Warm and cold base. Hot and cold calls. What is it and how to work with it?



Cold calling: conversation pattern and telephone sales technique

• promotion or super offer;
• cost reduction;
• increase in sales;
• reducing time costs.

Dealing with client objections

At the very beginning of a conversation or after a presentation, you can hear objections from your interlocutor. The main types of objections when cold calling:

• “we already have everything”;
• “we are not interested in the offer”;
• “I don’t have time to talk to you”;
• “Send us an offer, we’ll consider it.”

Having heard such phrases, you should not convince the client otherwise and prove the benefits of your offer. This is a common mistake and can end the conversation.

To avoid objections you should:

• from the beginning of the conversation, try not to give reasons for objections, ask more, be interested in the interlocutor’s situation, his concerns, which can be solved thanks to the product or service you offer;
• If an objection is voiced, it is necessary to answer them easily, arousing the interlocutor’s interest in continuing the conversation.

To the client’s response: “We already have everything,” you can answer: “I understand that you don’t want to change anything, everything is debugged and works great for you. But we will be able to make an offer for your company that will be profitable, because new is development.”

Video - how to work with objections:

How to make an appointment

Having worked through the objections, you need to end the call with an appointment, which is the main goal of the first cold call. You can offer several time options so that the client has no alternative - to meet or not. You should also clarify the nuances:

• date and time;
• place;
• meeting participants;
• discuss the purpose of the meeting;
• get confirmation from the client.

When ending the conversation, you need to leave your contact phone number, renegotiate the meeting agreement and say goodbye on a positive note.

Cold and warm calling: what's the difference?

Cold and warm calls in sales have their own characteristics. Cold calls should be understood as telephone conversations with a potential client. Most often, this is a random person about whom the company does not have enough information, in particular about whether he needs the product (service) being offered.

Each of us repeatedly encounters calls from organizations offering investment deposits, loans, etc. Most people have the same reaction - irritation. If you do not need dubious goods and services, then the caller not only distracts you from your business, but also annoys you with intrusive conversations, as a result of which he receives negative feedback from you. A cold call involves an aggressive way of selling a product.

However, most often the potential consumer needs help or a solution to his problem. In a situation where the company has a portrait of the client and has information about his interests and needs, warm calls should be used.

If a company representative has a clear idea of ​​what the buyer is interested in and how the product/service can solve his problem (help), then the number of refusals during telephone conversations will be significantly reduced. In this case, the person will listen to the representative of the organization and show interest in his proposal in the conversation. The client will be confident that the manager is calling him with a ready offer of help or a solution to how to get out of a difficult situation. And the caller himself, who has the necessary information, will feel more confident.

Before making warm phone calls, the specialist needs to get an idea of ​​​​how the proposed product will benefit the client. It is important not only to identify who the potential buyer is, but also who makes the final purchasing decision. The more targeted the requests are, the fewer refusals there will be in the end.

You may also be interested in: Really Interesting Business Ideas in 2017 You Never Would Have Thought of

In what areas of business is it used?

This method is used by companies from various fields:

• banks and financial organizations;
• organizations involved in cargo transportation;
• medical centers;
• Beauty Salons;
• fitness centers;
• retail chains;
• Retail Stores.

The method is suitable for everyone whose average check per customer is 300 rubles or more.

Why do businessmen choose this option for promoting their goods and services:

• Wide base of potential customers. The list includes both end consumers and corporate clients.
• The ability to accurately determine the target audience. Calls can only be made to people who are potentially interested in purchasing.
• Low cost of acquisition compared to other methods. The advertising budget is significantly reduced, and efficiency increases.

Many entrepreneurs have already been burned by expensive advertising that did not bring in real customers, so they are looking for a way to guarantee a return on their investment. A cold calling script can effectively solve this problem, provided that the project is professionally implemented.

Purposes of warm calls to customers

In most cases, warm calls are used to promote a product or brand, but there are often situations when negotiations end in a purchase. An example of what warm calls are in sales is an offer from a mobile operator to change the existing tariff to a more profitable one. If a person was a client of this company some time ago, but for some reason refused its services, then warm calls are used to restore cooperation with the former subscriber.

Recommended articles on this topic:

• Analysis of company marketing: what is it for and how to do it
• Internet Marketing Strategy from A to Z
• Internet marketing tasks: what and how to set them

What other purposes are warm calls made for?

1. Remind about the existence of the company.
   If a once active client has stopped placing orders, the manager can politely remind him that he has not used the organization’s services for a long time. Here you will learn how to correctly create a job description for a purchasing manager.
2. Offer help or fix the problem.
   In this case, the specialist finds out whether the consumer is satisfied with the service or whether he has any difficulties.
3. Tell us about new products.
   Each company periodically updates its product range and tries to convey this information to customers. Over the phone, the operator informs the client about new products (services), sales, seasonal offers, etc.
4. Warn about possible price increases.
   In this case, the manager informs regular customers that they have little time left to purchase goods at old prices.
5. Find out plans.
   Many organizations have developed loyalty programs. Calls can be used to find out whether clients will continue to cooperate with the company.

The frequency of warm calls depends on the company’s field of activity. Thus, a beauty salon can announce special offers every month, and an online store of household appliances – once a season.

You may also be interested in: Business in crisis: real ideas and advice from experienced people

Example of an incoming call

When the phone rings, the employee must show excellent knowledge in his field, be as polite and correct as possible no matter what. It is much easier to answer the phone if you have a ready-made script. Let's analyze communication according to a pre-prepared scheme using the example of a real estate agency.

Benefits of warm calling

Warm calls can achieve good results, since this form of working with the client base has the following advantages:

• Potential clients do not feel pressure or experience negative emotions. Here you will learn who potential customers are and how this concept relates to your target audience.
• The client feels that his interests are important to the company.
• The client develops trust and increases loyalty to the company.

By using warm calls, the organization itself benefits. By maintaining contact with existing customers, she does not need to search for new clients.

You may also be interested in: Best Business Ideas for 2020: Offline and Online

Phone call script: is it worth preparing for the conversation in advance?

We can definitely say that thorough preliminary preparation is 90% of success. We are talking not only about the theoretical and practical knowledge base that a person owns. Already in the first seconds, the interlocutor subconsciously makes a decision about further cooperation. It is important at this moment to have a positive emotional attitude so that the voice sounds convincing and inspires confidence. This is achieved through the following steps:

• Be aware of the possibility of a negative reaction on the other end of the line (people will not always listen to you carefully and interestedly).
• Call only in high spirits.
• Leave behind all problems and experiences from your personal life.
• Be confident in your own abilities and never doubt yourself.
• Always be open to new knowledge and strive for self-improvement.

In addition to emotions, you need to have up-to-date information about the products you plan to promote.

How to make warm calls

Practice shows that working with a prepared “warm” audience causes fewer difficulties than “cold” telemarketing. However, when comparing warm calls with hot calls, it is worth noting some of their disadvantages.

Every account manager needs to remember that calling the phone number of someone who is not interested in the product being promoted can result in negative feedback. This situation does not arise with “hot” buyers who need cooperation.

You cannot call a person if you do not know his interests, needs and are not sure that he needs your call to solve his problem. You should also understand how often it is acceptable to contact a potential buyer so as not to bother him.

How often to call the client - this factor is influenced by the period of use of the product. Depending on this parameter, goods are of everyday and long-term demand.

Trying to sell a refrigerator to a person who bought it a week ago will only cause misunderstanding and irritation. In this case, it is better to offer related products.

When working with warm calls, it is important to identify the buyer's needs. This point should be given attention before the actual conversation. To understand in which direction to conduct the dialogue, it is worth analyzing what purchases have already been made by this client.

Today, marketers know the general scenario for working with warm calls, called a script. This algorithm allows you to create a negotiation standard and increase conversion during telephone sales.

Negotiation script for warm calls:

1. Say hello and introduce yourself. Since you have already communicated with this client, you should not get acquainted again.
2. Find out whether it is convenient for the interlocutor to start a dialogue at the moment. If you refuse, find out when you can call again.
3. Check whether there was any cooperation.
4. Present your product/goods/service.
5. Work through objections that you should prepare for in advance. Think about what advantages of the product you could offset its disadvantages. Let’s say that the too high cost can be argued for good quality, versatility, etc.
6. Record the deal closing (or failure) and say goodbye.

Scheme of conversation with decision maker

As mentioned above, the task of talking with a decision maker is to filter out those who are not worth wasting time on right now. To do this, we need to either get a reasonable “yes” or a reasonable “no”. Both results will suit us quite well.

Our conversation with the decision maker will consist of four stages:

1. Performance
2. Question-involvement
3. Handling objections
4. Make an appointment

After that, we are either told “no”, and we calmly move on to the next contact. Or they say “yes” to us, and we enter the time and place of the meeting in our diary. And let's look at options for conversation patterns using examples.

Stage #1 - Presentation

Here we just need to state our name, the name of our company, and explain why we are calling. The person on the other end of the line is primarily interested in who we are and what we need from him.

Therefore, do not try to be cunning and deceive someone. As a result, you will deceive yourself. For example, I am very annoyed by salespeople who call me under the pretext of conducting some kind of “survey”. I don’t have much time, tell me right away what you want.

You : Hello, Arkady Petrovich (we learned his name from the secretary). My name is Dmitry, I'm from , and I'm calling you about a new anti-virus program for corporate networks.

That's literally all. You immediately said everything directly and honestly. In this case, the interlocutor may not answer you anything. And we need dialogue. not a monologue. Therefore, we immediately move on to the second stage.

Stage #2 – Question-engagement-pause

At this stage, we need to get a primary reaction to our proposal (most often the reaction will be negative).

You : Please tell me, would you be interested in increasing the level of security for your computer network?

We ask a question and fall silent. This is a very important and very difficult moment. Most people physically cannot bring themselves to pause. Because a pause is pressure. With our silence, we literally force a person to answer us something. This will be the beginning of engagement in the conversation.

We specifically formulate the question in such a way that the answer to it “is impossible” is no. Of course, most often the answer will be no. But at the same time, your interlocutor himself will feel the strangeness of the situation.

They offer him to increase the level of protection, but he says “no” - I don’t want to increase anything, let them hack our computers and steal data. We will lose clients because of this, and I will be thrown out of my position, and I will end my life under the fence with a bottle of Triple Cologne in my hand. Everything is great, I'm satisfied.

You : Please tell me, would you be interested in increasing the level of security for your computer network?

LPR : No, thank you, we are not interested in this now.

Let him say “no” out loud (giving up everything is a person’s first normal defensive reaction). But subconsciously he says yes. And this is much more important for us. And having received this “no”, which is actually a “yes”, we move on to the next stage.

Stage #3 - Closing the objection

There is one simple phrase that gets around most objections. That is, it will encourage a person who, at least theoretically, may be interested in your proposal, agree to meet with you.

And if a person does not want to agree to anything, then this means that this is not our client yet.

Decision maker : No, thank you, we are not interested in this now.

You : You know, Arkady Petrovich, other people working in your field told me the same thing before I came and showed them how our program could simplify their work and reduce costs.

That's all, this simple phrase firstly calms down Arkady Petrovich - they say, there are other people whom I have already met, and they are all alive and well. Secondly, it explains the benefits - simplification of work and reduction of costs.

After this phrase we no longer need to pause. You need to immediately move on to the final stage of the conversation.

Step #4 - Making an appointment

It is very important to propose a specific meeting time yourself. This way the interlocutor is more likely to agree to meet with us. That is, either he will simply accept our conditions, or he will set his own. Here's what it sounds like all together.

You : You know, Arkady Petrovich, other people working in your field told me the same thing before I came and showed them how our program could simplify their work and reduce costs.

Could we meet you? Will it suit you on Wednesday at two o'clock in the afternoon?

Decision maker : Let's better on Thursday, at one o'clock in the afternoon. I'll have half an hour.

And if in this case the person repeats - “No! We don’t need anything,” then you can congratulate yourself. You have already received one justified refusal. It looks like they don't really need to improve anything at the moment. Eighteen more such refusals and the deal is in your pocket.

To reinforce this, let’s once again write down the entire scheme of a telephone conversation with a decision maker.

You : Hello, Arkady Petrovich (we learned his name from the secretary). My name is Dmitry, I’m from , and I’m calling you about a new anti-virus program for corporate networks (Stage #1)

You : Please tell me, would you be interested in increasing the level of security for your computer network? (Stage #2 - Pause...)

LPR : No, thank you, we are not interested in this now.

You : You know, Arkady Petrovich, other people working in your field told me the same thing before I came and showed them how our program could simplify their work and reduce costs (Step #3)

Could we meet you? Will you be okay with Wednesday at two o'clock in the afternoon? (Stage #4)

Decision maker : Let's better on Thursday, at one o'clock in the afternoon. I'll have half an hour.

Warm call script: 4 great examples

Here is a ready-made conversation scheme for warm calls. This script is a template, so it should be modified and supplemented to suit the specific sales of your product.

• Example 1

• Example 2

• Example 3

• Example 4

You may also be interested in: Influencer Marketing: Features, Recommendations, Examples

Options for organizing sales in the form of calling clients in the database

In order to organize cold calls, you can involve either the managers of your organization, or outsource this process, for example, to a Call Center. Both options have pros and cons.

Your managers

What are their managers good for? They know everything about their product. This way, you won't have to tell them what you're going to sell over the phone. Also, organizing calls to the database with your own staff means minimizing costs, because you do not need to pay a third party. In addition, there are the following nuances when organizing telemarketing using your own employees:

• Human factor . When making about a third of cold calls, the operator is faced with a negative: the people on the other end of the phone are rude and simply hang up at the most inopportune moment. If you don't want your employees to be negatively affected by nervous secretaries and careless directors for the next few weeks, then it's better to outsource cold calling.
• You will have to create a conversation script , according to which the calls will be made.
• Ordinary managers are most likely not familiar with active sales techniques and therefore the effectiveness of cold calling performed by ordinary employees will be somewhat less than if you entrusted it to professionals.

Cold calling through regular employees is effective when the client base is small and you are determined to get good returns from telemarketing.

Agreement with a third-party CALL center

Outsourcing a job has several obvious advantages, the main one being efficiency in making calls. Call center operators have developed sales techniques and it is easier for them than company managers to reach the decision maker. The services of a third-party company should be used if the client base for calling is very large and the process will take a long period of time.

You should not assume that since the Call Center employees have no idea about the product being promoted, they will not be able to complete the sale. In fact, in cold calling, it is enough to master the technique of making them, and not information about the product being promoted.

The disadvantage of this method of cold calling is the financial costs, since the services of outsourcing companies are quite expensive.

Examples of popular systems

To select a suitable CRM system you need to:

• determine the goals for which the process is made automatic;
• calculate the amount of funds invested in purchasing the system and the payback time;
• predict the level of sales increase;
• evaluate the ease of use of the program specifically for your employees;
• choose how the application will be launched, for example, via a network from any computer, or only from a specific one;
• choose a method for storing information, for example, in the cloud or on a personal server.

As a rule, CRM system developers provide the opportunity to test the software for free for a certain period.

AboutDialer

Using this CRM to call potential clients, the user gets the ability to automatically dial, distribute contacts between operators, and remind them to call back. In CRM, calls to customers are saved automatically, and management has access to monitoring employees in real time thanks to an effective reporting system. Cold calls are made via SIP, Skype or mobile device.

Skorosvon

CRM Skorozvon keeps track of cold calls, records conversations, sends email and SMS messages to clients, and combines CRM and IP telephony in one service. Management has access to performance indicators for each employee, call results, and recordings of conversations in report format. In the client card of the CRM system for cold calling Skorozvon, you can enter contact information, personal data, a script, comments, add events and link documents.

amoCRM

Cold calling from amoCRM is carried out using a built-in program for calling clients. The CRM saves a recording of the conversation, you can organize a call plan, keep automatic records of incoming calls, set a reminder and mark the result of the conversation with the client. A third-party call statistics system integrated into amoCRM contains all the tools to increase call center productivity.

Know your product

There are only three types of customers who buy from you.

The first, the most numerous and the most unreliable in the long term become customers due to the low price.

The latter become customers thanks to a convincing presentation and technical push on the fourth or fifth attempt.

Still others always want to know more about the characteristics of the product and how to use it before purchasing.

The most valuable “for life” customers are the third ones, for whom it is important to know the technical details and how to use the product or service after purchase.

You sell such customers a new world in which you describe in detailed detail the new possibilities they will have from using your product or service.

And they live in this new world thanks to you! They are grateful to you!

This rule is even more true if you are selling a technical product or a specific service.

Consulting, auditing or new IT infrastructure may not fit into the company's current needs. In this case, knowing the technical data and exceptional capabilities of your product will help you close the deal with your most valuable customers.

Instead of focusing solely on mastering sales techniques, communication skills, and writing clarity, instead of endlessly overcoming objections and rejections, take the time to learn the basic technical features of your product and know what value they provide to your customers.