Cold calling is a challenging and often frustrating part of the sales process—just ask any sales professional! When done wrong, cold calling can turn into a waste of time and resources. But when done right, it increases the chances of successfully moving to the next steps and finally closing the deal.
In order to minimize the negative results of cold calling, it is crucial to have a strategy in place before initiating any calls. At the heart of this strategy is a well-thought-out B2B cold calling script.
If your sales development reps (SDRs) are struggling with their cold calls, this article will guide you in creating script templates that will boost your B2B cold calling conversion rates.
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What is B2B Cold Calling?
Cold calling is a sales strategy used by businesses to establish contact with prospective clients who have no prior knowledge of the company. It’s an effective tool to introduce your products and services and generate new business opportunities.
You can say that cold calling is an art that’s hard to master. Not every sales rep will be naturally successful at cold calling, but it doesn’t mean it’s an impossible feat to achieve.
About 55% of high-growth B2B companies still use cold calling as one of their sales and marketing strategies. This goes to show that cold calling is effective if you know how to do it properly.
It’s like a game of chess. You don’t have many moves, so you do what you can with what little information you have. It’s a matter of knowing what questions to ask, how to deliver a sales pitch, and how to control the flow of the conversation.
Companies that utilize cold calling as a strategy by using power dialers like MyPhoner can benefit significantly from a well-crafted script designed to encourage the person on the other end of the line to agree to a meeting or even close a deal.
Anatomy of a B2B Cold Call Script
A B2B cold call script helps guide the flow of conversation in such a way that prospective clients will be interested in what you have to offer. It serves as a template that you can modify as necessary, depending on how the prospect responds to your pitch.
The cold call script is by no means a hard and fast rule. It’s a flexible framework that can be used in creative ways and tailored fit to the position of the person you’re talking to. The last thing prospects want to hear are sales reps reading from the script like a robot.
Related Reading: 5 Tips on how to do B2B Cold Calls
1. The Opening Spiel
For B2B, your call is most likely be picked up by an assistant or a secretary, who will screen the call before connecting you to a senior-level executive.
The secretary will likely ask you the purpose of your call. You should be confident in answering the question to give the impression that you are a management-level peer with equivalent decision-making authority.
Answers can be:
“Business venture.”
“New software.”
“Finding new clients.”
Once you’re connected to the decision-maker, you now have to step-up and establish a rapport. If you’ve done your research about the company and the prospect, you can find a way to break the ice.
In this example, John found a great conversation starter that would keep the prospect’s attention:
“Hello, Gary, this is John from Company X. How are you today?
[wait for an answer]
That’s great. I’ll be brief because I know you’re busy. I chanced upon your post on LinkedIn about B2B e-commerce and I agree with all your points. Do you have a minute for me to explain the purpose of my call?
The prospect is likely to say “yes” because John was able to link the nature of the call to the prospect’s post on LinkedIn. John piqued the curiosity of the prospect and opened an opportunity to present the sales pitch.
Your scenario may be different, but the point is that you can use the template and modify the opening spiel based on the information you have about the prospect and the company.
Related Reading; 7 tips for Cold Calling in 2022
2. The Sales Pitch
A sales pitch is the art of convincing prospects to respond favorably to your call to action.
It’s built on communicating with prospects, capitalizing on their needs, and emphasizing your company’s strengths to offer them a compelling reason to purchase your product or service. In cold calls, it can also mean agreeing to a meeting for further discussion.
Your pitch must be persuasive, engaging, and concise in order to reduce the risk of losing the prospect.
Following John’s opening speech, the sales pitch must include the prospect’s pain points or problems, your company’s solution to the problem, and the benefits that can be derived from using your product or service.
“We know all the difficulties that a company like yours is experiencing. Our B2B e-commerce solution can help streamline and automate workflows to improve your operations.”
At this point, your prospect is likely all ears and wants to know more. But this is also the best time to ask questions to learn more about your prospect.
3. The Questions
Asking open-ended questions is an effective way to keep the conversation going. You must craft your questions in such a way that your prospect is compelled to talk about the problems they are struggling with. A study shows that 69% of potential buyers want their needs to be heard.
Your questions should relate to the solutions your product or service can provide.
“What does your e-commerce platform look like right now?”
“What sort of problems are you experiencing with regard to user experience?”
“How are you integrating various apps into your e-commerce platform?”
Your questions must be probing but not intrusive. They should revolve around the pain points and the needs of the prospect.
Your listening skills play a crucial role in the conversation. You must be able to pick up the important details that will help strengthen your pitch. The more information you get, the better you can position your product as the best solution.
4. The Closing
Timing is key in closing. When you’ve provided a clear solution for every pain point raised and the prospect shows interest in your pitch. It’s time to close.
“Listen, Gary. Our software has a lot of features that you need to see in action. Are you available later this week so I can show you how our software works?”
If your prospect answers yes, then congratulations! You’ve successfully closed the call by setting up an appointment.
“Thanks for letting me introduce our product to you. I’m looking forward to seeing you on [insert time and date] for the live demo.”
However, the prospect can also answer with:
“Send me more information and I’ll have a look at it.”
This is not an outright brush off, so you can still turn things around.
You can respond with:
“The demo will not take more than 15 minutes. Any questions you have, I can immediately answer them as I show you the features of the platform.”
But you need to use your judgement. If the prospect says he’s busy, don’t push. Say this instead:
“I’ll be happy to send our company profile and product datasheets. What other information are you looking for?”
The answer to this question will clue you in on the problems, issues, or concerns that the prospect has, which you can address either over the phone or through the info you’ll send on email. Don’t forget to follow up.
Related Reading; How to convert clients using cold email templates
Tips on Creating B2B Cold Calling Script to Increase Your Chances of Success
1. Build familiarity by creating a hyper-personalized script. Use LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media platforms to find information about your prospect and use it to your advantage.
2. Ask leading questions that will reveal the prospect’s pain points. You can use this to strengthen your value proposition.
3. Use collaborative words. Using “we” instead of “I” has a positive impact on cold calls.
4. Don’t use the line, “Did I catch you at a bad time.” It’s easy for a prospect to turn you down with the wrong question.
5. Use B2B cold calling scripts as a guide, not a rule. You should have room to modify and personalize your script based on the flow of the conversation.
6. Use a casual and friendly tone. Injecting a healthy dose of humor will not hurt. It can help to break the ice and make your prospect more at ease.
7. Tailor your sales pitch to meet your prospect’s needs. This gives the impression that you understand their problems and you have the solutions.
By crafting an effective B2B cold calling script, you can have a conversation with your prospect that will help you stay top-of-mind and raise your company’s credibility as an expert in the industry. Targeted cold calls can help generate new leads and establish new customer relationships.