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Inspiration

Telephone prospecting: How good are you?

L et's assume you want to prospect by phone, • I recently received your name from my corporation
and you've obtained a list of merchants likely printout of key accounts and am interested in learn-
to benefit from your products and services. The ing more about your company (firm, store, etc.)
individuals on the list may be "warm" or "cold"
leads. For example, they might be current customers • Are you presently using a (insert name of service
whom you want to upgrade, or they could be prospects or product)?
new to you.
• I expect to be in your area on Tuesday. Now (insert
A number of sales professionals pursue only warm leads, prospect's name) I'd like to show you how my pro-
that is, those that have been warmed up by prior con- gram will increase your profits. Is Tuesday good or
tact with you, colleagues or satisfied customers. Those would Wednesday be better?
prospects will already have a sense of who you
are when you call. However, according to You can take charge
some sales trainers, avoiding cold calls
is misguided. These bullet points aren't to be memo-
rized. They are offered to spur your
It's a state of mind thinking about how to open con-
versations in various situations.
"I continue to be baffled by Above all, to communicate ef-
those who cut off possibili- fectively you must be your-
ties with a semantic twist," self, and part of that is us-
wrote Wendy Weiss on the ing your own language,
Business Know-How web- not words you've read in
site (www.businessknow- an article or in a sales
how.com/marketing/warm- script.
call.htm). "Cold call, warm
call; it's simply a state of It's also important to re-
mind. Your mind. Your member your goal is to
prospect does not make establish relationships.
those distinctions." She If you develop strong
also noted that just because ties, sales will naturally
you think a contact is warm follow. Focus on making
doesn't mean the contact meaningful connections
agrees with you. with the people you call.

Weiss believes to be effective, In addition, be prepared.
you must: Know what your assets are and
what you want to say. Be concise,
• Control your message don't ramble, listen well and respond
appropriately to what your prospects
• Be able to communicate effectively so that a say. Some people also advise placing a mir-
prospect understands and resonates with what you ror beside your phone. If you sit up straight, smile
have to say and look confident, this will be reflected in your voice.

• Have the skill necessary to communicate with a And remember, set aside time to make calls. All the prep-
prospect under any circumstance aration in the world will be of no use if you don't pick up
that receiver, tap in a number and say hello. "Your suc-
So, how do you control the conversation and communi- cess depends upon the skills you develop as a prospector,"
cate well under any circumstance? In Good Selling!SM The Green wrote. "Start looking for new prospects today, and
Basics, Paul H. Green offered several ideas for breaking if you never stop, neither will your income."
the ice after you identify yourself to a prospect. For ex-
ample, you could say: Kate Gillespie, President and CEO

• I've been assigned the responsibility of serving
your account. I would like to take the opportunity
to introduce myself and arrange an appointment to
meet with you in person.