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Cold Calls Don't Work--Warm Calls Do

By Kathy Yeager

If you are selling solutions for Workforce Development, you probably already know the pain of making a cold call.  It’s hard to lift that 500 pound phone and call that unknown person to ask for a sales call appointment.  Experience has shown that most cold calls don’t result in an appointment, and may even turn the potential customer off to the college entirely. 

Cold Calls Don’t Work Because……

  • They aren’t expecting your call.  They are busy and focused on their work and wouldn’t give you the attention you deserve.
     
  • Low percentage of return—Out of 100 calls, you might talk with 20 people, perhaps get 10 appointments and close one of these accounts.
     
  • Gatekeeper is on duty - The gatekeeper will try to keep you from seeing the decision-maker.
     
  • Interruption - A call or “drop-in” could be construed as annoying or an intrusion in the customer’s day.  This reflects badly on your department and the college
     
  • Who is this? - There is no relationship or trust as the foundation for this call
     
  • No research – Cold calls are usually unqualified and not researched
     
  • Not your target market - Not everyone is your customer!  Cold calling is usually just “dialing for dollars” and calling anyone who will answer the phone.  Decide a profile of the companies who have bought from your college in the past, and target other new companies who match the number of employees and dollar volume.
     
  • Sales staff doesn’t like to make cold calls – Most people don’t enjoy rejection and a low return on investment of time.


How to Warm Up a Cold Call - (Expect a 40%-60% success rate)

  • Research the prospect ahead of the call.  Know who you are calling and what “pain” areas this company might be experiencing.
     
  • Send a preliminary e-mail or letter introducing your Workforce Development Area and saying you will call for an appointment next week.  Then, follow up with that phone call and refer to the introductory piece.
     
  • Show how your products could be a solution to the company need.  Always talk about the company and their needs.  It’s all about them!  It’s the value you can offer for them, and how you are better and different from the competition.
     
  • Target vertical markets who can buy in this economy.  Define your markets and go after key accounts in your area who haven’t been hit too hard by the recession.  Those vertical markets include the government, healthcare, food industry, energy sector, and some manufacturing depending on the products produced.  Current customers are still your best customers.
     
  • Introductions/Referrals from current happy customers will always warm up a call.  Have your current, happy customer physically introduce you/your college to a new prospect.
     
  • Utilize testimonials.  Prospects always want to know what other companies your college has worked with and how they liked your services.  Have pre-printed testimonial sheets available for your propect to review.  Also, use these testimonials in your marketing.
     
  • Prepare an opening statement that “grabs” the customer’s interest.  Say something compelling that makes the prospect want to ask for more information.
     
  • Create a good script for the initial approach with the decision-maker.  Don’t say you are George from XYZ College and you want to sell them training!
     
  • Show how you have helped other companies in the prospects same market.  Talk about results and outcomes other companies have enjoyed by working with your college.
     
  • Talk about showing Return on Investment.  Give percentages and statistics to show how you can improve a company’s processes, productivity, market share, or competitiveness.
     
  • Befriend the gatekeeper to get through the screen.  Establish rapport, and know this person has feelings and lots of authority.  Ask that person, “I wonder if you can help me out?”
     
  • Ask yourself—How can my college create value for this company vs. just trying to sell classes and training? 
     
  • Obtain leads from the upper management of your college.  These college executives attend many meetings and talk with key CEO’s and corporate decision-makers.  Give your college upper management sound bites or value statements they can use when speaking to Chamber Meetings, Economic Development Council Meetings, etc.
     
  • Start using power words like Resource, Return on Investment, One-Stop Provider, Customized Programs, Help You Turn Things Around, Different from other Vendors, etc.
     
  • Use marketing to warm up a call before the approach.  Allow your prospect a chance to review your website, read a press release, see a testimonial, hear a presentation at a chamber meeting, visit a trade show booth or hear about you through social media.  Marketing always warms up a call before the sales call approach.


Warm up those cold calls and start working smarter.  Target the right companies who can buy in this economy.  Get an introduction into the company.  Warm up the customer with some preliminary marketing.  Research them, determine the decision-maker, create a compelling value statement and THEN make your call.  By utilizing these techniques and making more proactive, outbound calls, you will be positioning your college for more business as the economy slowly starts to turn around.

To Contact CT Edge:

Contract Training Edge, LLC
941-275-4808 (telephone)
kyeager@ctedge.net