Most people recoil in fear at the thought of cold calling in
order to make sales for their cleaning 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 properly, cold
calling can be an effective sales technique for 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.
1. Remember the purpose of a cold call. Many people think that
the purpose of a cold call is to get the sale - wrong. The
purpose of the call is to get an appointment so you can get a
chance to make the sale.
2. Do your research. Don't just pick up the phone and start
dialing. You need to do a little research first. Who is your
target market? Start making a list of the companies who fit into
your niche and then start doing preliminary research on each
company before calling. For example, find out if they have a web
site and read it thoroughly. Find out who the decision-makers
are. See if they're a member of the Chamber of Commerce to get
additional information that way.
3. Be nice to the gatekeeper. It's very likely that when making
cold calls you're going to be connected to the gatekeeper
(assistant to the decision-maker, receptionist, etc.). Be
friendly, learn their name and use it, and maybe say something
like, "I wonder if you could help me?" You want to get them on
your side, willing to give you the information you need. Ask if
they can help you get the name of the person you need to talk to
or when would be the best time to contact that person.
4. Call early in the morning. This is typically the best time to
reach the decision-makers. It's also a time when most people are
more pleasant and have more energy.
5. Prepare your script. Don't just "wing it". This will keep you
from making common mistakes like opening up with, "How are you
today?" This will give them a chance to end the call before it's
even started.
You should start the conversation with a greeting and an
introductory statement, which can transition into more dialogue.
For example, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. This is Tom Jones of ABC
Cleaning Company. I recently read in the business section of the
local paper that you're moving your business to a larger
location. We specialize in commercial cleaning services in
buildings of this size and can help you to reduce your monthly
maintenance costs by using proven cleaning systems that also use
environmentally friendly products. I'd like to ask you a few
questions in order to determine the amount of savings we can
potentially provide your company."
6. Prepare for the rest of the call. It's difficult at this point
to completely script the call, but you should have a list of the
benefits of your services and the reasons that the prospect
should buy from you over the competition. Don't simply make a
list of features, like being bonded and insured. While that's an
important consideration after you've made the sale, the prospect
only cares about what's in it for them at this point in the call.
Make a list of possible objections that they're likely to make
like, "We already have a cleaning service that we're happy with,"
and then craft statements to overcome the objections.
7. Ask for an appointment at a specific time. Don't simply end
the call by saying something like, "Can we meet next week to
discuss this?" Instead say, "Would next Tuesday at 10 a.m. be a
good time to meet?"
8. Be persistent. They say that most people need 7 to 10
"touches" before the're ready to make a purchase, so don't give
up after only one or two calls!
Try sending a Thank You card after the call thanking them for
taking the time to talk to you. Most people appreciate this
simple, thoughtful gesture.
9. Practice makes perfect. The only way to get better at cold
calling is to practice. You may never really enjoy it, but you
can definitely get better at it the more you practice. Remember,
your customers are out there, you just need to let them know
about you!
|
