You or your salespeople might have the art of persuasive selling down,
but that doesn't matter if you can't ever get appointments with
customers. Prospecting is a critical step in the process of building a
customer base and creating sales. By trying a few common techniques that
have worked for other salespeople, you may find yourself speaking with
the type of potential clients with which you generally have more
success.
Cold Calling
Cold calling is a virtual necessity for new salespeople or those aggressively looking to grow their business. Cold calling involves picking up the phone and calling leads from a phone directory or a lead generation list. Scheduling time every day where you can focus on calls -- preferably the same time each day -- can help in getting appointments. By keeping data on your call results, you may discover that you have more success with certain locations and client types, which allows you to hone in on those opportunities. Many effective salespeople prepare scripts and messages to overcome common objections, such as price, lack of interest or product concerns.Warm Calls
While
cold calls are sometimes unavoidable, one way to increase the number of
appointments you get is to make more warm calls and fewer cold calls. A
warm call is when you have prior contact or even a loose reference to a
friend or acquaintance of the prospect. Networking in your community is
one way to have more warm calls and find shared acquaintances. General
references work as well. If you sell business insurance, for instance,
you may be able to call on businesses and mention that you sell
insurance to other business owners known in the community.
Repeat Calls
One technique used by some companies is to repeat calls, door knocks or direct mail letters on a cyclical basis, such as every three or six months. You may get turned away by a prospect the first and second time, but by the third call, his familiarity with your company and brand may cause him to at least give you an audience. A common approach is to simply say "Last time we spoke I know our solution didn't fit your needs, but we discussed that a need might arise in the near future, so that's why I'm calling."Referrals
Even more direct than the warm call or networking approach is to get referrals to prospects from existing customers or clients. If you can call a prospect and say, "Your friend Jill is using our product for this purpose and experiencing these benefits and she indicated you could benefit in the same way," you should definitely be able to land an appointment. First, you have a personal reference that the prospect knows, likes and trusts. Plus, you provide an example of how you might be able to address a problem or need of the prospect.Free Stuff
One of
the oldest, simplest, and most effective ways to attract prospects to
appointments is to give them free stuff. In the timeshare industry,
sales departments commonly offer guests free theme park passes in
exchange for an hour of their time for a sales presentation. Lawn care
providers offer a free yard analysis and consultation to get an
appointment. Similarly, water softener companies offer free water tests
to get in your door for a presentation of their solutions.
