May 27, 2010
I hated cold calling. 6 weeks of Office-with-no-receptionist situation put me back into the Hot seat. But gradually, I realized it is one of the best ways of keeping abreast with the market (customer/client) pulse. My experience:
1. Maintain eDatabase of all the people you will call or have called. Note down things unique to them. E.g. Doing MBA-exams in June,Sunday timings will be preferred,Working in a call centre-looking for a shift etc. Hence, the next time you call the person, you have the essence/response of last conversations before you. Also, noting the positivity in the tone, say by denoting *** (3-stars) or ***** (5-stars) besides their name, helps you focus on "potentially Top' clients
2. Try to Listen (not just hear) to their preferences/problems and DO NOT PUSH them. Rather, give them alternatives/options. E.g. Client says- I have only Monday offs and hence cant join in any of the available batches.Provide him with info/convincing examples that compels him to think about Long-term gain and find a way to join the batch by taking special study-leave from the office.
3. Be aware of the Season. Exams season are not the right time to increase your marketing campaign as it would go unnoticed and precious $$$ & efforts would be wasted. Parallels can be drawn to other Industry.
4. Do not hate cold calling as this is the first step towards bringing in new clients/leads. Make the first call and make him beg for more information. So, rather than you telling the details, the potential client ASKS for it.
5. Make your scope of responsibility known upfront. E.g. Service is not equal to on-demand Consultancy. Of course, if you are enthusiastic and energetic, cover the extra mile/add-ons to make your client Hardcore loyalist.
6. If the client is busy, make sure to close the call with a fixed date by when we can give a call again.
N.B.(1) A lot of examples pertain to my area of work. Some may / may not be applicable to other industries.
N.B.(2) My 'ordeal' ends as a new receptionist took away my 'Job' :)
I hated cold calling. 6 weeks of Office-with-no-receptionist situation put me back into the Hot seat. But gradually, I realized it is one of the best ways of keeping abreast with the market (customer/client) pulse. My experience:
1. Maintain eDatabase of all the people you will call or have called. Note down things unique to them. E.g. Doing MBA-exams in June,Sunday timings will be preferred,Working in a call centre-looking for a shift etc. Hence, the next time you call the person, you have the essence/response of last conversations before you. Also, noting the positivity in the tone, say by denoting *** (3-stars) or ***** (5-stars) besides their name, helps you focus on "potentially Top' clients
2. Try to Listen (not just hear) to their preferences/problems and DO NOT PUSH them. Rather, give them alternatives/options. E.g. Client says- I have only Monday offs and hence cant join in any of the available batches.Provide him with info/convincing examples that compels him to think about Long-term gain and find a way to join the batch by taking special study-leave from the office.
3. Be aware of the Season. Exams season are not the right time to increase your marketing campaign as it would go unnoticed and precious $$$ & efforts would be wasted. Parallels can be drawn to other Industry.
4. Do not hate cold calling as this is the first step towards bringing in new clients/leads. Make the first call and make him beg for more information. So, rather than you telling the details, the potential client ASKS for it.
5. Make your scope of responsibility known upfront. E.g. Service is not equal to on-demand Consultancy. Of course, if you are enthusiastic and energetic, cover the extra mile/add-ons to make your client Hardcore loyalist.
6. If the client is busy, make sure to close the call with a fixed date by when we can give a call again.
N.B.(1) A lot of examples pertain to my area of work. Some may / may not be applicable to other industries.
N.B.(2) My 'ordeal' ends as a new receptionist took away my 'Job' :)
