Misused and misunderstood — that’s cold call business sales development.
But this tested sales technique has benefits you’ll do well to explore.
Question: Why do B2B sales managers consider cold call business sales development obsolete?
Answer: Social media and web based marketing are their focus. And business development cold calling is misery for their sales people.http://
Question: Is cold calling effective?
Answer: Harvard Business Review On-Line says cold calling is “the most effective way to set up appointments with the right decision makers at your target accounts…and should be used by every B2B sales force.”
Question: Does effective cold calling require a background in the industry or markets you are calling?
Answer: Surprisingly,industry specific knowledge about the business segments you are calling is NOT essential. But here’s the catch…
Top management will insist only salespeople with deep understanding of the markets they are selling can do business development cold calling.
It’s myth based on ignorance rather than tested cold call business experience.
Question: Any other cold call tips?
Answer: Like social media marketing, the business development cold call can be an engaging and interactive business development medium….enabling you to connect with your customers and potential customers ahead of the bigger companies with larger, less personalized sales and marketing organizations.[singlepic id=3 w=220 h=140 float=right]
The secret is making your calls with a personal touch that engages your prospects —- getting them to interact with you one-to-one so they trust doing business with you.
Cold Call B2B: The Truth About Getting Real-World Appointments
Quality business development appointments do not happen overnight.
Routine follow-up calls plus e-mail follow-ups get you in the door for a face-to-face meeting.
Also, cold call business sales development is a form of direct marketing.
And building a highly targeted database is the key to any successful direct marketing campaign.
Therefore, view each call as a means for fine tuning your business development database. It’s a work in progress that never ends!
Get Better At Cold Call Business Sales Development
Get updates on ways Business Development By Phone can help your business grow —especially in this economy.
Also, go here for DMA 2012 response rate reports for lead generation marketing media. Plus this Advertising Age update on B2B phone marketing.
Also, for further study: