Download BEP 46 ADV – Cold Calling: Getting off to a Good Start
Today’s episode is the first in a three-part Business English Pod series on cold calling, the skill of making unsolicited telephone sales calls. Unsolicited means “not asked for”. So cold calling is the skill of making a sales call to someone who is not expecting you.
Cold calling skills are very useful in many parts of business life. To cold call successfully, you need to be persuasive. And persuasion is fundamental to business success, whether you are trying to convince a customer to buy something or your boss or colleagues to accept your point of view.
In today’s listening you’ll here two examples, one bad one good. We.ll listen to the bad one first. Josh Knight of Nexus Communications International is cold calling Linda Darling, who works for the law firm Drucker and Smythe. So Linda is Josh’s prospect, or potential customer.
Listening Quiz: (Click a question to see the answer)
1) Does Linda’s company use audio and video conferencing?
Yes. In reply to this question, Linda says, “A lot.” This is a strong sign to Steve that he has reached a good prospect, or potential customer.
2) What is the benefit of the service that Steve is selling?
Steve says that using his service means “you can save money while dramatically increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of conferencing.”
3) How does Linda describe the current system?
Linda says that it’s “unwieldy,” which means it’s difficult to use or handle.