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How often do you have to figure out how to spark up a new conversation with an old sales prospect? Let's heat up those cold dialogues!
But first... what is a cold dialogue?
A cold dialogue is when you have a sales qualified lead (SQL) who you haven't spoken to in a while and is frozen in your sales funnel. Your prospect is not going anywhere. You know they would be a great fit for your product or service, but you are having trouble creating engagement with them to land the win. Remember, if a deal goes cold on you, it doesn’t mean it’s dead. Turning cold, long silenced dialogues into wins is key to developing shorter sales cycles and increasing sales.
3 Creative techniques to spark up a cold dialogue
1. Initiate a conversation by following up on a non-sales related topic
Do not open the conversation with, “Hey, have you thought about our service? Are you interested?” Your prospect has most likely forgotten, so don’t make them think about something they haven’t paid much attention to recently. Starting a conversation immediately about your service can trigger your prospect into a firm, “No, thanks.” Cold — > Dead.
Instead, revisit your notes (if any) on the last few conversations you had or check out their recent activity on Linkedin. Start the conversation by following up on a non-sales related topic or something that might add value to their decision making process. A good way to do this is by sharing a relevant piece of information. Maybe your prospect just moved homes and you have a connection in that area or you got a new client over the past few months that had a similar challenge as they do. Maybe you can share an article that is relevant to their industry or challenge. It’s critical to start off with the right intention, making the path to their decision as smooth as possible.
2. Revisit their pain point using a different platform
Do not let a cold dialogue make you forget about who you are selling to. Spend time re-identifying your prospect’s pain point.
Investigate other social outlets that allow you to start a new conversation that is different than your previous. If your last conversation was an email, go to LinkedIn. If you started on LinkedIn, maybe go to Facebook.
Perhaps you just went on vacation and you had a chance to read our summer vacation sales tips. That's amazing, but now you're back at work trying to figure out how to follow up on all your open leads. Start the conversations by acknowledging their pain points. Inquire if this is still a pain point. Since some time has passed, it’s not certain they still have the same problems. Maybe they have new problems you can help solve. By reaching out through a different platform, you can create the spark needed to warm up that cold dialogue.
3. Use targeted ads and follow up, this method is good if you have groups of similar cold dialogues.
The first touchpoint after a cold dialogue does not have to be a phone call or an email. It can be a subtle picture, video, or brand placement. Using remarketing based ads can sometimes break the ice better than a phone call.
After running your targeted ad campaign for a couple of weeks, it’s time to reach out. Using methods one or two above, your prospect will be less triggered by your “sales pitch.” Advertisements don’t always have to have a clear call to action (CTA) to buy your product. Targeted ads can be leveraged to increase brand awareness without your prospects feeling like they are being sold something.
Did you enjoy your summer vacation? A common question we hear is: are sales reps ever really on vacation? Maybe you are worried that your customers forgot about you during the summer because of lack of contact. Hey, don't worry! Here are 4 tips on how to manage your deals and enjoy summer vacation!
