This is how you benefit from the supreme discipline of sales work
At first glance, cold calling is actually nothing special. It is only a matter of initial contact with a potential customer. The difficulty becomes clear when you visualize the conversation situation: There is no business or personal relationship with the contact person yet; in other words, you approach him as a stranger and try to convince him of a product or service — and that even within a few minutes over the phone. Even under the best possible circumstances, this form of customer contact requires a high level of frustration tolerance. So it's no wonder that many sales people get stomach pain when they say “cold calling.” And of course, lack or inadequate training is also often a factor: Many simply can't. But practice shows that acquiring new customers over the phone in the B2B sector is an effective tool for sales work.
Address quality as a success factor
To directly dispel a possible prejudice: The Unfair Competition Act (UWG) allows cold telephone calling whenever the potential business customer can suspect a legitimate interest in the portfolio offered — express permission is required only for private customers. Of course, that doesn't mean that you can simply start calling: In the interest of business success, it makes sense to qualify your own address database as well as possible before the first call. This includes, for example, information about the industry, location and size of the company to be addressed; ideally also the contact details of the most important contacts. This ensures that you really only address those customers for whom the offer is also of interest. You don't want to sell Eskimo refrigerators to anyone!
Complexity is not a barrier
Your company's product portfolio may be very complex and requires a great deal of explanation. But that doesn't speak against cold calling — quite the opposite! A personal conversation is irreplaceable, especially when it comes to more specific products and services. This is the only way you can find out details about your potential customer's needs and present your unique selling propositions — provided that you work with professionally trained sales assistants. If necessary, you can train your employees for sales work or hire a professional service provider. Basically, if you ask, you win!
Long breath is required
Even with high-quality products and an experienced sales team, challenging situations cannot be avoided: Perhaps your contact person just doesn't have a budget, is working closely with a competitor or even becomes abusive. But dry spells are part of it. It is often enough to contact the contact person again at a more appropriate time. Your stamina is crucial: Like running a marathon, cold calling requires staying power. Only those who have patience and perseverance can achieve lasting success.
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