Cold Calling tips for contacting Large Corporates

Posted by Maxine on July 26, 2010

contacting_corporates

Cold calling large corporates is a whole different ball game to telemarketing for other smaller sized businesses. Expect to experience the following differences:

No names policies
Generic email addresses only
Voicemails
Getting the run around
Sitting in a call queue for ages

What can you do to improve your chances of calling the Big Guy

Get names either via a database or from research (linkedin can be useful)
Call using those names or you won’t get as far as the second level gatekeeper
Familiarise yourself with at least the basics of what they do before you call… if you don’t it could be disappointing and embarrassing not to mention a quickly wasted opportunity. Be ready to demonstrate that you know a bit about them in your call opening.
Call to ask if that person has a secretary or PA that you could speak with
Leave a well thought out and individual voicemail if you need to
Speak almost as you would do face to face, with sincerity and confidence that your service or product could be a good match for them in particular.
Do not use any slimy lines to pitch early on in a “sell-the-dream” kind of fashion. Be succinct but expressive. Use carefully chosen words that make the benefit obvious without over-egging it. Rehearse these key phrases but don’t use in a scripted manner.
Be ready to get to the point but slow your tone down. Don’t ramble.
Listen more than talk, really listen, and then ask questions so that you can listen a bit more.
Send individual emails to generic email addresses given but clearly marked for a person’s attention and make reference to you being asked to send the email from the named person that you spoke with (it shows non-automation)
Don’t have a spammy email headline but an interesting one and make the content (introduction at least) viewable from the preview pane.
Make your email relevant to them in particular if you can and keep it short and to the point.
Aim to qualify and close at stages ie; don’t aim to go from A-Z from cold call to appointment, if it happens by gentle steering then great, but don’t push for that or you may lose the opportunity too quickly by being hasty. Aim to find out information, send information, agree a further telephone call or follow up action.
If you do need to use the persons name don’t use their first name but rather Mr/Mrs/Miss etc. They will correct you if they particularly want you to refer to them by first name terms.
Don’t fret about your call… just make it and see where it takes you!