b2b selling when no one wants to speak on the phone

[Newchodge]

I think you're hitting the right point. A lot of companies today have a general message, they approach prospects with the same lines- you have heard it all before. My generic example was indeed very.... generic.

Very few companies and sales people nowadays take the time to research how they will help a particular prospect. Develop a hypothesis about how you're going to impact someone's business, have a genuine reason to call and bring something useful to the table. It takes time, practice and preparation. In the end no one has time for generic calls, but if you get called by someone who's going to solve an issue for you and streamline you business, that's a different story.

Many years ago when I was selling tech research services to universities, I found out a particular university wanted to maximise the funds going into their research programmes. I called the Head of IT and explained we'd be able to minimise cost of operations and IT, decreasing overhead and increasing spending on research. It was spot on and solved a genuine issue they were trying to solve.

So what would you say to me in your 10 seconds?

 

[MBE2017]

So what would you say to me in your 10 seconds?

I want to be honest, this is a sales call. Do you want to hang up right now, or could you spare 25 seconds to see if what I can do for you might be of interest? If so we can talk in more detail.

 

[Newchodge]

I want to be honest, this is a sales call. Do you want to hang up right now, or could you spare 25 seconds to see if what I can do for you might be of interest? If so we can talk in more detail.

OK, possibly on a good day that might get you a minute.

 

[MBE2017]

OK, possibly on a good day that might get you a minute.

That’s all that would be needed.

Simple fact, no single method or approach works every single time, but using, as I stated early in this thread a permission led approach is more likely to work. If your contact says no, call is ended like so many, but if they say go ahead, they will listen for 20-30 secs, because they agreed they would. I have used the phone to make millions of £ over forty years, the permission approach works best for myself, but it has to be done professionally with the right speed, tonality etc.

Selling on the phone, be it goods or just an appointment is highly skilled work, very under estimated in this country. I have trained a lot of people on the phones over the years, and skilled people can secure 4-10 times the amount of work an average person does.

 

[japancool]

One thing that earns them an instant hangup is either:
a) Trying to make it sounds as if I'm stupid for not accepting their offer "Don't you want to save money?"
b) Trying to pretend it's not a sales call "I'm not trying to sell you anything, I'd just like to talk about..."

In fact, a) would probably earn them a rude response, followed by an instant hangup.

 

[fisicx]

“Hi, how are you today?”

Instant rejection.

 

[Bob Morgan]

"Sup - Wozgwarn!" - Makes me cringe!

 

[Karimbo]

respect to people who are hammering phones day in day doing cold calls.

I couldn't do it.

I get countless numbers of calls every week. Someone obviously scraped companies house, and used an aggregator to match the company name with a telephone number & email on a website.

I get people calling me (director of the co) wanting to sell all sorts of stuff.

During lockdown it was pretty amusing because my event business clients completely stopped calling. So all the calls I was getting were cold callers.

 

[MrStar]

Linkedin is a great way to find the names of the actual people you need to speak to, you could then contact them there or via email. I'm personally way more likely to respond to a no-nonsense email than a more intrusive phone call or an email littered with sales patter.
Having said that....I probably get 10 messages a day from business or marketing "gurus" offering to get me more clients (I am a business coach) and another 10 from SEO "gurus". The WHAT you are selling is often far more important than HOW.

 

[J Arnold]

What problem do you solve?

 

[gbpathfinderfx]

Assuming you've got the targeting done right, here's how I tackle the calling portion.

Calling is always challenging, you may find you cannot get through to the right people and it will take several attempts. The response you get hinges on the first thing you say. I have always taken a 'Value First' approach, which means I genuinely take the time to investigate how I will add value to this specific business and/or person I am calling. My approach:

My goal is always to setup an appointment, not to 'sell' something. I want to see whether my hypothesis of adding value to their business is correct.

4MAT - developing a 4 part message

- WHY (why are you calling?):
I have found you online, it looks like I can help your business so I want to setup a call to explore it further.

- WHAT (what are the facts?)
Explain exactly why you will add value to their business. This has to be specific to them! It can include observations, things you've read online, perhaps stories of what you've done for people like them.

- HOW (how will it work for them?)
Explain how your service works.

- WHAT IF (what will they gain?)
Essentially the 'pay off', you're future casting what they will gain from working with you- which sounds like a monetary gain.

In practice it is not just about calling, I use a variety of channels (email, social, phone, etc.) to reach people and alternate my message each time to I don't sound like a broken record. Since I'm fully focused on adding value rather than selling my stuff, I usually get positive responses.

interesting take - thanks

 

[gbpathfinderfx]

What problem do you solve?

Thanks J Arnold, The problem we solve depends on the client need but typically it revolves around cost, hedging market risk and a personalized service when dealing with a conmplex financial product, I guess a little like a good mortgage broker as opposed to going direct to your bank

 

[thetiger2015]

Thanks J Arnold, The problem we solve depends on the client need but typically it revolves around cost, hedging market risk and a personalized service when dealing with a conmplex financial product, I guess a little like a good mortgage broker as opposed to going direct to your bank

That's not going to work over the phone. Our email and phone is for customer enquiries/sales - inbound sales calls won't get anywhere.

You need to place yourself in front of the customer, when they're interested in your service/product. Like trade shows, business networking events etc. Your clients are business owners, you're unlikely to strike up any sort of conversation over the phone for financial services, they're on the back foot immediately.

 

[scstock]

respect to people who are hammering phones day in day doing cold calls.

I couldn't do it.

I get countless numbers of calls every week. Someone obviously scraped companies house, and used an aggregator to match the company name with a telephone number & email on a website.

I get people calling me (director of the co) wanting to sell all sorts of stuff.

During lockdown it was pretty amusing because my event business clients completely stopped calling. So all the calls I was getting were cold callers.

You can sign up the Corporate Telephone Preference Service - I do, and I only get a handful that have not consulted the list before calling. These people are stealing your time.

 

[Inspo]

I run a b2b currency exchange business, the market is competitive and prospective clients often cant be reached by phone, can anyone suggest a creative way to get to key decision makers that isnt creepy!

Hi,
I often have the same problem and it's rare that I get hold of a DM direct. I have found that engaging with the gate keeper, taking an interest and asking questions about them has helped with opening the door to the decision maker. I'll always look to connect with the DM on LinkedIn and will never sell on an initial call/message. I will complete research beforehand and ensure that any content sent is useful/relevant and will hopefully be of value to the DM. Once they've seen the content I'll then discuss what they thought and then look to set up a meeting. All very softly softly these days...

 

[Ray272]

I get these calls and its normally a london based accent, east london essex type accent and i am not brokering large value, i tell them i use wise and i am baffled they keep ringing me. Honestly feels like a boiler room type call.

 

[scstock]

I'll always look to connect with the DM on LinkedIn and will never sell on an initial call/message.

Another good reason not to be on LinkedIn

 

[Inspo]

Another good reason not to be on LinkedIn

If you don't want people to connect with you from a business perspective then yes don't use LinkedIn. I've made some great connections with people I've worked with or who I've been able to help from an introduction/connection/content perspective. I had a message this morning from someone who's found an equity partner from an introduction I made. He's not a client of mine but I know he found our LinkedIn connection useful and I'm pleased to have helped him.

 

[J Arnold]

Thanks J Arnold, The problem we solve depends on the client need but typically it revolves around cost, hedging market risk and a personalized service when dealing with a conmplex financial product, I guess a little like a good mortgage broker as opposed to going direct to your bank

Yes but what problem do you solve?

Explain it to me like I'm 5 years old,

 

[Ozzy]

I'll always look to connect with the DM on LinkedIn and will never sell on an initial call/message. I will complete research beforehand and ensure that any content sent is useful/relevant and will hopefully be of value to the DM.

Speaking from the perspective of someone trying to be sold to here, the frustration I have with LinkedIn and this approach is I am not the decision maker. Yes, I own the company, but I would never, ever, interfere with one of my teams supply chain decisions. Why would I? I pay them to do that job so if I interfere then all I'm doing is doing the job myself still. Yet I still get people sending me connection requests on LinkedIn with messages like "we should work together" and "I think we can help each other", all of which I click on Ignore.

Not saying this is what you do by the way, I don't know you, but a message for anyone else who uses LinkedIn - sending connection requests doesn't work for people like me. I generally only connect to people I've physically shaken the hand of or actually done business with in some way because I want to know enough about you to be confident to introduce you to my other connections - that is what LinkedIn is to me.

I do use LinkedIn as a sales tool, so we pay for Sales Navigator and it works brilliantly for us as a business. We don't send connection requests, we research up and down the chain, and reach out that way.

 

[Inspo]

I understand what you're saying and in fairness, I probably should have gone into a lot more detail!! To elaborate further, I don't connect with just anyone in the hope that they're the person I need to speak to - I'd have completed thorough research on the company beforehand (including building a relationship with the gatekeeper) to ensure there is a potential fit with the company and that I have the right person I need to speak to. In my business there are often multiple decision makers so the research I complete is hugely important to ensure the messaging is different for each decision maker. I'd have sent a personal email prior to connecting on LinkedIn but I may not have met them in person. I do my research, I'm honest in my approach and it does tend to work. It's not all on LinkedIn btw - I do meet them in person usually afterwards!