How to use warm calling as a sales tool

Warm calling refers to a sales call, visit or email that is preceded by some sort of contact with the potential customer or prospect as a result of a direct mail campaign, an introduction at a business event or a referral. A cold call is an unexpected and unrequested phone call made by a business to try to sell something. Warm calling is much easier than doing it cold because you are talking with someone with whom you had previous contact. A warm call may also be a result of a lead form or enquiry that gets filled out on a website. The prospect already has some level of interest. Warm calling is a much more pleasant way to make contact.

Warm calls don't just drop out of thin air. Some preparation and planning must take place beforehand. Maintaining a professional relationship with your sales prospects and clients is important for your business. Keeping personal relationships with them is equally beneficial too. Catching up with your sales prospects and clients in person or over the phone, whether it’s to discuss business or on a personal level, will help keep your connection with them stronger. You and your business will be seen as approachable and relatable and you are getting warmer!

Warm calls make the job of sales a lot more enjoyable because the conversion rate with them is much higher. Your previous contact or connection with the prospect means that you already have a bit of trust between you. As a result, the prospect will be more willing to invest some time in hearing what you have to say. The call becomes much more productive because the possibility of rejection significantly decreases. To pick up potential warm calls you will need to be

• actively promoting your business on social media. The client may contact your business on line as a result of searching for help or viewing your website.

• personal networking in industry or community groups. These groups may refer clients or you may meet the client here for the first time.

• active at promotional events. if you meet a prospect at an industry event and they ask you to give them a call so that you can set up an appointment, that would be an extremely warm call.

• cold calling a potential client with a mail or email campaigns and qualifying the buyer.

• asking existing clients and industry friends for referrals. The referrer is a bridge between you and the prospect. By recommending you to the prospect it creates an indirect connection. The prospect may not know you, but they know the person who referred you.

• advertising using catalogues, magazines, newspaper articles, signs and billboards. The client responds to the advertising by visiting your business or calling to request more information about your product or service.

Warming up cold calls

With direct cold calling prospective clients fear that you will try to sell them something. When your prospective buyer is in fear mode, they will try to safeguard themself. They will never have an open discussion with you and they will probably try to end the discussion a quickly as possible. By preparing, planning and thinking through the conversation before you make the call you can help to warm it up.

You can easily warm up your cold calls by preparing beforehand. Imagine that your prospect was not planning to buy anything, related to your industry. How do you create a need about your product or service in the customer’s mind? You can’t do this, until you gain the trust of the prospect. You should be resourceful and make sure to do research before calling You should learn as much as you can about the prospective client by browsing their business website and social profiles and learning about their industry. You should know about the clients’ products or services and industry. This will be helpful when talking to the prospect, because you can refer to your research that is relevant to their industry. When you gain trust, the prospect opens up with you and shares what’s on their mind.

To be successful in sales, you will need to fill your sales pipeline from cold calls, warm calls, hot leads and social media. One common mistake sales people make with warm calls is trying to sell to the prospect during a phone call. Selling should take place during your appointment. You need the ability to ask questions for which you do not have any answers and listen to connect. Until the prospect trusts and opens up with you, you will not get their inner insights. The Business Minder operates in ASEAN countries with clients in Bali Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.