Cold calling is one of the most tried and true channels to effectively sell to prospects or close sales leads. It's not easy to do cold calling. There are many facets to to learn like how to effectively end a cold call, but once learned, it can be very powerful.
Ending a cold sales call on the right note can be the key to unlock a potential sale or lose a prospect forever. Leveraging the right techniques and strategy to close a call is all about understanding the audience.
We've put together a list of 5 steps to help you win a cold call and make sure you are ending the sales call with the right pitch.
Closing Cold Sales Calls
Cold calling is still very efficient. In fact, 82% of buyers have accepted meetings with salespeople that started with a cold call. While 51% of company owners actually prefer to hear from sales reps on the phone over any other channel.
Do cold opportunities outweigh loss?
If there’s so much opportunity on the phone, why do 63% of salespeople say cold calling is the worst part of their job?
Cold calls tend to get a bad rep because a lot of salespeople don’t know how to execute an effective cold call to get the most value out of it or know how to end the call the right way.
5 Steps To Effective Cold Calling with RCVSIC
We want to put an end to the myth that cold calling is dead, and empower you with our 5-step framework for executing perfect cold calls– RCVSIC.
RCVSIC is an acronym that stands for:
- Research
- Compliment
- Value Proposition
- Social Proof/Credibility
- Call-to-action.
If you’re tired of bombing on your cold calls, then leverage RCVSIC every single time you make a call, and you will lock in that appointment or that call-to-action that you’re looking for…
1. Research
You always want to find out as much as you can about the prospect before you ever call them.
There are several areas you can do research on, including…
- Company website (check out the Recent News section and the About Us section)
- The right social media apps
- The product or service the prospect provides
- Recent accomplishments (i.e., the prospect changed jobs, etc.)
- Pain points
- Mutual connections
Research is so crucial because when you fail to do your homework, you sound like the millions of mediocre salespeople out there. Additionally, if you don’t have a clue who you’re talking to, what they want, or if they have any value as a lead, you aren’t going to be able to deliver relevance. Instead, you’re going to have to resort to what a lot of mediocre salespeople do, which is overload the prospect with product features, and pray that something strikes a chord.
Plus, because everyone is online in some capacity, it’s easy to do research and find the info you need to make a personalized cold call. It shouldn’t take more than two minutes to find some valuable info.
You can research the prospect using LinkedIn or Google. And if you want to get contact information that is verified in real-time so you can successfully send a message worth responding to, use Seamless.AI (it’s completely free to sign up).
2. Compliment
Once you do your research, and you’re ready to call your prospect, come out the gate (within the first sentence) with a researched compliment on the cold call. Something along the lines of…
Hey Paul, I’m a big fan of what you’re doing over at Company X. Congrats on the promotion!
There’s lots of amazing milestones companies and prospects are achieving across industries, and they’re being loud about it. So when you do your research (back in Step #1) paying a specific compliment should be easy.
Paying a compliment is an EXTREMELY effective way to start a sales conversation and warm up a cold prospect because people love being recognized for their accomplishments.
Your prospect will be impressed that you went the extra mile and did your research on them, and they’ll give you more time on the phone.
3. Elevator Pitch & Value
Once you break the ice with a researched compliment, next, you want to deliver a compelling elevator pitch.
The pitch is where a lot of salespeople make mistakes because they make their pitch all about the solution they sell. Making your pitch about the solution only puts the prospect to sleep because no one wants to hear about features. People want to know what your solution is going to do for them.
Thus, in order to deliver a value-driven pitch, you need to listen to your prospect and make it 100% about them, their pains, and their goals.
The structure for a value-driven pitch looks like this: We help X do Y without W or Z.
Where…
X = Persona
Y = Desired Result
W = Pain 1
Z = Pain 2
Again, instead of selling features no one cares about, this pitch is all about what your solution can do for your target persona– the pains your solution resolves and the results it delivers.
As a word of warning, in order to convert more leads, only pick one persona. One title. Don’t try to draft a pitch that appeals to everyone because your pitch will sound generic and fall flat.
Here’s what steps 1 through 3 look like in action…
Hi Janet,
I love the work you’re doing over at Marketo.
Congratulations on being acquired by Vista Equity.
I heard you guys are focused on massive growth because I saw that Vista Equity and your management team are hiring 400 new salespeople. Congratulations!
With this, you’re complimenting the prospect and showing that you’ve taken the extra effort to research them (bonus points!).
Next, deliver a compelling, value-driven pitch…
I’m reaching out because we help digital marketers acquire new B2B customers without increasing the cost per acquisition or the media budget.
Now you’ve broken down the wall and piqued the prospect’s curiosity.
4. Credibility
Once you deliver a pitch, it’s the prospect’s turn to divulge (because you should be having a conversation on a cold call, not out-talking the prospect).
Ask qualifying questions to gauge whether or not the prospect is a fit for your solution, like:
- What issues would you like to solve?
- What solutions have you tried in the past?
- What could have been better with past solutions?
As soon as you learn more about your prospect and their needs, deliver social proof that convinces prospects to take the next step. Social proof can range from testimonials to case studies.
Here’s an example…
We helped Janet at Marketo go from $0 to $1.1M ARR in 14 months.
Social proof is critical to showcasing your expertise in your industry, and it’s incredibly persuasive because they let the prospect see for themselves how you’ve helped people just like them (with the same problems) accomplish the goals they need to grow their business.
5. Call-to-action
You don’t want to go through all these steps only for the prospect to reject your solution right at the end of the call.
To avoid this, when you get ready to close a sales conversation, don’t let the conversation fizzle out by begging the prospect for their business and giving them the reins in the conversation.
Instead, continue to assert agency by delivering a SINGLE call-to-action (CTA) that pushes the sales process forward.
You want to have confidence with your CTA and assume that the prospect is at worst, interested in learning more about your solution, or at best completely sold.
There are a number of CTAs you could drop…
- You could ask your prospect to buy your product
- Book an appointment
- Sign up for a free trial
- Call you back
- Etc.
Whatever you end up choosing, only drop one CTA. If you bombard a prospect with several CTAs they’ll feel bewildered and likely won’t do business with you.
Here’s an example of an assertive call-to-action…
Does 8AM or PM tomorrow or the following day work for you for a 10-minute chat?
This CTA is great because it leaves the window of opportunity wide open for the prospect. You’re giving them a 12-hour window to work with, and you’re promising them that the chat will be brief. Everyone has 10 minutes. If a prospect can’t find a time slot in this scenario, then they weren’t interested to begin with. So this CTA does a good job of weeding out the prospects that are just stringing you along.
Best Cold Call Endings
Ending a cold call the right way can be the difference between booking an appointment or getting nothing out of it.
This step can be crucially important to nail it, because it’s your last chance to make a strong impression and move towards your goal, whether that’s booking a meeting, making a sale, or gathering information.
Here are some clear and straightforward strategies on how to end a cold call, especially useful for someone new to sales:
Summarize Key Sales Points
- Why: It reminds the prospect of what was discussed and reinforces the value proposition.
- How: Briefly restate the main points of the conversation, focusing on the benefits to the prospect.
- For example, "Just to recap, our software can help save 20% of your team's time which you can redirect to increasing sales."
Confirm Client Interest
- Why: This ensures that the prospect is engaged and interested in what you are offering.
- How: Ask a direct question to gauge their interest, like "Does this sound like something that could be useful for your business?"
Propose a Clear Next Step
- Why: Leaving the call with a definite next step keeps the process moving forward.
- How: Suggest a specific action, such as a follow-up meeting or sending more detailed information.
- For instance, "Can I schedule a follow-up call next Tuesday to discuss this further?"
Ask for the Best Contact Method
- Why: It ensures you know how to reach them effectively for follow-up.
- How: Simply ask, "What's the best way to send you the information or to reach you for our next discussion?"
Thank Them for Their Time
- Why: It shows respect and appreciation, leaving a positive impression.
- How: End the call by thanking the prospect for their time and consideration.
- A simple, "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today, I look forward to our next conversation," can be effective.
Leave an Open Door
- Why: It encourages the prospect to feel comfortable reaching back out to you.
- How: Let them know they can contact you if they have any further questions or need clarification before your next interaction.
- Say something like, "Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions before our next call."
End on a Positive Note
- Why: A cheerful and confident tone can leave a lasting good impression.
- How: Finish with something upbeat and positive, such as "I'm really looking forward to exploring how we can help you achieve [a specific goal]. Have a great day!"
Bonus Tip: Practice Your Closure
- Why: Being confident in your closing remarks makes you appear more professional and capable.
- How: Practice various end-of-call scenarios with a colleague or mentor, and ask for feedback.
When using these strategies, a salesperson can close their cold calls more effectively, making the calls more productive and potentially leading to better sales outcomes.
The key is to be clear, respectful, and purposeful with the end of the call, setting the stage for future interactions.
Note About Gatekeepers
When you cold call, more often than not, you will get the gatekeeper first before you speak to the prospect. As a reminder– don’t be rude or dismissive to gatekeepers. It makes your company look bad.
Instead, treat gatekeepers like the gold they are because you never know the role they may play in the final decision on your solution. Work on immediately establishing trust and credibility with them (get on their good side). And in order to get past the gatekeeper FAST, “play dumb” with them. Ask for their help…
- My apologies! Something clearly went wrong on my end. Would you mind telling me who’s the right person I should speak with?
- People naturally love to help others, so they’ll gladly give you the information you need.
- And if you can, try to get around calling the gatekeeper (Is there a dial-by-phone directory?)
- Go above the gatekeeper! (Who’s the decision maker they work with?)
- Or you can go to the person below them for a familiar name to reference.
Final recap
Ending a cold call effectively is the final step toward securing a warm lead from a cold one. Moving the prospect along the sales journey is the ideal way to confirm and retain sales relationships.
Here are some things to consider while making cold call:
- Research the prospect (their company, social media, recent achievements, pain points) ahead of the call to avoid sounding like a generic, dime a dozen salesperson
- Deliver a researched compliment within the first sentence to catch the prospect off guard and buy more time
- Give a value-driven pitch that focuses on the persona of the prospect and the results your solution delivers
- Establish credibility by dropping social proof (testimonials, case studies, etc.) of people just like your prospect who achieved major results with your product or service
- Close or end your call with a singular call-to-action that moves the sales process forward
- Practice your closing lines and be prepared.
- If you get a gatekeeper, be polite, make a positive first impression, and get them on your side. Use Seamless.AI to get direct dials and avoid gatekeepers in the future.
This is RCVSIC, in a nutshell. It’s the only framework you need to warm up every prospect on a cold call and close every time.
Start leveraging this framework today, and you’ll quickly find out why calls are still one of the top sales channels.
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