Building Great Relationships Through Cold Calling

Cold calling does not have to be too complicated. Sometimes, the simplest techniques can produce great results. Focusing on relationships in our cold calls keeps us human and eliminates the dreadfulness of telemarketing. Keep in mind that we are real people talking about real things. As human beings, our conversations reflect our interests.

Most salespeople detest and are terrified of cold calling. We are aware that it is needed, but only because our task includes making a sale. In our calls, we are speaking with a human being with the absence of any real affinity with that person. Often times, it feels insincere and we are all guilty of this.

This artificiality is causing us stress, and messes our conversations up. When we are insincere, the person on the other line senses it and knows we are selling something. This puts most people off. They have no idea who we are, know nothing about what we do, and are being extremely cautious.

You have probably observed that most telemarketing calls get really shaky the instant we steer the conversation towards a sale. It's like preparing for war, and the tension sparks.

The person we have contacted does not know us. The impetus we are trying to build places that person in a protective mode. He/she is guarding himself/herself from an outsider who might be calling for selfish reasons.

How can we change this into something more meaningful? We start by concentrating more on the relationship instead of the salesmanship. We proceed with calling, anticipate to meet somebody new, and hope to have a smooth conversation to determine if we can be of help and service. When cold calls begin with this frame of mind, it emanates over the phone and the other person feels it.

Establishing relationships adds the human element in our phone conversations. We become sincere. Conversations are no longer uptight and become more natural. People are more amenable and they respond with enthusiasm and more curiosity.

We should build relationships because it is part of our being human, not part of our sales strategies. If we perceive relationship-building like something that we simply have to do because it's part of everyday work, then it would seem fake and would not do us any good. Our goals and strategies should always be customer centric, not just about making money. We should be able to discover if we can offer something really valuable to the customers. If they say no, then we should politely accept and move on. That can still be called a relationship.

We are real people, so we should be treating other people the way we want ourselves to be treated. When we do this, it feels great and makes an astounding difference. Prospects feel more at ease. We begin our calls with positivity and anticipation that we may possibly speak with someone who would have a genuine interest in our services/products. If they don't, we've still enjoyed the conversation with the person.

If the people we call feel calm about the way we conduct ourselves with them on the phone, they are more likely to listen and talk to us. But if we launch into a robotic-sounding spiel, we turn people off and lose opportunities.

Below are some techniques to help build relationships in cold calls:

-Pay attention to the needs of the prospects instead of focusing on making a sale.

-Submit to the result of your call so you can make a connection with your prospect at a personal level.

-Look at the human connection as an avenue to meet new and interesting people.

-Converse naturally and pleasantly.

-The manner in which you conduct yourself is far more important than the number of calls you make.

-Let your conversations develop naturally.

-Avoid using cocky and aggressive phrases.

These relationship-building tips will help you improve the way you conduct business and consequently increase sales and help you feel good about cold calling.

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com