We rarely think about our prospect’s problems when we cold call. It’s just easier to focus on our product or service. Naturally, it’s really tempting to make cold calling all about us and what we have to offer, rather than about the other person.
In this new cold calling approach, we think about the potential client. We especially look at problems they’re having, and we build our conversations around that. This is the most effective way to do cold calling, and here’s why:
1. Potential Clients Listen Better
In the old traditional sales mindset, we’ve been trained that the best way to make a sale is by talking about us, our company, our product, and the benefits it can offer to potential clients.
Well, the problem with this approach is that it’s all about you. The standard pitch - "I’m so-and-so, I’m with such-and-such, and we do such-and-such..." is about who you are and what you do. The moment the people you’re talking with realize that you’re making the conversation about you, they tune out and turn off. We all do this in our everyday life when we’re confronted by someone who talks on and on about themselves.
2. We Avoid the Numbers Game
The new cold calling approach walks away from the "numbers game."
The numbers game is the belief that if you call enough people, some of them will listen to your presentation and that some of those who listen will buy.
However, when we focus on solving the other person’s problems, we break out of that grim scenario. It’s no longer about how many people you call and pitch. It’s about your ability to connect and build trust within each one of those calls.
This is because you’re focusing on something (a problem) that others can immediately relate to. Rather than offering a long pitch and rolling the dice, hoping that someone will respond positively.
3. Trust and Integrity Become Part of the Process
Most cold calling approaches try to slip in the back door by using strategies and techniques designed to "get the sale." Sometimes these techniques feel manipulative. Sometimes they’re annoying to the potential client.
For example, there’s a cold calling approach that’s based around intricate questioning techniques. It’s designed to get at potential clients’ pain and lead them into a sale. The problem with approaches like this is that the goal is always to get the sale, not find out the truth of whether there’s a fit between you and your prospect.
In this new way of cold calling, we’re focused on the other person and their problems. We’re looking for opportunities to assist, and we’re doing it with the highest of integrity.
This approach to cold calling doesn’t use influence techniques in any way. It speaks straight to the customer’s problems in a non-threatening manner. All you have to do is focus on the truth.
4. Problem Solving Feels Better than Selling
When you follow the new cold calling approach, you become a problem solver rather than a salesperson. This is the most powerful shift you can make. From this place, you’re building trusting conversations. You are speaking to the problems of your prospects rather than pitching your solution. You are thinking from their perspective and engaging them in their world.
Most of us like "fixing things." There’s a greater sense of fulfillment in discovering whether we can help someone fix a problem. We’re engaging some of the best character traits we have as people, and that feels good. Our days end with a sense of satisfaction rather than frustration.
These are just a few good reasons why problem-focused cold calling works best. You’ll find opening conversations will become effortless. You will also attract people’s attention because you’re addressing a specific problem that is of concern to them. Prospects won’t look at you as a "salesperson." You’ll stand out, because most people who sell are trained to just promote their service or product. Moreover, you’ll eventually discover an overall sense of ease permeating your cold calling day.