Originally Posted by karlaamaya

To be honest, I have been a bit afraid to take this approach, but it has always been on my mind. With that said, how would you approach a pontential client on the phone? How do you introduce yourself/company and your services? What would be your lines? Karla,

LOL, I think the majority of people would be uneasy about such an approach especially if they've never experienced telemarketing before.

I think the best way to introduce yourself is the same way you would in person. I mean of course they can't see you, so you would really have to let them "hear" your smile and confidence over the phone.

I would start by saying something like:

"Hello, my name is Karla Maya, I'm calling on behalf of Your Practical Panda". Your Practical Panda.... (here I would began to make a swift, straight to the point statement of what Practical Panda is and what you do).

Then: Thank them for taking your call and let them know you will only take a brief moment of there time and end the statement with "OK!". LOL, this is telemarketing 101. For some reason the word "OK", gets most people to say "OK". At that point you go in for the kill.

Note: Remember to stay confident and always assume they will set up a consultation and eventually do business with you.

(Your intro should take you no longer than 20 seconds or so)

I would recommend using persuasive and ear catching statements ..... something that's going to make them listen, want to hear more and not hang up on you.

I always find the introduction to be the hardest part. BUT, assuming you get past that point and they are still listening, now the ball is in your court. It's up to you to bring it home.

1. You want to be prepared when you call (remember you called them, they didn't call you).

2. Be determined, if your not hungry for business and dedicated, cold calling will never work for you.

3. Speak clearly and with a firm yet friendly and inviting voice. If you sound shy, nervous or your voice is trembling
get ready to be introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Dial Tone.

4. Be sure you know exactly what the company does and what industry they are in (this is assuming your a bit of a
generalist and work with different industries.)

For me, I think preparing a script is the best way to go about it. I'm actually in the midst of preparing one for myself. It's very time consuming but I know it will pay off and it's something I will be able to use over and over.

(Remember once you say the script to about 30 PC's you'll remember it by hard, you'll see where you can make changes, what works for you and what doesn't).

Also, you'll find that as you get more comfortable you'll eventually become more sociable and it will come more naturally).

Always try to control the conversation. You are going to run across many people who are easily willing to speak with you but remember to stay on track. Follow through with your planned conversation or script.... your goal is to get a consultation set up. If for whatever reasons you can't finish your pitch but get them to set up a consultation kudos to you!

Next prepare yourself for rejections, be sure to prepare Rebuttal Statements. Have a rebuttal ready for your most common rejections.

Hmm....This would probably be a good for a thread starter: What are the most common rejection statements you get when trying to get new business?


They'll throw things at you like:

"I'm not interested", "I know nothing about online services", I'm not signing any contracts", "I'm not interested in contract services", "I can't afford it" or "I have all the help I need", among the many other popular phrases they use to not do business with you.

Once you make say your rebuttal statement to get control of the conversation again or get them to continue listening, go straight back to where you were in the conversation. Try your best to finish your pitch to get the consultation set up.

(If you rebut twice, I advise you not to make another attempt. Anything after that is just hounding and rude, but if you can get them to commit to speaking with you another time then go for it!)

Next..... grab them with a winning statement of some sort. Get them interested to know more about your company, mention your website, how hiring contract services or a VA will save them time and money etc.

Here you would began your closing.

(Make a strong statement maybe listing all the positives of what you told them, end it with something like "So let's go ahead and set up your free consultation today and see what we can do for each other OK!.)... That's a really weak line but just to give you an idea of where I'm going.

Also you want to make your pitch as short, direct and enticing as possible. Maybe within the 3 - 5 minute time frame for an inactive, listening PC and maybe 5 - 8 minutes for someone who is an active, talkative PC.

I hope this helps you a little bit and I hope I didn't overwhelm you. Go for it if you feel you can do it. All it takes is for you to get one consultation by way of cold calling and you'll be hooked after that.

Good luck!

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Sharon

Careful with cold emailing. You do NOT want to violate federal SPAM laws. See Kate's post on this subject.

As for cold calling, it is definitely not for me. I hate getting these types of calls and would never subject a PC to this tactic.

Julie

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Julie | Virtual Resource Services, Inc (VRSI)
http://www.vrsioffice.com

I'm more comfortable with mailing or emailing info, then following up later with a phone call. Some people are programmed to automatically say no when they are cold-called, and get you off their phone asap, regardless of what you have to offer. If you catch them at a busy time, it could make for a bad first impression, through no fault of your own. By sending correspondence first, they can look at it at their leisure instead of being interrupted, and if they have any interest they will be more receptive when you do call.

I would be extremely careful with cold calling or cold e-mailing! Depending where you live...it is not only frowned upon, but also illegal. On a personal level I am highly against receiving phone calls or emails from companies that I did not request to hear from (and I believe most people feel the same way). Cold emails can be marked as 'spam' and get your account suspended...leaving you without email. I think it is far too risky to be cold calling unless you have carefully done your homework to make sure it is not illegal where you live.

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www.thebrainygal.com

Of course you will do your research prior to beginning your cold calling campaign. You would want to make sure the company is not listed on the Do Not Call Registry and things of that nature.

Everybody has there own preference and as I said before everybody is not going to hang up on you or have a negative response in this approach.

I've had very good experiences in the past getting new clients for various companies big and small.

This is simply my feed back on a question I was asked about it and is intended for those who would like to try it.

For those who wish to try this method I wish you nothing but the best!

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Sharon

So if cold calling/emailing is illegal in some states and not comfortable for others. How would you propose you get clients? Would it be best to walk into the companies place of business and introduce yourself or is that illegal sometimes as well?

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Talanda
http://www.ffbusinessservices.com

All of my clients I obtained through word-of-mouth. I also ask my clients to refer me to people they know. Start with who you know, and attend networking events. I just had to release one of my clients, so this is the first time I'm even considering trying to get a client outside my circle, but I'm also stepping up my networking as well.

We have tried cold calling and it has worked, however it is HARD! People do not like to be sold, and they don't like to be bothered.

With that being said, another obstacle you have is, people are not always sure what a Virtual Assistant is so you have to scrunch everything that a VA does in a small enticing sentence before the person hangs up or jus stops listening and that can be tough.

I spend a lot of time in person explaining what we can do for potential clients (detailing out exactly how we can help them), and sometimes they still don't understand how it all works so imagine doing it on the phone in a few short seconds. yeah ...

With cold-calling it is a science. It is more about developing an initial relationship with the person on the phone and then explaining what you can do for them. Know the industry you are calling and cater your calls to them.

If cold-calling is not for you, then I would go with the other option that people are mentioning and send out a letter letting them know you will follow up with them because that also works. Either way, you are getting your name out there so even if the particular person you are reaching cannot use you, someone they know probably can.

Good luck!

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Lauren & Melanie - VaVa Virtual Assistants www.VaVaVirtual.com

A science indeed! LOL. Good for you Lauren & Melanie!

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Sharon

I agree with Sharon. It's not for everyone, but it can work. In the sales industry, cold calling is sometimes our bread and butter. I have the motto of "If you don't try, you'll never know." I'd rather try to call a hundred people and get a hundred no's, but know that I tried, than to always just sit at home and wonder.