What To Say When Cold Calling Customers

Most of us do not like the idea of picking up the phone and cold-calling a prospective customer. My reluctance likely stems from the fact that I don't like getting calls from telemarketers, but it's part of the job.

Probably the biggest challenge in making a cold call is outlining what to say. You only have a very short window to gather the information you need. What questions should you ask? How can you avoid being an annoying telemarketer?

At our company, once we have identified a prospect that we want to pursue, we make an initial cold call to gather information. The goal of this call is to make the next one a warm call. Below you will find some sample scripts of what this initial call might look like:

Hi, Tom. This is John Doe with ABC Janitorial. We provide outsourced janitorial services to manufacturing facilities (or public schools, medical facilities, corporate headquarters, etc.) like yours.

The purpose of my call today is to gather some information from you. Specifically, do you outsource the custodial services at your facility, and if so, would you share with me a little about your vendor selection process?

Situation No. 1
The prospect responds with, "We outsource our work, but we just signed a contract," or, "We have been using the same company for 15 years and are not interested in changing."

Reply No. 1
Thank you for the info. I am glad that you have seen the benefits of outsourcing your custodial services. We have developed some processes that yield high-quality service, consistently. Our clients tell us that they are pleased to no longer manage the custodial work — it allows them to work on more important things.

Would it be okay if I contacted you periodically via call or email? Also, I am in your area often and would like to have the opportunity to meet you. May I have your email?

Situation No. 2
The prospect responds to the initial query with, "We do outsource, and we are starting to gather information for our RFP process," or, "We outsource and we are really unhappy with our provider."

Reply No. 2
We would certainly like to be a part of your selection process. We have developed some processes that yield high-quality service, consistently. Our clients tell us that they are pleased to no longer manage the custodial work — it allows them to work on more important things.

The next step in our process is to schedule a time to meet with you and find out more about your facility. Can we schedule something for this week or next?

Voicemail Message
Hi Tom, this is John Doe with ABC Janitorial. We provide outsourced janitorial services to manufacturing facilities (or public schools, medical facilities, corporate headquarters, etc.) like yours.

I would like to chat with you for a couple of minutes about your janitorial program. I will contact you again tomorrow. In the meantime, if you wish, you may call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Jordan Tong is a BSC consultant and founder of Elite Business Coaching, in addition to being a third-generation owner of Frantz Building Services based in Owensboro, Kentucky. For more information on his coaching services, visit www.elitebusinesscoaching.net.