The online Cambridge Dictionary defines cold-calling as: ‘the activity of calling or visiting a possible customer to try to sell them something without being asked by the customer to do so’ and there was a time when cold-calling got results; if you had enough telephone numbers, names, and time on your hands, that is.
In the mid to late 80s, widely regarded as the dawn of cold-calling, email did not exist and home and office landlines were generally how most people communicated – and it was also an effective way for businesses to open doors.
Then, through the late 90s to mid-noughties cold-calling saw somewhat of a renaissance with call centres and businesses gaining millions of new prospects as more and more of us adopted carphones, mobile phones, and then SmartPhones.
For a while we enjoyed it. We felt slightly important when somebody called our mobile wanting to sell us something. It was a chance to hear our latest downloaded ringtone then sound incredibly important (particularly if you had an audience) as we listened to what the cold-caller had to offer only so we could dismiss them without a further thought (but did we actually buy anything? Has anybody ever bought anything from a cold-call?).
Now, however, it seems most people don’t have the luxury that is time to listen to somebody they’ve never met try to sell them something they probably don’t want or need – without any visual aids to boot. That’s an extremely hard sell in today’s world of instant media and online shopping.
If we do need something, anything, we can buy it online and expect it to be delivered to our door within five working days; less if we’re willing to pay for next-day delivery. And, if we need the particular professional services or skills of a builder, lawyer, financial advisor, plumber, or digital marketing agency, we turn to social media for recommendations and referrals. If that proves unsuccessful we turn to Google where we can find hundreds of suitable service providers.
The simple fact is, as we mentioned in our previous blog, people’s time is becoming increasingly precious and their data and privacy is becoming increasingly protected, quite rightly, by legislation.
Ask yourself, have you ever been pleased to receive a cold-call or were you just irritated by the minor inconvenience and loss of time?
At Vizulate Digital we believe in the not too distant future it will be unlawful for a business to make a ‘sales call’ to another business or individual without their permission.
Additionally, social media has changed the way we communicate with each other, with brands, and with businesses. A Forbes study showed that Generation Y and Millennials prefer using social media and instant messaging over talking with someone on the phone or in person.
But if that wasn’t enough to convince you that cold calling is dead, or at least dying, take a look at these cold-calling statistics:
- In 2007 it took 3.68 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. In 2013 it was 8 attempts (Source: TeleNet and Ovation Sales Group).
You can bet it requires even more attempts just to reach a prospect in 2017, never mind make a ‘sale’ or arrange an appointment.
- Only 1% of cold calls convert into appointments (Source: Keller Center Research Report)
- 90% of B2B decision makers never respond to any form of cold outreach but 75% of them use social media in their decision-making (Source: Freshbusinessthinking)
- Inbound leads cost 61% less than outbound leads or cold calls. (Source: HubSpot)
And with that, here are…
5 Things to do instead of cold-calling:
1. Check who’s viewed your business’s social media pages and personal LinkedIn profile every day
These are people who have sought you out based on who you are and what you or your business do. It would be a wasted opportunity not to get in touch with them.
2. Become an online expert in your field
Use your website’s blog or news page to write informative and engaging articles about your industry’s important subject matters. But be sure not to oversell your services. First, gain their trust by illustrating your knowledge. You can establish yourself as a credible and trustworthy industry expert locally, nationally or worldwide.
You can even submit your articles to popular third party content sites such as Medium, Reddit or industry body websites that are relevant to your business.
3. Update your business’s social media pages and profiles regularly
Identify which social media platform your target customers use most and post regular updates. It doesn’t have to be ‘War and Peace’ and you could even share updates and content from other sources – that’s totally acceptable. Be sure to use images and videos wherever you can – content with video in particular has proven to be more engaging to nearly all demographics.
4. Ask for and showcase testimonials and case studies
If you know a recent customer is pleased with your work, products or service (and why shouldn’t they, you’re damn good at what you do), then ask for a testimonial or online review. Point them to your Facebook Business Page or Google Business listing and ask for a 5-star review. Chances are they’ll do it right away and those 5 stars are such a powerful visual selling tool to win over prospective customers.
5. Ask for referrals
Okay, this one isn’t digital, but it’s a no brainer as it’s a hugely successful way to gain leads. If it’s appropriate, don’t just get the contact details of the referral, ask the referrer to mention to the referral that you’ll be calling them. LinkedIn call this a ‘warm introduction’ and say they are 37% more likely to win the deal.
