A lot of people recoil in fear at the thought of chilly calling to make sales for his or her business. But if you spend your time sitting in your office waiting for people to come to you, you're going to have a long wait. If done correctly, cold calling could be an effective product sales way of your cleaning business.
The following tips won't eliminate your fear of cold calling, but they can help to make it a more positive, successful experience for you.
Remember the objective of a chilly call. Many people believe the goal of a cold contact is to obtain the sale - wrong. The purpose of the call is to get a scheduled appointment to get an opportunity to make the sale.
Do your research. Don't just pick up the phone and start dialing. You have to do a little research first. Who is your marketplace? Start making a list of the companies who match your niche and then start doing preliminary research on each organization before calling. For instance, find out if indeed they have a web site and read it completely. Discover out who the decision-makers are. See if they're an associate of the Chamber of Commerce to get more information that way.
Be fine to the gatekeeper. It's very likely that whenever making cold calls you are going to be linked to the gatekeeper (associate to the decision-maker, receptionist, etc.). Be friendly, learn their name and use it, and probably say something similar to, "I wonder in the event that you could help me?" You would like to get them on your side, willing to provide you with the information you will need. Talk to if they will help you obtain the name of the individual you need to talk to or when will be the best period to contact that person.
Call early in the morning. This is usually the best time to attain the decision-makers. It's also a time when most people are more pleasant and also have more energy.
Prepare your script. Don't just "wing it". This could top rated cleaners in Paramus area keep you from producing common mistakes like opening up with, "How are you today?" This will give them a chance to end the decision before it's actually started.
You should start the conversation with a greeting and an introductory statement, that may transition into more dialogue. For instance, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. This is Tom Jones of ABC Washing Company. I recently read in the business section of the neighborhood paper that you're moving your business to a more substantial location. We focus on commercial cleaning services in buildings of this size and can help you to reduce your monthly maintenance costs through the use of proven washing systems that also make use of environmentally friendly products. Let me question you a few questions in order to determine the amount of savings we can potentially provide your firm."
Prepare for the rest of the call. It's difficult at this point to completely script the call, but you must have a listing of the advantages of your services and the reasons that the prospect can purchase from you over your competition. Don't merely make a list of insured, like becoming bonded and features. While that's a significant consideration after you've produced the sale, the chance just cares about what's in it for them at this point in the call.
Make a list of possible objections that they're more likely to make like, "We already have a cleaning service that we're pleased with," and then craft statements to overcome the objections.
Ask for a scheduled appointment at a particular time. Don't simply end the decision by saying something like, "Can we meet next week to go over this?" Instead say, "Would next Tuesday at 10 a.m. be a good period to meet?"
Be persistent. They say that most people need 7 to 10 "touches" before the're prepared to make a purchase, so don't quit after just a few calls!
Try sending a Thank You card after the call thanking them when planning on taking the time to speak to you. A lot of people appreciate this basic, thoughtful gesture.
Practice makes perfect. The only method to get better at cold calling is to apply. You may never really enjoy it, but you can definitely grasp it the even more you practice. Keep in mind, your customers are out there, you merely need to let them know about you!