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You do know that your potential client is the expert in his field, don’t you? If not, you better get with the program, and quick. Before you even think about picking up the phone, you need to do your homework. Given the easily accessible information these days (I sound old, I know) there is no excuse for ignorance. Be up-to-speed on everything you can find out about his field, his company, his sales process, his role, his team, his competition, his current challenges; you will never ask informed questions or respond intelligently if you don’t.

Being an expert like your potential client means you need to show all of your cards, right? Wrong. Button your lip! Yeah, you heard me right. Don’t be a know-it-all. That space is reserved for your potential client whether he knows it, needs it or deserves it.

The position of perceived expert is reserved for your client. You need to be the master of the right words at the right time. Silence can be golden on a Cold Call, but when the time comes for you to speak, make it worth your (and your new client’s) weight in gold. How do you maximize effectiveness when you really only get a few minutes before the he decides whether or not you are worth his time?

Unique Selling Points

The USP’s are the Unique Selling Points of your product or service. Know them inside out. Rehearse them. Memorize them. Embrace them. Eat and sleep them. Understand how they relate to, complement, or improve your potential client’s business. WHY does he need what you are selling? Educate him; don’t sell. You need to deliver the USP’s of your product in a vocabulary that the client understands. Don’t mumble.

Visualize your potential client

Be the virtual fly on the wall in his office. Imagine what he looks like, how he is sitting, what he is doing. See yourself sitting down across from his desk, accepting his offer for a cup of java, and getting to know him. Listen to what he is saying. Acknowledge. Validate. Nod your head in understanding. Ask informed questions, and deliver intelligent answers to his questions. If he doesn’t ask questions, then wait for the opportunity and give a USP-targeted observation. It can be like hitting a hole-in-one.

I’m no golfer, but if you wake me up at 3:00am, I can make a cold call like Tiger Woods can hit a ball. And I can do it in the dark.

I’ve had years of practice. Years of analyzing the process of what works and what doesn’t in Cold Calling. I’ve discovered that careful analysis and research ultimately result in good strategy and great technique. I’ve seen my cold calling strategy work so well, so consistently, that I dared to call my book “The Cold Call Bible”. I even challenge skeptics to let me prove my point via ibeatyourteam.com, in which I challenge entire sales teams to see who can make the most qualified appointments in one day by Cold Calling. Me or their team. If I lose, they can name their price. My technique works. I haven’t lost yet.

Step No. 1? Know who’s “the expert”

When it comes to Cold Calling, you need to know your client’s business and his target market VERY WELL before you pick up the phone or knock on his door. He is the acknowledged expert in his field. Give him the respectful silence to acknowledge it, all the while, listening for the “ball” to come your way. When it does, don’t be an Uniformed Sales Pitcher … hit a home run with well-rehearsed Unique Selling Points, and you will soon have a game in play!

This is a guest post from: Daniel Francès, Author of The Cold Call Bible – Check out Daniel’s blog at http://thecoldcallbible.com/blog