Phone prospecting is difficult. It’s hard to get a person on the line, and when you finally do reach someone you want to make sure you’re doing all you can during the call to achieve your ultimate goal: setting an appointment.
It’s not easy, which is why we’ve outlined six key components of successful prospecting calls to help you plan what to say, determine a real reason for your call and set the ball in motion to move your prospect forward:
- Start with an introduction. Introduce yourself and your company, and state the reason why you’re calling. If you have a legitimate reason for reaching out, it won’t be a cold call. Some reasons you can give for the call might include:
- “I was referred to you by _________.”
- “We have a bunch of mutual connections on LinkedIn.”
- “I saw you speak at _________event.”
- “I met you at _________.”
- “I saw the article that was written in the _________.”
- “I see you were honored as _________.”
- “I saw that you were recently promoted to _________.”
- “I wanted to follow up on the email I sent.”
- “I wanted to follow up on the information I dropped off.”
- Confirm the time. Make sure this is a good time for them to talk with you. Ask “Do you have a few moments?” or “Have I caught you at a good time?”
- Transition back to your reason for calling. Repeat why you’re reaching out. For example, “Like I said, I am calling because I was referred to you by _________.”
- Name drop. Mention other companies and organizations similar to theirs that you’ve helped with your product or services.
- Mention benefit statements. Elaborate on how you’ve helped those other companies solve problems, and state the benefits they’ve gotten by working with you.
- Close for the appointment. Use the alternative close, which gives them two choices and makes it difficult for them to turn you down. For example, “It looks like I’ll be on your area on _________ and _________. Which works better for you?”
By including these six components on your prospecting calls, you’ll stop calling cold, increase your chances of moving the conversation forward and, ultimately, land more appointments!