The Ultimate Guide For Effective Warm Calling

Abe Dearmer

Jul 21, 2020

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7 min read

Sales

Most sales reps rely on their inbound leads to nurture and move towards making a sale. Getting in touch with individuals and companies who have shown interest in your products and services are more tuned towards doing business with you. But sometimes your sales funnel isn't filed with leads who are ready to take the next step with your business. What happens when your inbound leads are running low?

This is when you turn to warm calling.

Warm calling is great when you don't have the luxury of hot leads who are ready to take up a conversation with you and move things forward. Using this process helps you stay proactive instead of waiting for people to discover you. Always stay on top of things and keep looking for customers who are the target audience for you.

What is warm calling?

Warm calling is when you reach out to clients instead of the other way around. By looking for companies and people who are a good fit for the products and services you offer, you can create a list of prospects. These people haven't contacted you in any way for information on your services, and you have chosen them based on how helpful your services and products can be for them. They fit the profile of customers that you have previously helped successfully.

When it comes to warm calling, there are a couple of simple tips that can help you identify such companies and call them. You need to be prepared for the call to ensure you capture their attention instantly and know just what they require. Remember, you are basically a stranger for the person you are calling, so make sure you have everything you need to entice them.

Here are some effective tips to help you create a warm calling strategy that is perfect for you!

Finding the right companies that fit

Look at the list of your successful customers and identify other companies that fall into the same industry and category, by analysing what worked for them. Understanding what their problems were and how you solved them, can help you pick companies in the same situations and offer your services to better their everyday processes. By studying buyer personals and identifying good fit companies, you will be able to see key similarities and hone your senses to what you are looking for.

Do thorough research

To add any value to the call you are about to make, do your research about the company you are targeting before you pick up the phone. Read up about the company, where it is located, their key executives, number of employees, net worth, and more. Without this basic information you wouldn't be able to figure out their pain points, nor will you be able to understand how your products and services can help.

Also, do your research about people you may know in the company or have common connections with. This will help you find similar associations and connect on a more personal level.

Rehearse your opening line

Research shows that when you make a warm call, you only have 15 seconds to capture the attention of your prospect. For this reason, rehearse your opening line and make sure it's one that makes an impact. A simple way to start would be to introduce yourself and tell them which company you are calling on behalf of.

Always ask if they have a bit of time to speak to you and then continue with why you are calling. Tell them you've identified how your products and services can help their company do better. Make sure to pause and give them a chance to speak, and take the conversation from there.

Prepare a set of points to talk about

Get into the call with a set of talking points to refer to. Everything you say in that call should be meaningful and make complete use of the time you get on the phone. Ensure there isn't a moment of silence and you're using the allotted time efficiently by asking relevant questions.

Make your questions as direct as possible and don't be vague. Perhaps you've read a blog the company executive recently published, you could reference that and use it as a way to show how you can help solve their problems around it.

Use a friendly and human tone

Try not to sound like a salesperson on the call. Be human and show emotion. While this is a professional call, be friendly and confident in your tone, without sounding desperate or nagging.

Being pleasant and using a friendly tone of voice can help ease the conversation and using a sense of humour can help make the person at the other end of the phone more comfortable. These executives are busy all day and speak to several kinds of people, so ensure to stand out with your conversation and be the one they remember!

Choose open-ended questions

Asking open-ended questions that don't need a yes or no answer will help you elaborate on the conversation and allow your prospect to explain more instead of simply stating in affirmative or negative. This tactic lets them better engage in the conversation as well as lets you assess their needs and pain points.

Don't go over the 5-minute mark

Keep in mind that the people you are calling are busy and may not have time to speak at length. Use this initial call as an introductory one that helps pique the interest of the prospect. If the conversation is going really well and the prospect seems interested in what you have to say, make sure to ask if they have more time to talk to you and only then continue. If not, use this as an opportunity to make another appointment and speak at length about how you can help.

Leave a compelling voicemail

Many times, your first call to company executives will go unanswered. If it happens more than twice, make sure to use the power of a compelling voicemail! Many people don't pick up numbers they don't recognise and thus may be dodging your call. Leaving a voicemail helps them identify you and know that calling you back will be beneficial to them.

If you want to know more about how to leave a voicemail that works, read our blog - Sales voicemails and how to perfect them!

Always follow up with another conversation

Once you have spoken to the prospect and know that they are interested, always make sure to follow up. Many times, they may forget to call you back due to their busy schedules, so you should try to make an appointment. Whether or not you get an appointment, following up will help you stay on top of the prospect's mind.

Research recommends that you can call your prospect four times in a span on fourteen days without it seeming desperate or like harassment. You can get in touch through a mix of channels and it doesn't always have to be a phone call. You can also send them an email with important information about your company that can help them see the features and facts you were referring to in your call. Use these opportunities to follow up as a way to efficiently move the conversation forward, nurture the lead, and make a sale!

Make sure you define a tangible next step for your prospects to follow so your conversation doesn't abruptly stop. Ensure the effort you put into the calls count by presenting a clear Call To Action that helps your prospects become clients.

Practice makes perfect

If you're worried about how to make a warm call, ask a colleague or friend to help you practice. After the conversation, ask for feedback, and practice to become more confident and understand how to hold the conversation confidently.

At a time when leads are running low, companies shouldn't give up and instead adapt to new ways of finding more. Warm calling helps with that and ensures you are constantly evolving and finding more clients that are valuable and committed to your company.

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