10 Key Things to Avoid in B2B Cold Calling

With work at home or remote working environments being preferred due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, it has become difficult and risky to set up in person meetings to introduce business offerings to potential leads. Businesses are struggling to come up with effective marketing strategies to reach out to potential customers, but sales teams that adapted to calling potential buyers to set up sales meetings are seeing tremendous success. 

Cold calling to push or sell a product to a random stranger is nearly dead, but B2B cold calling to set up a meeting with potential buyers is working and should be part of a success marketing strategy now and post Covid-19. In fact, managers of flourishing businesses are using this method to book or secure business meetings with other managers or business owners. But how do you set up a successful cold calling strategy for your business? In this article, we look at 10 Mistakes you should avoid during a B2B cold call. 

1. Panic

Even if it is your first time making a cold call, exude confidence in your conversation as you convince the person on the other end of the call to take a point of action. In this case, your main goal is to secure an appointment for a sales meeting. Panic will give the recipient of your call a good reason to doubt your capability and will definitely have nothing to do with you when the call is over. 

Experts recommend researching your prospective customers and getting as much information about their business needs as possible. Calling and asking too much basic information will annoy your prospect. Background research also reduces the duration of the call and just like anywhere else in life, preparation will boost your confidence level. 

2. Discouragement Due to  Rejection

If you have ever said no to a sales person, then expect to receive several nos before getting an astounding yes. Your prospects may simply not need what you are offering now and in the future. Or they could be comfortable with the arrangement they have at the moment. Keep positive and don’t let their rejection way you down. Keep going. A yes is just a call away and you never know it could be the next one.

3. Close Ended Questions

Since you are also gathering some information from the person on the other end, try not to ask close ended questions with a yes or no answer. This way, you will not manage to get concrete information that will help you in offering the best solution to your client if you take things to the next level. Ask questions that will prompt your prospect to give you more information about his or her business and perhaps an insight into what solution they would want from you.

4. Over Scripted Conversation

Whereas prior planning is a must before you make a call, over scripting your conversation and strictly following it will be a bad idea. One, you will sound robotic which is a huge turn-off and two, you will have no room for the other person to talk to you. A call is just a conversation like you would have on a one-on-one basis with another person. So, after planning on what you want to cover, let the conversation flow naturally.

5. Distraction When on The Phone

Pay close attention to the person on the other end. Otherwise, if you are inattentive, your prospect will also drift away and you will not make any lead. Listen carefully to what he or she has to say.  The person on the other end can tell when you are doing other things apart from listening to them. This will put them off in a second and you will end up with another botched call.

6. Talking Too Much

When talking to your fellow manager, try not to talk too much to the extent of not listening to what he or she has to say. Instead of being prolix, practice your listening skills. It is when listening that you will get to know the prevalent problems that your prospect is dealing with which will give you facts on how to offer solutions to the same during consecutive meetings. Too much talk no matter how relevant it may seem, will drive your prospect away.

7. Overselling Yourself

When faced with a challenge that you are actively looking for a solution to, more often than not you have a clear idea of exactly what it is that you need. Once you get what seems like a possible solution, you make up your mind in an instant. Having said that, avoid by all means overselling yourself or your business for that matter because it will sound awful and cast doubts on your credibility. Just give the major benefits and how they will solve your prospects main problems and they will definitely want to hear more when you finally have that meeting.

8. Failure To Take Notes

Imagine how you would feel if somebody you have never met but had a call with remembered your name, your workplace, and details of what you talked about a few months down the line. Wouldn’t that be nice? I presume so. Form a habit of always taking notes on what you discussed over the phone with your prospect. This will help you in making specialized solutions when time comes to meet them and hopefully work with them. 

9. Failure To Keep Track of Your Calls

The main aim of B2B cold calls is to secure sales meetings for the managers or sales and marketing representatives with a hope of a good lead. It is therefore prudent to keep track of all the cold calls so as to tell whether they are working or not. If they are working, how well and what can be improved. If not, why and what needs to change. Make use of the readily available programs like Ms Excel and Outlook to measure the progress. Keeping track will play a major role in helping you to overcome my last point on what you should avoid when cold calling.

10. Lack of Follow Ups

One of the major and most costly mistakes done by B2B cold calling professionals is lack of consistent and timely follow ups which simply means loss of prospects. Always make sure to promptly give more information when asked to do so by your prospect. Make a schedule for follow up calls and reminders using your track programs to make it easier for you. In my opinion a follow up shows some level of seriousness and it also portrays confidence and understanding of your business. What do you think?