Telephone acquisition: preparation is half the battle!
Most entrepreneurs do not decide to start their own business because they look forward to approaching customers and prospects by telephone. On the contrary, this is often one of the aspects of doing business that people dread the most. Like it or not, sooner or later you will have to take this step; after all, you need customers to survive!
Acquisition
‘Acquire’ is a verb that also means ‘to obtain’. For entrepreneurs, acquisition is equal to ‘finding customers’ and of course, ‘recruiting’ them. To do this, you must make contact with your potential customer, and have the opportunity to talk to them about the products or services you offer that are suitable for them.
Two flavours
There are two types of telephone acquisition.
Telephone acquisition is a matter of just doing it
As an entrepreneur, you will be exposed to both forms of telephone acquisition. Both cold and hot calling acquisition techniques demand a unique way of getting and/or staying in contact with potential and existing customers. Telephone acquisition can be learned, and once you have learned it, you just have to do it. How can you make sure that cold calling gets a bit warmer, both for yourself and your potential new customer?
How do you arrange a meeting?
In order to arrange a meeting, you naturally have to know where you can find and contact your target group and potential customers. LinkedIn is one way to find the right contact people. Post messages on social media to attract attention. Join business and/or networking clubs. Visit networking events, trade fairs or seminars. Prepare your presentation by coming up with a good elevator pitch in which you make it clear which problems you can help your customers solve.
Find out if you know anyone who can introduce you to potential new customers. You could, for example, ask satisfied customers if they will introduce you to one of their business associates.Find out more about each potential customer and their company, and figure out which problems you could help them solve. Approach them with this solution. You could send information first, such as an e-book, white paper, or information about a topic that is related to your prospect’s problem, and approach the contact person about this information. News items are naturally also a great stepping stone for getting your foot in the door.
Prepare your story well for each prospect, or in technical terms, write your call script. If you have thought your action plan through before you call, this makes the actual telephone conversation a lot easier.
Sow, sow, and sow and then reap the benefits
In acquisition, it is important to find customers who are a good match for your product or service. Proper preparation before each conversation is half the battle, and makes the actual conversation a lot less difficult. This doesn’t mean however that you will be instantly successful and can add a new customer to your database. Acquisition means taking action. You have to sow, and then sow some more, water regularly and then you can reap the fruits of your labour. It is a question of perseverance. Even if you don’t succeed in finding a new customer, be sure you always keep your promises so that all that work won’t have been for nothing.
Acquisition
‘Acquire’ is a verb that also means ‘to obtain’. For entrepreneurs, acquisition is equal to ‘finding customers’ and of course, ‘recruiting’ them. To do this, you must make contact with your potential customer, and have the opportunity to talk to them about the products or services you offer that are suitable for them.
Two flavours
There are two types of telephone acquisition.
- Cold calling
This is when you call a potential customer without ever having met or spoken to them. You are a stranger to them, and you are offering them your product or service without even knowing if they need it or not. In short: you are making an unsolicited phone call to them.
Cold calling is unavoidable; you need it to keep your customer pipeline ‘filled’. A loss of an existing customer can also make a serious dent in your sales, and it is vital to fill this gap with one or more new customers. - Hot calling
This is when you offer your services to potential customers who already know who you are. As an entrepreneur, you already know that these potential customers are interested in your products or services. There is a bond of trust involved. If you have previously done business with one another, and the customers are happy with the products and services you have already provided, there is also the advantage of the ‘one-you-know’ factor. Most entrepreneurs prefer this form of acquisition.
Telephone acquisition is a matter of just doing it
As an entrepreneur, you will be exposed to both forms of telephone acquisition. Both cold and hot calling acquisition techniques demand a unique way of getting and/or staying in contact with potential and existing customers. Telephone acquisition can be learned, and once you have learned it, you just have to do it. How can you make sure that cold calling gets a bit warmer, both for yourself and your potential new customer?
- Ask yourself what your customer wants: what are his or her needs?
Make a list of potential customers who might be interested in your product or service. List the industries, regions and the right contact person, the one who ultimately makes the decisions. Do desk research on these prospects. And don’t be afraid to pick up the phone to find out more about these customers. - Approach your potential customers
There are two ways you can approach your potential customers: You can try to arrange a face-to-face meeting with your prospect. You could also pick up the phone, with a reason for calling them. You could decide to go with both of these options. The important thing is not to forget the follow-up, whichever option you choose, and be sure to contact them again!
How do you arrange a meeting?
In order to arrange a meeting, you naturally have to know where you can find and contact your target group and potential customers. LinkedIn is one way to find the right contact people. Post messages on social media to attract attention. Join business and/or networking clubs. Visit networking events, trade fairs or seminars. Prepare your presentation by coming up with a good elevator pitch in which you make it clear which problems you can help your customers solve.
Find out if you know anyone who can introduce you to potential new customers. You could, for example, ask satisfied customers if they will introduce you to one of their business associates.Find out more about each potential customer and their company, and figure out which problems you could help them solve. Approach them with this solution. You could send information first, such as an e-book, white paper, or information about a topic that is related to your prospect’s problem, and approach the contact person about this information. News items are naturally also a great stepping stone for getting your foot in the door.
Prepare your story well for each prospect, or in technical terms, write your call script. If you have thought your action plan through before you call, this makes the actual telephone conversation a lot easier.
Sow, sow, and sow and then reap the benefits
In acquisition, it is important to find customers who are a good match for your product or service. Proper preparation before each conversation is half the battle, and makes the actual conversation a lot less difficult. This doesn’t mean however that you will be instantly successful and can add a new customer to your database. Acquisition means taking action. You have to sow, and then sow some more, water regularly and then you can reap the fruits of your labour. It is a question of perseverance. Even if you don’t succeed in finding a new customer, be sure you always keep your promises so that all that work won’t have been for nothing.
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- Doing cold telephone acquisition yourself?
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- The top 25 tips to improve your telephone acquisition!
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- Cold calling during the school holidays
- Does cold calling give you cold feet? It doesn’t have to!
- 7 tips for cold calling
- How do you stay true to yourself during cold calling?
- Cold Acquisition is a Process
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