Each one of us at some point of time might have experienced calls from a tele-caller representing some company and offers his/her assistance in choosing any of their services. More often these disgruntled calls end up in a verbal fight with the caller. In some cases, the caller can be so convincing so that the customer tantalising on the border may go for a purchase. They say that sales are all about the skill that can be achieved through hard work and luck. The luck factor purely depends on the mood of the customer. A good mood of the customer gives the caller an opportunity to impress.
A few factors that can influence cold calling, which the caller can control are –
- Thorough preparation is the best weapon to deal with inhibitions.
- Calling ten customers after researching on them is better than calling 100 without knowing them
- Knowing the customer helps in understanding which product suits his financial well-being
Thorough knowledge of the products/ services can help in conveying an impression that every penny he spends can bring in value to the customer. The caller should be confident enough to influence the customer and make him go for a try. Here a positive attitude is essential, which implies the courage to deal with NO. Most sales will happen only after constant follow-ups. When a customer asks to contact at a later point, make sure that the follow-up is made on time and try to reinforce the fact that the caller is always eager to keep the promise.
Listening plays a key role in developing a bond with the customers. However, the caller should have a clear plan to ensure that the conversation is properly driven and maximum details about the requirements of the customer should be extracted in the meantime. For this, it is important to prepare a questionnaire before contacting the customer and while presenting the questions, make sure that the customer never feels like asking pre-defined questions. This requires practice and keeping it simple is the key to performing naturally.
Once the customer made the purchase, make sure that another call is given to him/her to inquire about their experience. Whether it is good or bad, thank them for providing their valuable opinion and assure them that the company cares them and provides them the best possible support in future. That is why a cold call is so important in initiating a long term business relationship with the customers.