Cold calling prospect is a cost-effective way to generate new leads for your business. When carried out respectfully, it can succeed where traditional telemarketing fails - by laying the foundations for positive long-term relationships.
People are inherently wary of unexpected phone calls. If you want to cultivate lasting B2B relationships, you need to keep the following key points in mind.
1. Make a time investment
Invest the extra time to learn about your prospects and their immediate needs. Take a genuine interest in what they do and you’ll soon discover whether there’s scope for your businesses to work together.
2. Ditch the ‘batch and blast’ approach
The old-school ‘batch and blast’ telemarketing mindset is a relic best left in the past. Calling 1000 people and firing a pre-prepared script at them as quickly as possible isn’t a good use of their – or your – time.
Quality is far more important than quantity and you should think of your calls as the groundwork of a relationship, not a way to make a quick sale.
3. Be prepared, not robotic
Reading from a script is unlikely to have new clients clamouring for your support. The way you communicate is key to building strong and long-lasting B2B relationships.
Make sure you introduce yourself before asking carefully considered questions that will establish whether the prospect has a genuine need for the product or service you’re offering.
Remember, the first phone call is not the right time to test out your sales pitch.
4. Accept when the fit isn’t right
A successful relationship is built on mutual benefit. No matter how accurate you think your data is, there’s no guarantee that the person you are calling will be interested in what you have to say.
You will quickly be able to tell that the person you are speaking with is, or is not, the right person for what you are offering.
5. Good manners at all times
Maintaining a good reputation is extremely important. You do not want to be remembered for being too pushy or aggressive when it comes to promoting your services.
Never pressure a prospect into a decision. This is the tactic that gave telemarketing a bad name.
Need more help generating B2B leads in the right way? Our friendly team of relationship builders at Straightahead UK are on hand to support you.