with your product, what you’re working on improving and specifically, who this is never going to be right for… an incredible thing happens.

You sound human.

You feel Believable.

You stick out from the crowd.

It takes guts because most business owners would rather eat off their arm than admit flaws… simply for fear of all the business they’ll turn away.

And to be honest, admitting flaws will turn away some prospects – this is a good thing, because the people who become uninterested are the ones who would have big problems with those flaws!

It’s kind of logical, isn’t it.

Be unique by admitting you’re not perfect: Make it clear that there is a “small catch” (those two words are magic for building rapport).

My iron clad GUARANTEE to you: If you make your product’s flaws an obvious part of your sales and marketing, you’ll get more and more quality customers. Both you and them will end up happier.

There is a small catch: You have to throw yourself and your business at this 100% – there’s no half-way job on being honest about oneself and one’s business.

Got a question? Use the comment section below to get detailed and specific advice.

Sales strategies or tools are often considered as dirty mind tricks by those of us who don’t have the experience of working in sales (or our own business).

Everyone needs to pay attention to the latest techniques that sales people are employing. Here are a couple of important reasons why:

1. Advertisers are using this stuff on you all the time – get back control of your consumer decisions by wising up
2. If you want to be able to sell an idea then the same sneaky tricks will ensure you win every time

For me, both of these points are important, but it was the last that had me pick up a sales “how-to” guide and start swotting.

Any linguistic trick that’s focused on having people change their minds (and keep the change!) is, to me, worth knowing.

My 1% challenge for today (if you’re reading this, congrats on migrating from email to blog) is to get out of your comfort zone:

Learn and use a sneaky, dirty sales trick… in an ethical manner which makes the world (at least for one person) a slightly better place.

Try selling a empowering idea to someone who really needs it … shouldn’t be hard to find a test subject.

Peter Shallard