Cold calling is no longer useful: find alternatives.
Cold calling is a technique that serves to initiate an advertising process and thus capture potential customers. It refers to the fact that the customer is not waiting for the salesperson, and you don’t know if he or she is interested in the offer.
Many times it is thought that this technique can be used to sell directly. Although companies do it, it is not recommended since the interaction can be too aggressive. Cold calls represent a relatively high risk of rejection. 90% of CEOs never answer a cold call.
Why cold calling does not work
1. They look for quantity, not quality
When you have a database, you must choose which possible customers best fit your offer and which are not interested. However, many cold calls are made, even though most of them do not give any results.
There is no way to foretell who is looking for the offer in this sales technique since everything will depend on factors beyond the location or age range, even if you have that data.
2. They prioritize the sale
When a salesperson offers you adequate and relevant solutions, trust gets bigger. However, with this technique, priority is given to the unitary sale. There is no loyalty or commitment between the parties.
3. They maintain old practices
The Internet is now a part of people’s lives, and more and more users are adapting to electronic shopping, which also gives them decision-making power. In contrast, cold calling maintains an approach that may have had a certain range of effectiveness two or three decades ago. Still, it is no longer convenient, as it is not attractive or allows people to compare suppliers’ information.
4. They confuse the interlocutor
It is increasingly common for people to avoid calls from unknown users, especially for security reasons. Even if you have the best intentions, most people will believe that you want to use their data for some inappropriate purpose or that the call will interrupt their activities.
5. They focus their strategy on the company or product
Every functional strategy starts with the customer and their demands and the way they like to communicate. And the phone line is becoming more and more limiting.
Best alternatives to cold calling
1. Contact your customers on other platforms
If your customers and other relevant decision-makers are active social network users, you should also invest in these platforms’ strategy. One of the great benefits of contacting your customers through social networks is that it allows you to get a much deeper context regarding their interests.
Social networks will allow you to see what articles your customers like, what content they share or leave comments on, whom they follow, or who their contacts are. Another possibility is to look for common connections to ask for an introduction and thus avoid that cold call.
2. Use social networks as a tool
Cold calling doesn’t work, but that doesn’t mean you should stop calling your customers. Use social networks to get to know them better in their hobbies and the industry they belong to, their profession, interests, concerns, and the news they read and share.
Use that information to prepare for your first contact, whether it’s a call, an email, or a direct message on a social network.
3. Influence your customers before the purchase process
Your customers will look for information about your industry, your competitors, and your company on the Internet and social networks before contacting them or having the chance to talk to them.
For this reason, it is crucial to make sure the information they find is the best and has the potential to answer questions even if you are not there to answer them. It is essential to have relevant information for the entire sales process so that your customers have references and review that information as often as they want.
Final thoughts
The goal is to maintain a relevant and consistent dialogue with future customers, no matter where they are in the purchasing process. If you follow these ideas, you will begin to think about how you and your vendors can be relevant. When you do that, you don’t have to sell anything. They will come to you first when ready.