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Being a sales executive or the front man pitching products and services, have you ever thought about how to improve your business and work strategy? What course of action and medium of communication will help you get a better grasp on your potential clients? Have you ever thought about what time, method, or channel is preferred by the people you approach? If your answer to any or all of the above-mentioned questions was a “yes!”, then keep reading because this useful piece of writing is meant just for you.
Communication is Constantly Evolving
In the current age, technology is advancing on daily basis. Researchers and digital innovators come up with something new every day, whether it’s a new feature, application, or device. In such complex scenarios of development, it is hard to keep track of what possible communication means exist and what is it that people are following or preferring these days.
Despite the existence of multiple communication channels, it has been concluded that emails and phone calls remain by far the most influential and preferred conversation channels in the sales and marketing fields. However, which among these two stands out and makes the cut is another debate.
Know your audience
Talking particularly about the department of sales, it is hard to guess what mode of communication will be preferred by the person to whom the product or service is being pitched. Although the sales teams and members do their homework before approaching an individual or company, the company itself is the only expert on their business and market.
So, the sales team being able to choose the right option for each potential client among phone call and email can be difficult for inexperienced members of the team. Some people prefer not to pick up phone calls from unknown callers and get irritated by multiple calls. Similarly, some find it annoying to have their inbox spammed by emails from potential sellers, pitchers, and so on.
So What is the Best Form of Communication?
The questions remain: Where exactly do you draw the line? How exactly do you determine which communication medium will work for which particular client? Don’t worry, we have got you covered.
The answer is: both.
Cold emailing with a follow up call will give you much better results and leads leading to potential sales as compared to cold calling. Here is a list of reasons that you need to approach a client with a cold email and subsequent call. These tips will help you take your sales game up a notch:
- Saves you time. In today’s age, where internet has taken over every single aspect of our lives and actions, how many mobile numbers do you remember or can get access to? Look around your office or surroundings, how many people have desk phones or reply to anonymous calls? Not a lot, right? Whereas people effectively live in their inbox. Everyone is focused on not missing THE email from the boss or a client. So, how do you get maximum attention from people regarding your sales pitch? By being present and considerably visible in their inbox. Not only is this the most effective medium to better sales, but it also saves you a ton of time. You can waste your day calling people that will never answer or leave an email at the most optimal time and have 50% chance of hearing back from them.
- People of influence check their emails daily. The most important point to consider while making sales pitch is to target the appropriate audience. According to an estimate, in the year 2008, 89% of the people who had the most buying power owned and checked their emails daily. You can well imagine what that rate might be by the year 2019. So, it’s easy to conclude that given the pace of life we lead, no one has the time to attend phone calls and talk to people they don’t know. Nor will they give them any benefit, so emails win by saving time, hitting the cord, and giving you better sales.
- Emails reside in the inbox longer than the phone calls do. You call, they hang up. You call, they set an appointment. You call, they don’t want you to waste their time. You email, it passes by their eye. However, they probably won’t delete it right away. It provides your email to sit in their inbox for a longer period of time with higher chances of them getting back to the email and actually responding to your sales pitch. As a result, emails provide a better conversion rate. Additionally, an email is non-threatening. You don’t force people to respond right away unlike phone calls, and it provides people the opportunity to respond at their leisure.
- Multiple points of contact remind them about your pitch. First they read your email, then you follow up with them and call about the same topic, refreshing their minds about you and your company. Even if they don’t answer, you can leave a voicemail explaining who you are and why you are calling. Everyone is busy, we get that, but just as a follow-up, I’m calling to see if you had a chance to read my email, and if so, do you have any questions? Look to schedule a 30-minute meeting with them in order to be able to pitch as well as answer any questions they might have that are preventing them from accepting your offer. Being able to talk to them one-on-one, person-to-person reassures them that you are a real person and not a robot or a scam. They can have time to research your company and see how beneficial it would be for them to partner with you.
Despite all of the arguments that I have presented in the favor of cold emailing with a follow up call to achieve better sales, the bottom line is that pitching your product or service and finding the right medium to do so is not an easy process. There are a lot of factors and issues that need to be catered and addressed before you come a final conclusion. When to email, when to call, and what will result in better sales is an extremely subjective topic. Subjective to whom you are approaching. Why are you reaching out? At what stage of the deal are you? Take these questions and the tips that have been shared in order to make the most informed decision.
Written by: Jasmin Youngman
