3 Ingredients of a Successful B2B Sales Call

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B2B Sales Call

How to Engage a Prospect on a B2B Sales Call

Our business is teleprospecting for B2B lead generation.

 

We utilize experienced Business Development Executives to engage in meaningful interactions with executive decision makers to generate highly qualified, actionable sales leads.

 

 

We know how to approach someone on the phone so that they want to talk further and explore possible solutions to whatever business pain or problem they are currently experiencing.

 

Knowing how to engage with a prospect at the outset of a cold call can mean the difference between a meaningful interaction, and getting quickly ushered off of the phone.

 

How do you conduct a complex sales call so that the person on the other end doesn’t want to hang up on you? 

1. A Straightforward Approach

If you sound scripted, it’s time to change.

 

We recommend an approach that is engaging; and you can’t be engaging if you sound scripted.

 

What people don’t want to hear is a list of features and benefits, or anything you would say up front to suggest you can fix all of their problems. 

 

The world would be a better place if people didn’t have to endure features and benefits presentations.

 

If you start a call by saying, “Here are all the features and benefits to what we can do,” the likely response will be, “How can you claim to fix my problems when you don’t even know what they are?” Then the prospect will get off the phone quickly, and your opportunity is over.

 

Meaningful Interactions Download

 

2. Real Knowledge

The better approach is to let someone know what your product, service, or solution is doing for others. If you’re able to name drop some recognizable client names, that is always helpful.

 

This both grabs the attention of your prospect and establishes credibility.

 

If you are calling into a particular industry, such as healthcare or manufacturing, share the names of others within that industry that your service or solution has helped.

 

Additionally, use the terms that are unique to that industry. A decision maker will appreciate that you understand their area of expertise and are better able to discuss solutions that are applicable.

 

Be prepared with some open-ended questions that pertain to their specific industry. This allows for your prospect to reveal information that will help you keep the conversation going.

3. Specific Examples

Get their attention up front by saying, “We’re successfully doing this for others. The reason for my call is we want to see if this is something that you would consider to be useful to you, too,” then you have the beginning of a conversation that is non-threatening and more approachable.

 

Once you have the conversation started, it is time to offer up real knowledge and specific examples of how you have helped others:

  • Has this solution increased revenue?
  • Has your current client seen cost savings?
  • Is the solution or service increasing production and/or saving time?

This is the real information that will grab the attention of your prospect up-front and allow you the time to engage in a meaningful interaction where more can be revealed and discussed.  

 

You cannot have a meaningful interaction with a scripted call. Instead, aim for the one that gets to the point quickly with pertinent information that sparks the interest of your prospect and then allows them time to reveal their business pains or problems.

 

A straightforward approach, real knowledge, specific examples – these are the ingredients of a successful B2B sales call.

 

John

 

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Editor’s Note: Originally published in 2016, this article was edited and updated in Oct. 2018.