Cold Call Script for new commercial clients

[system]

@The Salesman

Well with a little research you can sometimes figure out the Facilities Director name and ask for them directly and they should put you through, especially if you have a name and try from there. Talk to people you might know who work for or who have done work for the company and try to get a name.

Also, some larger businesses simply have a automated phone directory and you can be guided through, by pushing some buttons, to the correct department.

And if you do get a secretary, you could even just try asking for the facilities/maintenance department and go from there. They may simply ask who’s calling and put you through. Or you could, if you aren’t opposed, use a little white lie:

“Hi, my name is ________. I’m calling from _______ Window Cleaning. I received a message that your facilities department was interested in a window cleaning estimate but I unfortunately did not get a name in the message. Could you please put me through to someone in the maintenance department?” If this works just make your pitch to whomever answers from there.

The bottom line is usually just confidence. Always sound like you are supposed to be calling or try to come across like you are returning a call to someone there and you should eventually be able to get through to the correct party.

Sean do you do much cold calling over the telephone?..or just walk into stores for the most part…?

On average how many stores could you call to each day?

How does this type of cold calling work not demoralise you?
Do you not find it hard?

[The_Salesman]

@Rob O'Neill

Sean do you do much cold calling over the telephone?..or just walk into stores for the most part…?

Not much over the phone. I’m really an outside sales rep.

On average how many stores could you call to each day?

That depends on what else I have going on. I also handle the estimating and selling of rain flow, on top of the commercial window cleaning sales, as well as a few residential estimates that simply can’t be done over the phone. The amount that I can call on each day depends upon the rest of my workload and the area’s I will be covering that day. If I have a lot going on I may only be able to make a few sales calls per day. However, if there’s nothing else to be done and I can devote a whole day to it, in the right area’s, the amount can become quite large. I could easily call upon 30-50+ in some of the more heavily populated commercial area’s we cover, and 10-25 in the less populated. My usual targets now are new businesses. I have been doing this for a while so I’ve canvassed most of our working territory multiple times and by now know the response some will give me, as I’ve received it from some stores over and over.

How does this type of cold calling work not demoralise you?
Do you not find it hard?

When I get into a slump it absolutely can be hard on me. It can be physically and mentally draining. By nature though, I try to be an upbeat person. Like anyone there are things that bum me out but I try to always think positive and remain optimistic about everything. Do I find it hard? Yes, at times, I can’t lie about that. But the thing is the more you try and the more no’s you hear, you are that much closer to that next yes!! To not let it demoralize me, I’ve learned to acknowledge that most people aren’t saying no to me, they are saying no to the service. I don’t take it personally. I just know at that moment they don’t have a need for my service but in the future they very well may. Therefore, I always attempt to leave at the very least a card and if I can an estimate and ask if it would be OK to call on them again in the future. Some will take an estimate, many will say OK to be called upon again and the majority will take a card. At least there you’ve still got a foot in the door and that business remains a lead to be followed up with and possibly converted into an account.

If anything hearing no all day drives me harder and makes that eventual yes that much more rewarding. Even if I hear no all day, I conduct myself as if each business called upon is that first one of the day, when I was freshest and eager to get after it. I can hear my 30th NO, shake it off and head right into the next one with a smile on my face and my hand extended. You don’t ever want to look defeated because then you will come across as just that. Always appear confident and simply try to exude that to the people you come into contact with. They will respond well to it.

[The_Salesman]

Sorry that last post came out a little weird. Somehow some of my answer appears in the quoted box!!

[anon98210428]

@The Salesman

The bottom line is usually just confidence. Always sound like you are supposed to be calling or try to come across like you are returning a call to someone there and you should eventually be able to get through to the correct party.

Sweet trueness with that statement, Sean. Nicely said.

I also have found that putting people in a scenario to make them look really smart can also work.

When I’ve been told that a facility manager was unavailable, I’ve sometimes said
[INDENT][INDENT]“Okay, no problem. I can try again soon. Since I’m here though, do you think that he would be interested in a free estimate? It would probably only take me about 5 minutes to walk around the outside and size things up, and then I only really need his name to address it to when its delivered in a day or two…”, and then I prepare the estimate, and drop it off for him in a couple of days, then follow up by phone.[/INDENT][/INDENT]

This has worked for me in the past, and I’ve landed jobs through my proposal package alone, never having met the facilities manager until he calls to hire our services.

My favorite job was actually obtained this exact way.

[The_Salesman]

@panelessperfection

Sweet trueness with that statement, Sean. Nicely said.

I also have found that putting people in a scenario to make them look really smart can also work.

When I’ve been told that a facility manager was unavailable, I’ve sometimes said
[INDENT][INDENT]“Okay, no problem. I can try again soon. Since I’m here though, do you think that he would be interested in a free estimate? It would probably only take me about 5 minutes to walk around the outside and size things up, and then I only really need his name to address it to when its delivered in a day or two…”, and then I prepare the estimate, and drop it off for him in a couple of days, then follow up by phone.[/INDENT][/INDENT]

This has worked for me in the past, and I’ve landed jobs through my proposal package alone, never having met the facilities manager until he calls to hire our services.

My favorite job was actually obtained this exact way.

Thanks Kevin!

And that’s a great tactic as well!