Cold calling may feel like a bracing plunge into icy waters, and those initial calls can make your heart race. However, embracing this feeling means you’re engaged in your work. But let’s shift the focus from your feelings to the art of doing it right. Strangely, despite the abundance of available sales knowledge, many still overlook the importance of gathering substantial information about their prospects before making that critical call.
Of course, many will argue they already do some research by reading the prospect’s website or skimming available information. But what distinguishes truly successful sales reps is their dedication to digging deep, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for information to establish a connection.
It’s said that during the first cold call, you have five seconds to make an impression and take it to the next level. While it may take more than five seconds, it’s undeniable that asking the right questions about your prospect and their business sets the stage for success. Without a foundation of information, you risk starting with a random value proposition, resulting in responses like:
-“What a F**k is this a cold call!?”
And the prospect would be absolutely right. To be well-prepared, you must, at the very least, uncover these details:
- What does the company do? (Usually found in the “About” section of their website or can use Linkedin)
However, there’s more to glean. If you can acquire additional information such as their recent projects, their collaborators, which companies they’ve partnered with, whether they operate locally or globally, and more, you’ll have a comprehensive view of the prospect’s landscape.
- How sizable is the company in terms of turnover and the number of employees?
Understanding their financial health and growth trajectory is invaluable. Are they thriving, expanding, or facing challenges? Armed with this data, you can bypass mundane inquiries.
- Who are their partners?
Most companies showcase their main partners on their website. This information is a goldmine. For instance, if you’re selling software, cloud services, or hardware, you can scrutinize their partner list, identify competitors, assess customer feedback, and acquire useful insights.
These four core questions provide a solid foundation. There’s a wealth of additional information to explore, but by having answers to these questions, you can kickstart your first call with the right queries, built on your newfound knowledge. It’s not merely about reciting the information; it’s about delving deeper and extracting the maximum value.
When you apply this information correctly, prospects sense your understanding of their business, your professionalism, and your capacity to assist them. This is a pivotal factor in your success.
In addition there are multiple tools available online which can help a lot to gather data about your potential clients business details, provide a lot of intelligence and more, we often ourselves use Apollo.io as they have rich database, great pricing and great free version, and a lot of flexibility, there is more tools in our previous article.
In conclusion, preparation is the linchpin to masterful cold calling. These insights set you on the path to informed and meaningful conversations with your prospects. Remember: the more you know about your prospects, the greater your chances of forging connections and achieving sales success.