By Kelley Robertson
I receive my fair share of cold calls and a recent experience really stands out. The person calling said that she worked for a large website developer. She then asked two questions; “Was I the person in charge of web design for my company?” and “Did I currently have a website?”
After I responded positively, she began blabbering on from a prepared script. Eventually, she asked me if I was interested in learning more about their company and I was curious about the next phase of the conversation.
She told me she was going to “conference in” a web technician so we could have a three-way conversation. Thirty to forty seconds later the technician finally came on the line and said, “So, you’re interested in our services” to which I replied, “I can’t answer that yet. All I know is that you develop and host websites and help businesses drive traffic to their site. I already have a webmaster and a domain host so I don’t know what you can do for me.” There was a long pause before he said, “I’m sorry to have wasted your time.” Click.
I counted at least six mistakes during this cold call.
Mistake #1.
The person who called did absolutely no preparation. A quick Internet search would have shown her that I have a website and I’m probably not looking for a designer or a domain host. Do the prep. The time invested up front can help you position your solution more effectively to your prospect.
Mistake #2.
She spent too much time talking about her company when she should have been asking me questions to find out more about my business. To me, the obvious questions should have been;
“What I was doing to drive traffic to my site?”
“What results was I achieving?”
Instead, she made the mistake of trying to pitch her company. The shotgun approach is really a waste of your time and theirs. Plus, you cannot effectively position your goods or service without first knowing a thing or two about the company you are presenting to.
Mistakes #3.
Conferencing in the web technician. The person who makes the call should have sufficient knowledge and expertise to move the call forward. This leads to the next mistake.
Mistake #4.
The delay in waiting for the web technician really irritated me and showed a complete lack of respect. Had I been the average business person, I would have disconnected the call.
Mistake #5.
No introduction. When the web technician came on the line, I had no idea who I was speaking to. If you plan to use multiple people in a cold call, the person who makes initial contact should introduce additional parties who join the call.
Mistake #6.
Lack of communication. Once the technician was connected, the person who contacted me disconnected. She should have stayed on the line and summarized our conversation. This approach would have brought the technician up to speed which would enable him to present an appropriate solution.
Cold calling is one of the most challenging ways to prospect for new business. Avoid these mistakes and improve your results.
Kelley Robertson is an author and sales professional who conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at 905.633.7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
