Hi all:
I am brand new to radio sales and wanted to reach out to get some advice about cold calling. Currently I'm just making calls over the phone trying to get appointments, but it's exhausting. I have a good script that I am comfortable with and tailor to each business, but there are some days that it's difficult to bring myself to dial the phone. I try and make a dozen calls before lunch and a dozen after, but some days it's just too easy to procrastinate.
Even when I'm on fire, I'm still calling and following up on cold call messages I left. I just feel like I'm in a perpetual hamster wheel that I can't get off of. Tips? Advice? Thanks!
Melanie,
I will include your post in this Friday's newsletter, and I'm sure you'll get some excellent feedback from our members. In the meantime, this is one of the handiest guides to cold calling that I've come across: Geoffrey James' Nifty Free Tool for Making Cold Calls.
Let me know what you think - and good luck!
Rebecca
I'm in the exact same boat; I'm just about to close out my third week and I'm still very much in the process of trying to build a client base. I've also been leaving(and following up on) many, many messages; out of roughly 30 businesses I cold called a couple days ago, I had to leave messages for a little more than half of them. I also got a few "no's", but I managed to capture a few that weren't quite ready to advertise until the Spring along with a couple actual appointments. I suppose I'm in a bit of a unique situation as well; I live in New England and we've been dealing with giant snowstorms at least once(if not twice) a week since I came on board.
This is, of course, anecdotal...but I definitely sympathize with your struggles.
One thing I like to when I'm feeling phone-fatigue is to grab a handful of business cards, a stack of tri-folds about our company and hit the road for an hour or two. It not only gets me out of the office for a much-needed change of scenery, but I get to clear my head a bit while I actively look for businesses I normally never paid attention to as a regular consumer. I just pop in, take a look at what they have to offer, introduce myself with my business card and I'm out the door.
I don't walk in with the presumption of getting anything out of the initial visit; I'm simply there to introduce myself(and, by proxy, the company) to a prospective client. Most importantly, it gives me an excuse to call them in a few days and they'll actually have a face to attach to the name and voice. I'm no longer just some random salesperson over the phone, I'm Cliff from the radio station. It's not 100% foolproof and I still find myself chasing followups...but it's all part of the process and it helps shake up your routine.
I certainly don't have all of the answers and I'm looking for just as much advice as you are, but this is something I try to do about once a week to help shake things up and change my mental landscape.
From one newbie to another, I wish you the best of luck! If you find any great advice, please send it my way!
I would suggest a 3 pronged attack plan, obviously continue your phones. I think that you need to increase the number per day. I would have a target list of 100 prospects to actually go cold call in an effort to set up appointment. A nice balance of these will also add some new life into your day. I also would have a strategic plan that calls for an Introductory e-mail with specific mention that you will call this week to discuss further. Get all your oars in the water, sometimes just one will have you go in circles,
I think you're on the right path by breaking up your day. My only suggestion is to always present yourself as a professional whose time is just as valuable as the clients' rather than a product peddler. Tell the potential customer that you know the're busy and you are too and you're just there to meet them and set up a meeting.
There is cold calling and there is prospecting and there is a difference. From your post it's not clear if you're actually doing both or only cold calling. Prospecting is identifiying certain businesses or business categories, doing some background on the specific business - look into what they do now to market, what they do and say in their marketing - and then doing some background on the industry the business is in - the RAB has info on what months are the best and worst, who buys when, et al or google, read some trade pub articles. Try to match your station demo or something in your programming with the demographics of the industry, e.g. AC with women with children in 2-income HH are the likely target for family dentists, family... anything. There is an advantage in focusing on certain industries at a time as well in that the presentation you put together for, say family dentists, can be used for all the family dentist calls you make.
Cold calling on the phone is universally the least responsive way of reaching out to prospective client - it's so easy to say no on the phone or hang up. Cold calling in person is the next least responsive - unless you do background and have something to talk to the prospective client about.
As far as the script for phone or in-person cold calls, my advice is that you don't talk about the need for you or for radio at all. Think of yourself as the business owner/decisionmaker and how many times a day, a week, a month someone calls or drops in with an 'incredible offer' (really?) that's going to 'really help your business' (exactly how?) for which the upshot is: buy this from me. If you approach the business with a strategic point of view, ask to talk with them (CNA!!!) about their business to see if and how you may be able to help them... this is a partner approach.
They may say 'look I'm fine'. You say, well, realistically every business has a problem. I have met with businesses with a poor or hard-to-find location and helped them with that. I have talked with businesses who sell furniture, appliances and carpet - but their name only says 'furniture' and I have been able to help them sell more carpet and appliances. I have met with businesses who target 45+ males and once we went thru all the info on their products and this market together was able to help them target a more accurate customer for bigger sales. If you have 20 minutes to meet, we can talk about what you want to achieve with your business and how I may be able to help.
Businesses are impressed if you demonstrate some knowledge of their products or industry - it's flattering that you took the time to dig around to find out they do direct mail and outdoor, noticed the marketing approach they took in their tv or cable. Bring in the newspaper or mailer they sent. It's not about radio at this point. It's not about you. You need to get them to talk to you so you can provide a solution to their own perceived problem.
You may find some of the best in-person cold calls are the businesses next door to or in the immediate vicinity of a business you just met with... "Hi. I'm with WXYZ and was just meeting with Bill at Acme Furniture and saw your sign in the window that you now carry..." is a better opening, with implied endorsement, than what you can typically use.
Hope this helps!
Thanks, Cliff! Great advice, although I haven't received the green light to go out and drop in to businesses yet. I find that I'm in the same boat; leaving lots of messages. I find that for every 20 calls I make I get one appointment. Not terrible!
Nice, Diane. And with talking up your credentials, go ahead and name drop. Still building your list? Ask your colleagues or sales manager for some "case studies."
"We worked with (ABC Flooring) earlier this year, their goal was to (XYZ), so we created a strategy designed to accomplish that very objective. The end result was an X% increase..." you get the idea, just try to keep that part to fifteen seconds or less, or you'll lose 'em. But make the end game, RESULTS, real for them by sharing a case study or two. And then like Diane is saying, dive in with some specific knowledge you've attained regarding their goals simply from doing your homework (hit their website, Facebook, Twitter, etc). You'll come across as a professional, not a package pusher.
If I might also suggest. Being a Newbie to sales myself, I had already been working in the station but not in sales. I knew the ins and out of this station well enough and accepted the challenge of taking over one of only 2 sales positions at our little station. We had the unfortunate death of a previous sales rep and I agreed to take over. At first I had the task of contacting all of her current clients and explaining she had passed away suddenly and I would be their new rep. Then, I had to further explain that "oh by the way our rates have increased slightly since your previous contract signing..." WOW! I was overwhelmed to say the least and, though most were sympathetic it was not an easy task to help them through the transition. That was 2 months ago now and with getting all those clients on board with the change I set my sites on gaining new clients. I should also mention that the dear lady I took over for ONLY did telephone sales. Mostly promo and sponsoring commercial sales, not necessarily long term contracts, in fact, there were only 7 long terms passed to me that were hers. Once I jumped in and got every client up to speed and copy changes, contract renewals of those ready, and went through a 2 day training, it was time to hit the pavement running...in my mind at least! Our "mobile" sales rep had her hands full with her out of town clients but there weren't many in-town on contract. I made a list and out the door I went.
If you aren't doing the face to face type of sales and only cold calls or telephone sales my suggestion is to start with the sponsorship ads, you know, "It's National FFA Month, we have put together a package of X amount of Commercials with name drops saying you support National FFA Month as well as your local chapter here in (town name). I found by making those initial sponsor calls and got a business to run with it, it was then easier for me to say " ok, so Mr. Client, you are spending $XXX each month to sponsor various events, fundraisers, National Months, if we were to look at a package that you would get X amount of your own 30 second commercials and include monthly sponsoring commercials at this rate, it would save you $XXX over a year's time vs. being billed $XXX each month it would only be $XXX and your business would have both for an entire year", and give them the typical A,B,C package options. When you crunch the numbers for them, clearly outlining the savings, typically they will go with a yearly contract over being called each month to sponsor something....and believe me there is something going on that impacts your community monthly to sell them! I honestly just did this yesterday with a client, that for the past year has ONLY done sponsoring commercials ever so often. I sold them on a yearly contract of over $20,000 that bundled regular commercials, plus 3 prime time air time spots AND a year's worth of sponsoring commercials vs. the $250/months they did sponsoring commercials on our station.
If it weren't for selling sponsoring commercials first, I don't know that I could have gotten them on a package, honestly. But you have to have all your ducks in a row, so to speak. Crunch every number combination, do ALL the leg work, research their businesses target area's. In this case it was a beef packing plant, so I included everything that had to do with beef, agriculture, National safety month, employee appreciation days/months, local and neighboring town fairs and rodeo's. If it had to do with a cow, I found something to add to their package.
Literally the first step is research the client BEFORE you approach, you can't help them get their message out if you don't know what they do.
Nicely done, Robin! Thanks for sharing this!
I find myself, once past the gatekeeper, saying this. "Mr/Ms. Prospect. I know that your company's time is valuable, as is mine. So that I don't end up tying up the leadership there with follow ups, I find it best to show you all of our packages and options with all the decision makers present. Now are you the sole decision maker for (Business Name) If yes, set the appointment. If no, proceed as follows." When is the best time for me to sit down with you and (CEO, COO, CMO)?" Excellent. "I am looking forward to meeting all of you on (Date and time)".
Never fall prey to the one legged appointment if you can help it. The person you speak to will not sell your proposal to their partners as well as you can.
Now, Sales friends, this is merely a suggestion. If anyone has any improvements to suggest, I am wide open to them.
I agree completely. You do need to stress your time is as valuable as theirs and you aren't just out trolling, you're on a mission. And yes, always get to the right person immediately if at all possible because otherwise you get lost in a stack of endless messages that never seem to get where they need to go.
Cliff,
What great advice! I just started this week and next week will be pounding out phone calls and will totally take your words under advisement and pound the pavement as well.
I heard a cool tip today that, when you have a meeting with a client, canvas that area and drop in to the businesses to the left and right of them and drop off a card/set up an appointment that way as well.
Hope that's helpful. I plan on trying it myself! Much luck to you in your new job!
Shannon
As I look through a lot of these and I put on the hat I wear outside of radio... which is Marketing Coordinator for a luxury apartment building.... I can say I would ignore a LOT of the call styles that are recommended here. And when sales people stop in unannounced, I send them on their way. Business card and brochures go right in the trash. You interrupted my day!!!!
Learn how to use the phone/email and get to the "what's in it for me" right away: I'm calling about getting more leases signed at XXXXX. The reason for the call is (MORE $$$$ FOR YOUR BUSINESS). Don't lead with something annoying and cheesy. Don't waste my time with anything that smells like a gimmick or a cheesy lead in. Make it about one thing: more money for my bottom line. Or hit my website, if you do your homework I'm SURE you can find a pain point I'm trying to resolve... lead with that. Be professional and confident. Watch Chris Rolando's training videos, he hits it on the head!
When I take this line of thought into the radio selling... works very well, every time.
