3 Cold Calling Techniques That Really Work in 2023

Cold calling has long been a tried-and-true method for booking sales meetings and closing deals. However, with the advent of new technology and changing buyer behaviors, it's crucial to adjust your approach to maximize your chances of success. While there’s no magic formula for cold calling, there are a few steps you can take to get better results.

In this blog post, we'll explore three cold calling techniques that have proven to be effective in today's business landscape.

1. Use Trigger-Based Cold Call Openings:

The first impression you make on a prospect is critical. Instead of using generic and impersonal opening lines, take the time to research "triggers" that make your prospects good candidates for your solution. Triggers are indications, events, or reasons that can capture a prospect's attention and demonstrate your relevance to their needs. By incorporating triggers into your cold call opening, you increase the likelihood of catching your prospect’s attention from the start.

Keep in mind, you don’t have to spend much time researching these openers. Most businesses only have a handful of relevant triggers. This means you can bucket all of these triggers into individual sequences, and speed right through your call list.

Examples of triggers: a new blog post, a funding round, a job posting, a new product release, a new feature release, a new hire, among many more.

For example, imagine you're calling Bob, the owner of a marketing agency. Instead of a generic opening, you could say, "Hey Bob - I'm reaching out because I noticed that you haven't published any new content on your blog since December. Mind if I ask you a quick question about that?"

This approach immediately demonstrates your knowledge of the prospect's situation and creates a curiosity that encourages them to hear you out.

2. Be as Specific as Possible

When engaging prospects during a cold call, it's important to provide specific examples that demonstrate your understanding of their unique circumstances. Instead of making generic statements about their business or industry, take the time to gather information and pinpoint specific details that set them apart.

Here are a few examples:

Bad: "I noticed your team is growing," you can say,

Better: "I noticed your team is growing with the recent additions of Bob and Emily."

Bad: “We helped another company reduce churn”

Better: “We helped another HR Saas company reduce churn 15%"

By mentioning specific team members, you show that you've done your homework and are genuinely interested in their business. This personalized approach helps to establish rapport and credibility, increasing the likelihood of a productive conversation.

3. Use Technology to Have More Conversations

To maximize the number of conversations you have from cold calls, it's essential to leverage tools and technologies that help with this.

Consider using a parallel dialer (tools like Orum, Salesfinity, Nooks, and others) or a solution like Phone Ready Leads (our preferred method)*. This ensures you’re having enough conversations every day, and not simply dialing numbers of people who won’t answer.

Parallel dialers enable you to make multiple simultaneous calls, eliminating the time wasted on unanswered calls or voicemails. If you’re looking for a more targeted approach, consider using Phone Ready Leads. Phone Ready Leads is a service that identifies prospects who have a demonstrated history of answering the phone, meaning you won’t be wasting time on prospects who don’t pick up the phone.

This means more opportunities to connect with potential customers and increase your chances of converting leads into sales.

Conclusion

Cold calling remains a powerful sales technique when executed strategically. By using researched cold call openings, being specific with your examples, and leveraging tools to increase the number of conversations you have per day, you can enhance your cold calling effectiveness and improve your sales results. Remember, personalization, relevance, and efficiency are key to capturing and retaining your prospects' attention in today's competitive marketplace.

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