No more cold calling

Cold calling: for many a term with a “dirty” aftertaste. On the one hand we know that it is necessary to achieve our objectives, on the other hand we find it intrusive and no longer of this time. We hear more and more often “cold calling no longer works.”  And whether that’s right or not, that does not matter, says our social selling expert Djoea van Zanten: “Cold calling is simply no longer necessary. The solution? LinkedIn.”

Cold calling: no longer of this time

The purpose of calling is to obtain new business. To achieve that, we must come into contact with potential customers.
This was done for years with the same tool: the telephone. Go through a phone list and call! Just as long as someone says, “OK, I’ll make time.”
Actually, that’s pretty strange. You call someone (ice) cold, without any “warm” form of preparation at a time when it probably doesn’t suit him or her at all. With a new tool, we are now tackling that in a smarter way. LinkedIn makes you “warm” for acquisition at the right time.

Looking for the decision maker

LinkedIn will draw up a list based on your search criteria with potential customers: the decision makers. With this you can literally contact the right person within an organization with the push of a button. That means never having to search and call around endlessly until you get the right person on the line, but being able to consciously and purposefully use your time.

Start the conversation with a light touch

You make the first contact through an invitation with a personal message. And no, in this message you do not immediately drop your entire sales pitch. You simply make contact.
The moment your potential customer accepts your invitation, you can start the conversation in a chat environment. Here, too, you do not slam in your sales pitch, but start the conversation lightly. Of course, you need to have your pitch ready, but only when the other person wants to hear it. And how do you know when someone wants to hear what you have to offer? Easy. They will ask you.

Don’t go straight into your sales pitch

Put in the first contact that you are, instead of selling, you are bringing something interesting. Kick off with a simple message like this: “Maybe we can mean something to each other, maybe not, but if I don’t ask you, we’ll never get to know.”
If they are interested, suggest a ten-minute call. Then you will both notice quickly enough how relevant it is to continue talking.
So you will eventually have a telephone conversation, but only when someone is actually paying attention to you. And ask yourself, does that not work much more efficiently?

Do you want to know more about this subject and get started yourself? Then sign up for our free Social Selling Masterclass with LinkedIn.