More than 40 million adults in the UK were the target of a scam text or call in only three months. The country is cracking down on cold calling, especially from those offering financial products, to combat this issue.
You can still find success as a salesperson with cold calling. By complying with regulations and making follow-up calls, you’ll find prospects interested in your products or services without using harmful tactics.
Keep reading to learn how to perform successful follow-up calls to close deals.
Get a Commitment for the Follow-Up Call
Sales reps commonly make the mistake of not establishing a specific date and time for a follow-up call at the end of an initial sales pitch.
Vague commitments from the prospect or the sales rep can result in a longer sales cycle as you miss more calls and voicemail messages.
Consider tailoring your message to something specific like:
- I can write a quote or proposal and email it to you following this phone call. I would recommend we set up a call for Wednesday the 17th at 4 pm to review it in detail and determine the next steps.
If they can’t make the time, recommend another one. Get them to establish their own time and date if that doesn’t work either.
This is a simple but powerful tactic to complete the sales process.
Related: 6 Ways to Improve Sales Efficiency
Build Equity and Be Remembered
After every call, you can build equity by sending a thank you card or gifting a promotional mug.
A handwritten message on a thank you card goes a long way. Thank the prospect for chatting with you and reminding them about the scheduled follow-up call. Keep it short and sweet for the best results.
Additionally, you can send a promotional mug to create a positive association with yourself and the business. Utilising business merchandise can greatly influence the decision-making process.
In the fast-paced world we live in, a simple gift tells the client that you took the time and effort to remember them and do something different than other salespeople.
As you build equity from this, the client has a reason to answer when you make your follow-up call.
Email an Agenda
Another one of the easiest follow-up strategies is to send an email follow-up the day before the call. Make sure the email is clear and concise. An example email subject line might be:
- Telephone appointment for January 17th
The subject line acts as a reminder but doesn’t tell the whole story. The prospect should open the email to get more information.
Your email body should confirm the full date and time of the appointment. List the agenda briefly as well:
- The call should take about 10 minutes. We’ll review the quote and I’ll answer any questions you have. We’ll determine the next steps, if any.
These words echo the ones used when you set the follow-up call. The addition of “if any” can alleviate concerns prospects might have about answering the phone call. A no-pressure type of phone call is going to be more appealing.
Related: How to Close a Sale: Tips, Techniques & Why They Work
Call On Time
Cold calling is a science. Salespeople know the benefit of calling at certain times. In this scenario, you have a set time that you cannot afford to miss.
If you make the call too early or late, you could start your relationship with the prospect off on the wrong foot. Never be late with a follow-up call, not even by one minute.
The promptness you show for a call shows that you respect the time of the prospect. Don’t underestimate the importance of making an on-time call to close the deal.
Avoid Opening Statement Mistakes
Many sales representatives make mistakes at the very beginning of the follow-up call. Don’t stumble and fall from the beginning. You might not realise that these are some of the classic follow-up opening statement mistakes:
- I was calling to follow up on the proposal
- I am calling to see if you have any questions
- I’m calling to see if you have come to a decision
- I wanted to make sure you got my email
These opening statements might work half the time, but they are considered poor because they are too routine. They do nothing to differentiate or position you as a unique person in the industry.
Add a little more pizzazz so you aren’t just another vendor looking to make a quick sale.
Consider starting with specifics about your proposal to remind the prospect what they could be investing in.
Create a Better Opening Statement
There are four main steps to creating that pizzazz that we talked about above. First, reintroduce yourself using your full name. Second, remind the prospect of your company’s name.
These are the obvious first few steps to take. Step three is where you’ll begin to differentiate yourself from the competition.
Remind the client why you are calling and what prompted the call. Go back to your initial cold call and remind the client of the pain or gain that you hinted at in the first call.
This is a reminder that they agreed to the call because of an irritation they were experiencing that your product or service can solve. In step four, begin discussing the agenda.
You’ll review anything the prospect has questions about and take a closer look at their current contract. If applicable, you can start to determine the next steps.
Don’t waste their time. Make your agenda clear and concise and keep the phone call as short as possible.
Find Success With Follow-Up Calls
There are many ways to find success with follow-up calls. If your current strategy isn’t working, implement these best practices.
Although they are all helpful, offering promotional mugs to prospects who seem likely to buy your product or service is the best way to differentiate yourself from other cold-call salespeople.
To incorporate printed promotional mugs into your follow-up calls, choose Prince William Pottery. We have a wide range of mugs that you can customise to fit your brand message.
Contact us today to learn more about how promotional mugs can help you with the sales process.
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