For any company, the issue of finding new customers is always relevant, which is associated with working in the "cold" market. How are "cold" sales different from "warm"? How to make an unfamiliar skeptical person a “hot” client?
How are cold sales different from hot sales?
Negotiating with customers without intermediaries is called direct sales. Hot and cold sales are carried out in different markets. The "hot" market is regular customers, visitors to stores, that is, the target audience.
For any company, the issue of finding new customers is always relevant, which is associated with working in the "cold" market. As a rule, “cold” sales are business trips, telephone calls and a mandatory meeting with a potential client, product presentation.
“Cold” calls are telephone conversations, the result of which should be a positive attitude, an agreement to meet or a deal concluded.
The specifics of working in the "cold" market
Work in the "cold" market has its pros and cons.
Positive sides | Negative sides |
Effective work gives a significant increase in sales and allows you to increase the competitiveness of the company, product, service. | Sellers who have not been taught how to use the technology of “cold” sales and calls receive a lot of rejections and lose enthusiasm. |
Cold sales are an unlimited number of potential customers. | Developing professionalism in this matter takes time. |
Minimum financial costs and reduced advertising costs. |
Any department of "cold" sales needs technology that will help effective work with customers.
10 rules for successful cold sales
The rules of "cold" sales are recommendations collected from articles and books about the business of several well-known authors.
- Before negotiations, release tension and relax. A successful salesperson is an energetic and confident person.
- Positive attitude. Self motivation.
- Thoroughly know the product to be sold.
- Create a comfortable environment for the client, arouse sympathy. “Hook” the buyer, just interest, but not “push” the goods.
- Feel the customer. What language, with what intonation does he speak? You can use similar vocabulary, tone of voice, style of speech.
- To form an interest in yourself, in your product, service, company through the media and participation in customer meetings, forums, fairs, exhibitions and other events. Creating newsletters, leaflets with useful information for potential customers.
- Capturing productive “cold” calls with meeting arrangements.
- Constantly and daily replenish the base of new customers.
- Remember that every “no” brings you closer to closing a deal. In order to conclude a profitable deal, one must be prepared to hear a lot of refusals.
- Be sure to prepare before calls and meetings using cold sales scenarios.
Ability to respond to failures
Business negotiations in the "cold" market are always associated with objections and excuses of potential consumers. A negative answer can be predicted and used as a fulcrum for turning negotiations in the right direction. The first rejection is usually formulated as one of four options.
Refusal form | Approximate manager reaction (the desired result is to arrange a meeting) |
- “No thanks, we already have this product” or “We are happy with everything”
| It is very good that you already have this product. Representatives of many organizations (list) said the same thing until they became acquainted with our product (service), especially with ... (interest in the unique feature of the product). They realized that our service helps ... We should meet. Will you be comfortable on Wednesday at three o’clock? |
- “We are not interested in this”
| Many responded the same way when we turned to them for the first time. But later they got a chance to understand what advantages they can get with the help of our proposal (include in the phrase an example of the organization with which you collaborated). |
| I came (calling) to you to arrange a meeting. |
| Maybe it’s better for us to just meet and talk. Are you comfortable on Wednesday at three o’clock? |
All the secrets of “cold” sales come down to elementary rules, confidently contact your interlocutor by name, tell the truth, interest, avoiding formulaic phrases. Cold sales are the result of a lively dialogue, not an exchange of trivial phrases. Failure is not a sentence, but the opportunity to "open the right door."
Cold Sales Technology
The sales process can be divided into four stages. The main task at each stage is to provide the next step and speed up the sale.
| Easy conversation. Without spectacular introductions, a simple acquaintance with the client as a person. Talking about the product is simple and to the point. |
- Information gathering phase
| It takes up to 80% of the time and effort of the entire sales process. What information will help to make a presentation and make a deal? This information is not about needs, but about the activities of the interlocutor. To get it, you need to ask the right questions and use “cold” calls. As a result, an answer appears to the question of how a particular product (service) will help the client to do what he wants. |
| The presentation is the result of the previous process. Its purpose is not to show the goods, but to convey to the consumer the rationale for his choice and conclude a deal. |
- Transaction, conclusion of an agreement
| The logical conclusion of the presentation. For example, contacting a client: "What do you think about this?" "What do you think?" |
The cold sales method is productive if enough information is gathered for the presentation.
Presentation Argument
Arguments during the presentation must be submitted in a specific order. First, talk about the strengths of the product. The first 2-3 arguments should affect the emotions and feelings of the interlocutor. In the middle, draw the attention of the client to 1-2 simple properties of the product, for example, utility. In the end, give three of the strongest arguments that justify the purchase.
7 secrets of effective “cold” calls
“Cold” sales are a logical result of the chain: a call - a meeting - a presentation. Calling a stranger and making an appointment is not as difficult as it sounds if you play by the rules.
- It is better to carry out telephone conversations, not sitting stooped while sitting at the table, but standing, as the voice will sound livelier. A tall stool is also suitable.
- The voice will be perceived nicer if the muscles are relaxed. Smile You can rehearse by putting a mirror in front of you to see your smile.
- Those who train a lot are doomed to success. The dialogue with the client can be repeated at home with a loved one. Training helps to remember cold sales scenarios, answers to possible questions and work out the technique.
- Record your negotiations on the recorder. Only after listening to the conversation from the side, you can hear your mistakes. Analysis of voice recordings improves call efficiency by 40%.
- Discipline and time frame. Productive negotiations with one client are held within two to three minutes. For example, 10-15 “cold” calls every day at the same time for 30 minutes.
- A simple “Call Accounting” table will help evaluate the effectiveness of the work. The table should be entered not just the number of dialed numbers, but the number of conversations brought to the end, scheduled and held meetings.
- Hear the interlocutor and do not interrupt. According to statistics, 99% of newcomers, introducing themselves or asking a question, can not stand a pause and wait for an answer. A pause helps the other person switch to the conversation.
Psychology as a key to sales
Making sales successful will help psychology.
- Facial expression can tell a lot about the mood and thoughts of the interlocutor.
- Smile and eye contact - customer confidence.
- There are many open questions for maintaining a conversation and collecting information: “What do you think about the product?”, “Do you have any wishes?”.
- The correct presentation of information. Firstly, a positive image of the product, a vivid image. Secondly, commercial materials. Thirdly, the cost if there is interest and contact is established.
How to prepare a sales training?
Active forms of training in order to obtain knowledge, develop skills and consolidate skills are called trainings. Sales training on “cold” calls allows you to work out the difficult moments of negotiations. Before the training, participants are told the negotiation theory needed to complete the assignments.
Topic | Exercise content |
Segments of our market | Break into groups of potential consumers. For each, formulate the main argument for acquiring a product. |
Product Presentation | The goal is to interest the interlocutor. Come up with a key phrase about the benefits of the product in three ways. |
Successful telephone conversations | Listen to the recording of your telephone conversations, evaluate them using a special form. |
Determine the purpose (choose from the list) of telephone conversations with the secretary, dressed the sales manager , and the department head. |
Drawing up a form (table) for entering information obtained during negotiations. |
Work in pairs. Conversation with the manager, department head and director. The goal is to make an appointment. |
How to get around the "Cerberus"? | Choose a tactic and come up with a wording to get around the adamant secretary. |
Objections | Remember the answers to common objections and work in pairs. - “We have a contract with another firm.”
- “We are not interested in this.”
- “We don't need that.”
- “We cannot afford it.”
- “Call another employee.”
|
As statistics show, almost 90% of the information received at trainings and seminars is forgotten after a month. Trainings are useful if the sales manager regularly trains, repeats and consolidates the knowledge gained during the training.
Conclusion
All the secrets of "cold" sales are to constantly work on yourself. The one who is capable of self-motivation succeeds. Faith and love for your work help resolve any difficult situations!