I think you will agree with me when I say “There is nothing challenging for a sales professional to do than nailing that initial conversation with your lead”

I do understand, it’s a massive challenge to pitch a product via a call or message to a person you don’t know before.

You are not alone; every sales team hates the dreaded Cold Messaging or Cold Calling Process.

The popular option out there – “Cold Calling & Cold messaging is Dead”

Or is it?

Maybe that’s why you should stand out from the crowd and leverage cold outreach!

In this article, I am going to give you 5 actionable tips and techniques to convert your leads into customers.

Tip1 – Research thoroughly before picking up the phone

Reaching the right decision maker is important when it comes to cold outreach. Incorrect data is the major issue, when it comes to cold outreach. Sales teams spend hours calling or messaging people who are irrelevant.

What can be the solution to this problem?

Using technology to find accurate phone numbers from websites or social media can be helpful. Fortunately, RedScraper has a tool called RS Phone Prospector with which you can find direct phone numbers. In no time you can reach out your leads via SMS, Whatsapp or call.

You don’t believe this could work, then use our 7-day free trial.

I am sure this would boost your sales team’s performance like never before.

Tip2 – Know exactly what message you are sending

No two people are same.

After doing research you would be able to understand the characteristics of the person by scrolling through their social media profile or website. RedScraper also gives the source link from which the phone number was identified, make sure you give a quick look.

If you are sending a cold message, make first line of your message catchy, because that’s what is going to appear in your lead’s notification. It’s like having a killer subject for e-mail and having a catchy title for your blog. The leads decide to open the message or not, with this one line.

Various sales teams have different strategies, but in 2020 I would recommend building relationship with the leads first followed by sales pitch.

A few effective ways to build relationship and credibility in your first message are

  • Referrals Work well; add a mutual connection’s name in your cold message
  • If you share a common interest with a prospect, ensure that gets added in the cold message
  • Complement the prospect about their work or achievement
  • Share a customer success story that you think will resonate with your prospect

If you are doing a cold call, have a script in hand but go with the flow. You can find some interesting scripts in Hubspot.

Also have an outline prepared for the call and write down the questions you want to ask to the prospect.

Tip3 – Know when to message the Prospect

No one is going to notice your text or answer your call when they are busy with work. Try to understand the working hours of your leads, reach them right before or after their working hours, that’s when they are more likely to respond. They also tend to respond to message or calls during lunch or coffee breaks. This might not work in every case, so adopt trial and error method.

I read from Financesonline site that reaching leads during the recommended times can skyrocket your conversion rate by 49%. So, call them at the right time, don’t waste your time and time of your leads.

Don’t hesitate to follow-up with your prospects. CallHippo’s stats say contact rates increases by 70% when you make at least 6 cold calls. So, perseverance is the key in cold outreach.

Tip4 – Be Prepared for anything

When it comes to art of cold outreach, anything may happen, have these few things in mind.

  • Set Micro goals for every cold message, try to get the prospect curious with your messages.
  • Explain how your product will solve their problem and add value.
  • Document everything using a CRM tool or even a simple Excel would do.
  • Prospects might not show interest in your product or in some cases, might even block your number, cut the call and so on. It’s okay these things happen, stay positive and learn from them.
  • There might be cases where prospects might ask questions about the product/service you are offering, ensure that you know the basic functionalities of your product. If it’s something you can’t answer right away, take help from the team and message back.
  • Pick your words wisely, deliver clear and precise message. End with questions to trigger response
  • A/B test your message, see what works well for your company and optimize it accordingly.
  • Ensure you message or call from a local number, otherwise it will look like spam to your lead’s eyes

Tip 5 – Practice makes everything easier

It takes some practice and time to convert a lead using cold outreach techniques.

If you get a lot of rejections, don’t take it to heart. You never know when a high-quality led will come your way and will convert to a customer.

After sending a cold message and follow-up messages, pick up the phone. You have already “Warmed” the prospect a little, so there are high chances the prospect would pick your phone.

You can become the smartest sales guy in the room by leveraging a combination of cold messaging and cold calling to convert the customer.

Final Words

Remote Working has become the new normal in 2020. It’s high time you start leveraging cold outreach techniques to boost your sales.

Just be patient, as you sow you shall reap.