Episode #002 of the podcast: Cold calling or hot calling... But with rhythm!
In this 2nd episode of Performance & Harmonie, we dive into the finer points of the prospecting process, focusing on the difference between cold calling and hot calling. Discover 5 essential tips to make your prospecting more effective, such as creating a favourable environment, capturing attention in the very first seconds, building connections through mutual contacts, making the most of inbound marketing and warm leads, and following up with visitors who have shown interest in your website. As you explore these techniques, you will understand the importance of open-mindedness and engagement in building meaningful conversations. Join us to learn more about the art of "hot calling" and discover how to warm up your calls for successful prospecting results.
Stéphane: Hello and welcome to this new episode of the Performance & Harmonie podcast, produced by PHCom in the transforma studio in Brussels with technical support from The Podcast Factory Org. Nadia: The Performance & Harmonie podcast is aimed at marketing and sales managers as well as business leaders with sales responsibilities. Stéphane: Every month we share good practice in finding new clients for companies active in business-to-business. Nadia: You can find every episode on the PHCom dot be website, P H C o m, and also on all the main podcast platforms. Stéphane: You can support this podcast and boost its visibility by sharing it as widely as possible with a like, a comment, a share. Nadia: The answering machine is still on so you can leave us a message, and we will be delighted to reply. Stéphane: You can also book a meeting directly with Nadia or Stéphane by going to PHCom.be Nadia: See you soon! Stéphane: Hello Ms Performance. Nadia: Hello Mr Harmonie. Funny title today. Talking about cold calling or hot calling. First, you'll have to explain the difference to me. I imagine that when you prospect cold, you make one call after another, whereas when you prospect warm, you go more slowly, is that right? Stéphane: Yes, indeed, nowadays a call to a manager or a company director deserves to be prepared. The person you're speaking to will be grateful for it. In fact, cold calls, cold calling, are becoming less and less popular. Nadia: Are there ways to warm up a call? Stéphane: Yes. Here are five! 5 tips and tricks to make your prospecting effective. First of all: create a favourable environment by already existing in the other person's mind. Example: you left a message on the voicemail or with the secretary, you call back, and it works. Nadia: Oh yes, and also having already sent a personal email explaining why you want to get in touch. Stéphane: Yes, all of that will help start a conversation on the right footing. Second point: set the mood, grab attention immediately. It's up to you to take care of your first 20 seconds by finding common ground to capture their attention, but also to be fully present yourself. Nadia: OK. So showing that you're genuinely interested in the other person gives you a chance to be interesting. Stéphane: Exactly. Third point: find a connection. For example, mention someone you both know, or a recommendation. Call on behalf of…, point to a mutual contact you've identified on LinkedIn. Nadia: Yes, and for example I know a little trick: now and then I call a department, say the IT department. I don't get the IT Manager on the line, but a colleague. They give me some information and I call the IT Manager back later, saying I'm calling on their colleague's behalf. Stéphane: Exactly. Along the same lines, you can also call on behalf of your own director. A fourth point: make the most of inbound marketing, of Hot Leads. Everyone is used to handling incoming calls. "Hello, I'm calling because I found your name on the internet, I'm interested in..." OK! Great! Easy to handle, more or less. Or following up with people who have filled in a form on the website, also easy since there's already a sign of interest. Now, if you want to go one step further, you'll look at everyone who visits the website, identify their IP address, the person's name, and you'll call them saying "Hi, I saw you're interested in our offer". That can work, can't it? Today's technology makes it possible, anyway. Nadia: OK, and mass emails, do they still work? Stéphane: Absolutely, they can work. If 2% of people reply with interest, that's already phenomenal. Even 0.5% can still work. Imagine you send 10,000: 0.5% still ends up being 50 people. Nadia: Aha, and who are all these techniques good for? Stéphane: Well, these approaches can be perfect for a telemarketer. The person receiving a call can also get into the right frame of mind to have a good time on the phone. The goal, the key, is always the same: creating that good atmosphere. Nadia: OK, but then what is this hot calling for? Stéphane: Look, in five minutes you can change someone's life, you can introduce them to a new product, a new way of doing things, you can offer a service to someone who hadn't thought of it but who ends up saying "oh yes, that could be interesting", and it will change their life. And at the same time, for you, representing a given company with a given product or service, it will bring in a great client, and maybe make the whole year thanks to them. Nadia: Ah! And now, in practice, what should you do? Stéphane: Well, have fun! Have fun with the people you talk to, ask questions, take an interest in the other person and enjoy your time on the phone. Nadia: And I imagine the rhythm then comes naturally. Stéphane: Exactly! We were talking about rhythm earlier. Well, it's a bit like what we said in the last podcast: if you're motivated, then at that point..., if you're passionate, then at that point..., if you can make call after call, then at that point..., well, at that point you'll actually manage to get in touch with the right people and achieve good results so that the salespeople behind you can get good meetings. Nadia: Yes, I quite agree with all these principles, but I still think good organisation is necessary too. You need to set aside time and probably a place to make your calls. Stéphane: That's fundamental, but it's not everything. You know that if you make ten calls one after another and you're told "no thanks", you'll quickly be tired by the 11th, the 12th. It really is all in the mind. You have to keep up that energy, that emotion. So what I always say is: "Learn to glue your phone to your ear, it needs to heat up. You call, you call, you call, you call" and at that point..., things take off! Nadia: Well, that makes me want to make even more calls. Stéphane: So there are four techniques for prospecting large companies with hot calling and I'm going to give them to you. As you said, the list of companies to call. First point: you choose the companies that look interesting on paper, so you build a good file and put them in a good CRM so you can manage your contacts and your information. First element: your file. Second element: collect the names of contacts within the companies. If you already have direct phone numbers, wonderful, perfect! Prepare your lists. Identify the right people to contact: if you have 4 hours of prospecting ahead of you, you need at least 40 contacts. Well, you have to build these lists with people's names; there are tools like Lusha, some people use that easily. Send a personalised email before your call or mention a mutual acquaintance. The suspect needs to feel they've already heard of you, by having heard a message, by having had a word from the secretary or something similar. Fourth element: get straight to the topic that interests the person you're talking to, don't waste their time and don't waste yours. Get straight to the point: clear, concise, crisp, the "CCC method", it always works. And don't forget to classify your companies by segments, classes and priorities so you know which call you need to make next. All that's left is to heat up your phone: "hit the phone"! Nadia: If I understand correctly, hot calling is ultimately a matter of relationships, organisation and perseverance. Stéphane: Yes, but always stay truthful: never make things up, never lie, and be genuine. Nadia: So now that we've covered hot calling, what's the next podcast? Stéphane: Well, as you've understood, building lists is essential. So what I suggest is that in the next podcast we talk about these famous files: how to build them, how to make them rich from the outset, from which sources? Then, if you want to speak to the right person, you'll have to learn how to get past the secretary barrier, the reception barrier, the assistant barrier; in short, manage to speak to the right person. There are tricks! And then for what comes next, that's after 15 August. We'll look at how to make a good introduction to these people, with what attitude, and the elevator pitch technique, for example.Podcast outline:
Podcast transcript:
