Despite a continuous shift toward exclusive online selling, cold calls are hardly a thing of the past. While most consumers prefer to do their business behind a screen, cold calling still provides sales experts a unique opportunity to build rapport.
However, natural charm and improvisation skills aren’t enough to convince buyers to purchase your products and services. Cold callers need to stay on track, provide customers with valuable information, and listen more than they speak.
Mapping calls is an excellent way to improve your sales outreach strategy. Here is everything you need to know about the process.
Call mapping pertains to the structure of a sales call. It provides callers with a “route” that allows them to achieve a specific goal and indicates “stops” in the form of talking points. Detailed call mapping enables salespeople to overcome potential obstacles by preparing statements and responses ahead of time.
A typical call mapping outline will contain:
However, this map may vary depending on the type of call. Some standard sales calls that might be on your agenda include the following.
Think of call mapping as visiting a destination for the first time—with one, you won’t get lost along the way and can anticipate any obstacles you might encounter in your journey. Below are a few other advantages of call mapping:
There is no single way to map your calls. Instead, you have to figure out what works for you over time. Here are a few steps you can follow:
The first and perhaps most crucial step to mapping your call is first getting to know your prospect. Researching industry blogs, social media profiles, white papers, and websites can provide context and allow you to craft a more tailor-made sales pitch.
Remember, within the first 30 seconds of your call, you need to keep your prospects hooked. Introducing your elevator pitch with specific details relevant to them will ensure that your message resonates.
Identifying an objective for your call can streamline your journey from point A to point B. Whether your goal is to gather more information about your client or provide details about a new product or service, making your purpose clear can keep your pitch focused and specific.
Naturally, if you’re reaching out to a prospect for the first time, you’ll want to find the best way to introduce yourself. Keep introductions short (around less than a minute).
Let them know who you are, what company you are with, and your reasons for calling. You can also take this opportunity to ensure you’re speaking with the right person.
Before you spend precious business hours pitching your product or service, you’ll want to ensure your prospect is interested in the first place. Ask questions based on your research to determine whether your products and services are something they need and can afford.
Underscore your product’s benefits and keep an ear out for genuine interest. Use this time to scope out whether you’re speaking to the company’s decision-maker. If not, it may be an excellent opportunity to ask for a referral.
After qualifying a prospect, it’s time to deliver your elevator pitch. Remember to keep things relevant—play to what problems your prospect might have and how your business can help solve them.
A typical elevator pitch might happen like this:
It isn’t uncommon for prospects to have concerns about your pitch—this is where call mapping becomes particularly handy. Use your predetermined list of potential questions to address objections.
As much as possible, you’ll want to end your pitch with a clear call to action. Let your prospect know what to expect next, whether that’s a follow-up call, face-to-face meeting, product demonstration, or service trial.
Focus on getting a firm commitment with a set date to avoid losing qualified leads.
Even when you finalize your follow-up meeting, not every prospect will honor their commitment. Be persistent without becoming overly disruptive to keep your brand top of mind. Depending on when you agree to touch base a second time, you can follow up every week, every two weeks, or every month.
If your client is difficult to reach, you can always leave a voicemail.
As trends come and go and consumer needs change, so will your call mapping process. Consider revisiting your call mapping process at least once a year, noting patterns that work and pinpointing areas for improvement.
If you’re unsure where to begin, consider using cold-calling scripts.
Overall, call mapping is an effective process for developing the best possible pitch to give your prospects. Here are a few key takeaways to improve your sales calls.
How you structure your sales call will depend on the prospects you’re pitching to. Different industries will require different approaches.
The best way to craft an elevator pitch is to research your prospect—study their websites, blogs, white papers, social media profiles, and other online materials to gather helpful information.
Then, create an engaging hook. When you have your prospect’s attention, use your call map to anticipate any questions or objections.
Lastly, provide a solid call to action and agree on the next steps.
Area mapping or sales territory mapping involves call mapping according to specific geographical areas. You might segregate your sales targets by zip code, state boundaries, internal and external territory factors, or the number of existing customers you have.
Through area mapping, you can determine locations that are being over or under-served. Well-balanced territories can even out sales quotas and enable you to garner leads faster.
How do you area map your sales calls? Here are a few easy steps you can follow:
There are four primary types of sales calls:
While cold calling is a tried-and-tested method of closing important deals, they’re not as simple as you think. Fortunately, call mapping can make the process more seamless and effective so you can drive growth. If you want to learn more about how to refine your call mapping process or incorporate revenue intelligence into your strategy, stay tuned for future guides or get a demo today.
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