SOHO Start-Up -- Master The Warm Call

Master The Warm Call
(How to get appointments with hard to reach prospects)
by Anne M. Bachrach

Have you always wondered what some people say to get the 'right' people on the phone? Wouldn't it be great to get your prospects immediate attention with the first words out of your mouth?

Before the call you need to find out a few things. What emotion do you want to invoke? You need to come up with a way to get their curiosity, right? The best was to do that is to accurately identify an issue which is relevant or important to them. Assuming this is a referral, because you should never be making cold calls, you ask the person referring you for some insight on the person(s) you will be calling.

You might want to ask the person referring you at least two questions on the people they are referring you to. For example, you might ask:

Is the person serious about their success?

What makes you think so?

Now when you call the prospect, your opening conversation should go something like this.

Prospect: Hello?

You: Hi Steve, Lisa Hamilton asked me to give you a call and I promised that I would. Lisa said that you are a successful manager with ICM Telecommunications, is that right?

Prospect: Yes. (usually they will be a little embarrassed)

You: As a successful manager with ICM Telecommunications, you are probably always on the lookout for __________ (fill in the blank as it relates to you and your industry).

ways to make smarter choices about your money*
increase revenue while reducing expenses*
ways to accelerate the time when you can retire comfortably*
ways to achieve financial freedom without any sacrifice*
strategies and ideas that will help you …*
ways to accelerate doing more business in less time so you can have a more balanced life*

Would that be a fair statement?

*The more personal and focused you can make this statement, the more powerful it will be. This personal information will come from your referrer.

Here is an example of a non-referred call, either completely cold or warm.

Prospect: Hello?

You: Hello, Susan?

Prospect: Yes?

You: Susan Jenkins?

Susan, as I understand you are the Chairman of the Board of Action Computers. Is that right? (It better be right.)

Prospect: Yes.

You: As the Chairman of the Board of Action Computers, you are probably always on the lookout for specific, proven strategies to enhance employee morale and productivity, would that be a fair statement? (This is something that they would be interested in so you might have to do research to find it out or you might know it because you work in the industry and other clients like Susan have the same interest.)

Prospect: Yes.

What you have done in both these examples is called a "Yes Set." Why? The purpose of the "Yes Set" is to create positive momentum and get them saying 'yes' right away. The benefit to you is that you have gotten agreement from them about an issue which is important to them. This is critical! This agreement is imperative because you will need it later in the call.

Did you notice what was different about this phone approach than most others? What was left out? Your name and your company name was intentionally not mentioned.

Now it is time to make the transition into the purpose of your call and to ask for a commitment.

You: By the way, Steve my name is ______ with ________ and the reason for asking is because I specialize in strategies that do exactly that. Would you be willing to get together with me for about ________ minutes to discuss how some of these strategies might work in your favor?

Prospect: No. (Anticipate a "No" response. If yes, obviously set the appointment right away.)

It's important to understand that the natural reaction of busy people is to reject anything which will add another commitment to their schedules. Isn't that what you would do?

That's why getting their agreement in the "Yes Set" was so important in the beginning of the conversation. In a fun and humorous way you are about to use that agreement to get your appointment.

You: (If you hear a ‘no’ response, start laughing or chuckling.) That's interesting. A moment ago you said you were always on the lookout for proven strategies that would help you...________. The only difference is that I just told you my name and the company I work for and all of a sudden you're not interested. Tell me the truth, is someone spreading rumors about me that I should know about?

Prospect: 99% of the time your prospect will laugh and assure you that it's nothing personal and nobody is spreading rumors. You've broken the ice! Set the appointment.

You: Well, I'm sure relieved to hear that. Let's get together sometime next week. You can give me a clear picture of what you want to accomplish. If I have any suggestions I'll offer them, if not I'll give you a call if I ever come across an idea of value that will help you achieve your goals. Which day would you like to meet?

Set The Appointment.
By conducting your calls in this manner you:

Differentiate yourself from the competition.
Have increased the likelihood that they will keep the appointment.
Have given them a reason to be more excited about the meeting.

Always send a note or letter confirming the appointment. Be sure to include the reason the meeting is in their best interest (what’s in it for them). Always include "value-added" literature, not sales literature about your company or products.

If the strength of the referral, an accurate approach, a little self confidence, a bit of humor and some persistence don't get the appointment, then nothing reasonable will. Remember, nothing works all the time, but this prospect-centered strategy will net a higher percentage than what you are probably using now. So try this process today and find out for yourself how powerful it can be.

Anne M. Bachrach is President of A.M. Enterprises in San Diego, CA. Anne has 16 years of experience training and coaching. Her main focus is training entrepreneurs and salespeople how to build high-trust relationships, on purpose (Values-Based Selling™). The objective is to do more business in less time through maximizing people’s true potential, and ultimately leading them to an even better quality of life. For more information on our services and learning tools, call Anne at 858-554-0136, fax 858-554-0545, or e-mail anne@bachrachvbs.com.

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