The phone is still a powerful and effective lead generation tool. It is inarguably the human touch of a lead nurturing program.
That’s why every opportunity - including cold calling - should be treated with great respect. Each time you pick up the phone, whether it’s the first or third call, it's important you create value in that touch. Your goal with each call should be to give your prospects something useful in a digestible, bite-size chunk.
That being said, the phone must be used as a part of a holistic lead generation strategy. Whether you create a specialized sales development team within the Sales or Marketing groups or hire a firm that specializes in teleprospecting, your cold calling plan must be aligned with all your other ongoing marketing and reputation-building activities.
A while back, I was asked to write a guest blog post for the ZoomInfo Sales and Marketing Blog that I titled "7 prospecting rules that produce leads." That little post was so popular that the ZoomInfo folks asked if I would consider teaching a webinar. I did and in case you missed it there are two convenient ways you can review it on demand:Read the Executive Summary here
- Sustain the calling: Be in it for the long-haul; it has to be consistent and long-term.
- Make every call count: If the person you are calling isn’t with the company any longer, ask for another contact.
- Throw away the scripts: Telemarketers use scripts. Teleprospectors use guides.
- Respect the Executive Assistants: Don’t ever treat anyone as a “lesser.” EAs have the boss’ ear!
- Always be relevant and über-informed: Know about the company and their issues so you can conduct meaningful dialogue.
- Gain opt-in: Get permission to follow up with more information through email.
- Always follow up: Follow up promptly and relevantly. Only follow up in the manner that has been requested.
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