Cold Calling Playbook

COLD CALLING PLAYBOOK 

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Prospecting means identifying and contacting new prospects to turn them into customers for your company.. It's not just about finding people who are interested in your offer, it's also about filtering your database to put aside people who aren't interested or unqualified. There are 4 types of profile:  

• Those who are ready to buy: they know they need you and want to subscribe to your offer quickly.
• Those who are interested but thinking about it: they want to become a customer of your company, but their situation means they haven't yet taken action. 
• Those who are just curious: they are potentially considering buying your products or services, are inquiring for the future, but have no urgent need.
• People who don't need your company: they just don't need your products/services, so don't waste your time on them.

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• Always have a telephone script with each step clearly written out, and with answers to the most common objections. 

• If you feel demotivated, take a 5-minute break and remember that previous results do not define future results. Start each call as a new blank page where anything can happen. 
• Find out more about the prospect and his or her company before making a call, to show that you're really interested in the person. 
• Follow the order of the script below and control the sale. If the prospect deviates and wants to skip a step, refocus him with finesse and elegance towards your script. 
• Be convinced by your offer, because you're the first person you sell to. How can you seduce a prospect if you're not even convinced of the benefits of your offer? Get to know your offer inside out to understand its added value and feel that you're really helping your prospects. It's important to feel useful if you want to be effective.
• Knowing that you're not going to bother people, but help them solve their problems, no need to feel guilty and believe that you're harassing people, it's not true, you're actually going to make their lives easier and that's gratifying.
• Always have a telephone script with each step clearly written out, and with answers to the most common objections. 

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The first impression is the most important stage in prospecting, and will determine your success or failure. In just 3 seconds, your prospect paints a positive or negative picture of you, and it's up to you to make sure it's a positive one. 

Exactly how? 

Firstly, communicate your enthusiasm and positive energy in your tone of voice, and smile on the phone, so that you can be felt even if the prospect can't see you. The aim: to differentiate yourself from the majority of prospectors, who are boring and deadpan, and also to give your prospect, who is probably doing a tedious job for his company, a moment's escape - why should he refuse? By adopting this type of attitude, your prospect is bound to feel valued and will give you his time, at least 3 minutes :) 

Start the call with simple questions, 99% of which lead to a positive response or YES, one after the other. Psychological studies have shown that when you commit to several YESes, it's difficult and emotionally uncomfortable to go the other way. 

You're free to choose 3 questions that you feel comfortable answering. 

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Key points: 

• To implicitly ask for validation from your prospect and increase the chances that they'll respond without creating an "awkward" blank, raise your voice at the end of the sentence. 
• Say your prospect's first or last name right from the start - they're their two favorite words in the world!

There are 3 options when you start a conversation, here are some examples: 

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1. The prospect speaks first and introduces himself
   

Hello X, thank you for calling, (your first name) from (your company)

Raise your voice at the end on "(your first name) company (your company)" to show that you're waiting for a response and validation from the prospect.

Are you all right?

I'm calling you after my manager (his first name) contacted me by email about _________ , do you remember? 

2. The prospect speaks first without introducing himself
   

Hello, is this X from company Y?

(Your first name) of the company (your company), how are you?

I'm calling you following an email from my manager (his first name) about _______. Did you receive it? 

3. You speak first 

Same as 2.

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The problem with most salespeople is that they talk more than they listen. The prospect doesn't care about you, he sees his interest first and what you have to offer to improve his quality of life is all he's interested in. So it's important to always be prospect-centric, to say more "you", "(his first name)" and "(his company)" than "I", "me"... 

You need to ask as many questions as possible, and listen to the prospect to pinpoint his problems. This is impossible if you monopolize the floor or try to sell at all costs. What's more, by getting them to talk about themselves, you're showing that you care about them, and they'll feel valued and important, and appreciate you in return.  

Asking questions has a dual role: to give you arguments for the rest of the call when presenting your offer, and also to qualify your prospect. Qualifying means checking that your product or service matches their needs, that they tick the right boxes, because if they don't, you're wasting time for nothing, both for yourself and for the prospect. 

To qualify, you need to prepare your questions: both to qualify and to find the prospect's "pain points" that you can use to your appointment. Write down as many questions as possible, and ask the most relevant ones during the call. Never present your solution without first qualifying it! 

Qualification is used to verify 3 things: 

• Your prospect wants your product/service 
• Your prospect needs your product/service 
• Your prospect has the means to buy your product / service 

Once these 3 points have been validated, move on to the next step: presenting your offer. 

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People don't buy features but benefits, so it's important to help them visualize how their situation will evolve once they're a customer, by describing in detail the main benefits of your support. 

To come across as an expert, provide authoritative arguments: customer cases, certifications, recent victories, longevity in the industry, guarantees... 

To create a rapport (an unconscious connection between you and your prospect), don't hesitate to mirror your prospect: imitate his expressions and language, adopt the same tone of voice, and enter his world, so that he thinks "This person understands me, so he can help me". 

Here's how to structure a presentation: 

• Short company presentation
• Value proposition 
• 3 main benefits 
• Visualization BEFORE / AFTER 
• Elements of authority 
• What do you think? 

Once you've finished unpacking, leave a blank and see if the prospect reacts, if not, ask "What do you think?", never announce the price yourself, let the prospect ask the question himself / Communicate the prices, then leave a blank and wait for his reaction. 

In your script, write shock phrases, metaphors, and prepare your tone for each word / step, here are the elements you can play on:

• Pronunciation speed: go fast on details and slow down on important words
• Voice volume: raise your voice to get micro-chords, lower your volume to arouse your prospect's curiosity and get him to pay close attention. 
• Take breaks, especially before saying something important 
• Use transition words when you want to change tone: then, but, now, well... 

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The first objections always come after the price has been announced, which is when the sale really begins. 

Always take note of the main objections and the best associated answers, and take advantage of this advantage over the prospect because you can anticipate his answers, unlike him, who wasn't expecting your call. 

When a prospect raises an objection, never contradict them directly, as this would be an affront to their intelligence and credibility, so always validate their answers at the outset. 2 possibilities: 

• I understand what you're saying and would have done the same in your position, only.... "Understanding" means putting yourself in the prospect's shoes and validating it. 
• I hear what you're saying and would probably have thought the same thing at first glance, only... 

An objection is not a definitive NO. On the contrary, it shows that there is a problem, and therefore an interest, but that the prospect lacks the elements to act. Your role as a salesperson is to provide these elements, both logically and emotionally, so that the prospect takes action. 

If the prospect says it's too expensive, ask him in relation to what? And logically demonstrate that your offer will bring in more money than it costs.

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What is your availability for an appointment? 

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Call procedure in case of success

1. YES SET 
2. PRESENTATION OF THE OFFER IN 1 SENTENCE
3. QUALIFICATION (2-3 questions Max) 
4. SUGGESTED APPOINTMENT

If unsuccessful

1. HANDLING OBJECTIONS
2. (QUICK PRESENTATION OF FEATURES, 3 MAX)
3. PROPOSE AN APPOINTMENT (Specify the value of the appointment and say that it's non-binding) 

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An SDR call lasts between 3 and 5 minutes maximum. You don't have to detail your offer, but get straight to the point, and if the customer wants information, say that you don't know because you're just the assistant, but that you can make an appointment with your manager.

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