Outbound prospecting can have its challenges. But calling prospects doesn’t have to feel like a death sentence. In order to tolerate the experience or even enjoy it, you have to have an executable plan. You need a good idea of what you are going to say to whom — and why — as well as what your message will mean to them.
5 Basic Tips to Make Outbound Prospecting Successful, Even Enjoyable
With that said, I’d like to do a quick refresher course and outline 20 tips that can make outbound prospecting bearable, successful and yes even maybe enjoyable. Here are the first 5:
- Use your full name if you don’t have a relationship with the recipient of your call. Your contact hears, “It’s “Tom,” “It’s “Mary,” or “It’s “Sue.” Tom, Mary or Sue who? Use your full name. It’s professional and can build awareness of who you are. Assuming you’re more familiar to the prospect than you really are is not the best idea.
- Leave your phone number twice. If the prospect or customer wants to call you back, they will want your phone number. They may need a repeat of the number to get it right.
- Speak slowly, clearly and concisely. Some of us talk really slow and some really fast. Speaking really fast is out when it comes to outbound prospecting. How can your message resonate if the prospect or customer is unable to make out what you are saying?
- Avoid wordiness. Get to the point. People are busy. Your prospects and customers are no different. If you are wordy, it takes too much effort to figure out who you are and why you are calling. Unless your message quickly makes clear how the prospect or customer will benefit by you, the person you’re calling will lose interest.
- Avoid a monotone voice. Prospects and customers get hundreds of emails and voicemails a day including yours. Stand out. Make sure your delivery is engaging and conversation like.
These 5 basic tips help you avoid the all-too-common pitfalls that needlessly lower the success rate of much outbound phone calling efforts.
This is the first in a series that’s a quick refresher course — a total of 20 tips that can make outbound prospecting bearable, successful and maybe even a challenge you’re ready and willing to take on.