238 (Sell) Asking The Right Questions on Cold Calls (Josh Braun, Braun Training)
Aug 6, 2024
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Josh Braun, an expert in cold calling and founder of Braun Training, shares invaluable insights into effective sales techniques. He emphasizes starting calls by recognizing what prospects might already know and addressing their objections upfront. Braun discusses the importance of highlighting a prospect's challenges by contrasting their current state with the potential benefits of your solution. He also encourages asking targeted questions to uncover specific problems while crafting relatable problem stories to enhance engagement and drive sales success.
Engaging cold calls should begin by presuming the prospect has researched the solution, enabling a discussion around any unmet needs or objections.
Salespeople must articulate the contrast between a prospect's current problems and the benefits of their solution to foster deeper understanding and engagement.
Deep dives
Actionable Cold Calling Techniques
The book on cold calling provides a detailed breakdown of the cold call process, offering step-by-step guidance complete with specific talk tracks. This structured approach aims to empower sales professionals to explain their offerings more effectively, inspiring prospects to engage. By using real-world examples from 200 elite sellers, the book ensures broad applicability regardless of what is being sold. It emphasizes the importance of mastering tone through included QR codes that link to voiceovers, making it easier to connect with potential clients.
Detachment from Outcomes
One crucial strategy for effective cold calling is to detach from the outcome of the call, reducing the pressure on both the salesperson and the prospect. Being overly attached to making a sale can lead to desperate-sounding pitches that turn prospects off, akin to salespeople at a mall kiosk. A suggested approach involves expressing understanding and curiosity towards the prospect's decision-making process, thereby opening avenues for constructive feedback, regardless of whether the sale goes through. This technique encourages a more genuine interaction, allowing for improved future engagements.
Creating Knowledge Gaps
Salespeople are encouraged to establish a knowledge gap during calls, which can lead to deeper engagement with prospects. Instead of simply defending their products against price comparisons, sales reps should ask insightful questions that challenge the prospect's perceptions, effectively highlighting the unique value of their offering. For instance, by comparing different product metrics like cushion density in couches, sellers can illustrate quality disparities. This method shifts the conversation from confrontation to inquiry, fostering a more thought-provoking dialogue that invites prospects to reconsider their choices.
Understanding Buyer Sentiment
Sales success often hinges on understanding the current state of a buyer's operations and the reasons behind their hesitations to switch solutions. By presupposing that a prospect has evaluated other options, salespeople can easily open a conversation that addresses existing pain points. This approach allows the seller to tailor their pitch to reflect specific challenges the prospect is facing, enhancing the relevancy of the engagement. In doing so, they not only respect the prospect's expertise but also build credibility by demonstrating industry knowledge and understanding of the common considerations in buyers' decision-making processes.
Start by assuming the prospect has researched your solution if they say yes suggest a common objection why they didn't pursue it, if they say no then ask a question to highlight a knowledge gap
When explaining your solution, emphasize the before state and the problems associated with it to create contrast with your solution's end-state
Ask about specific situations to accurately identify the exact problems the prospect is facing
Learn and practice delivering problem stories that are tailored to each potential situation your buyers may be in