What is warm calling, and how is it different from cold calling, or even hot calling?
For years, sales reps have relied on calling, or contacting potential prospects to generate demand for their solutions, services, or products. In the past, “cold calling” or “cold email” used to be the most common way for businesses to generate leads.
However, as consumers become less responsive to traditional sales techniques, organizations are searching for ways to upgrade the sales prospecting strategy. Warm calling, and hot calling can offer brands an opportunity to extract more value from every sales call.
Here’s what you need to know to master warm calling.
What is Warm Calling? The Basics
Warm calling is a strategy used in sales prospecting to generate leads or opportunities for sales. It’s an enhanced version of the “cold calling” technique, where reps reach out to prospects to determine whether they might have an interest in their products or solutions.
With warm calling, sales reps specifically focus on connecting with leads that have already shown an interest in their business or solutions. Warm calls are a fantastic way to increase the success rate of calls and meet more sales goals. People who are already aware of your company are far less likely to present a number of objections you need to overcome.
Warm calling also makes it easier to ensure you’re not wasting time on sales calls that won’t generate revenue. You can ensure you’re actually speaking to the right decision makers, addressing potential pain points, and connecting emotionally with leads straight away.
Warm Calling vs Hot Calling vs Cold Calling
So, how does warm calling differ from cold calling, and hot calling?
As mentioned above, cold calling is a traditional outbound sales tactic, typically used by SDRs to reach out to potential customers who may never have heard of your products or services. The call is “cold” because it’s something the customer doesn’t expect. Sales reps often use lists of prospects and scripts, rather than researching customers and their needs.
Warm calling, on the other hand, involves reaching out to specific people who have already expressed interest in a brand, product, or service.
With hot calling, you focus on prospects who have already expressed a desire to buy something. They may already be on the cusp of making a decision, and only need a little extra guidance to purchase something.
Warm Calling Tips: How to Master a Warm Sales Call
Similar to cold calling, warm calling takes time and strategy to master. Although you may still use a “warm calling script” to validate leads and guide the conversation, the focus will primarily be on building a relationship with your audience and cultivating trust.
Here are some top warm calling tips to get you started.
- Do your research: Don’t wait until you’re calling a prospect to determine whether they’re a good fit for your company. Research every prospect you’re going to call, and find out as much as you can about their budget, goals, and the pain points they want to address. This will help you to present your product as the best solution for the customer’s needs.
- Get the opening right: The first few seconds of a warm call is crucial to keeping the conversation flowing. You should identify who you are, the business you represent, and why you’re reaching out. You can even highlight how you know your customer has an interest in your product or solution. For instance: “I see you downloaded our free eBook…”
- Build rapport: As mentioned above, building a relationship with your prospect is crucial in warm calling. Don’t just read directly from a script. Connect with your customers, share anecdotes, and mimic their tone of voice or the language they use.
- Prepare talking points: Before diving into a warm calling session, it’s important to have an idea of what you’re going to be talking about. Ask your customer about the issues they’re facing, or the challenges they need to overcome. Share your knowledge about the prospect, for instance, “I read a really interesting post from you on LinkedIn about…”
- Ask open-ended questions: While you should already know your prospect is a good fit for your company, asking open ended questions is a great way to validate the lead even further. These questions will help you to better understand the pain points your customers need to overcome, and the goals they want to accomplish.
- Keep it brief: Although warm and hot calls aren’t as disruptive as cold calls, they’re still an interruption in your prospect’s life. Show you respect their time by keeping the call short. Arrange a time to call back and discuss issues with them in detail, so you can continue the conversation according to their schedule.
- Leave a voicemail: If your customer doesn’t pick up the phone when you reach out, don’t just give up on them. Voicemails can be an excellent way to encourage customers to get back in touch. Share some useful information, and let your customer know you’d be happy to arrange a call at a time that suits them.
- Follow up: Following up is crucial after a warm call. Consider sending your customer an email with some more information or valuable resources connected to the topics you discussed. Call back again to ask more questions, or invite them to join you for a discussion in person, over the phone, or via video call.
- Define tangible next steps: Whenever you make a warm call, make sure your customers have an idea of what’s going to happen next. Define exactly when you’re going to call back, what you’re going to talk about, and what you’re going to do before the next call. For instance, you might do more research into a problem your customer is facing so you can help them to choose the right product or service in your portfolio.
How to Do Warm Calling, the Right Way
Compared to cold calling, warm calling can be a far more effective way for sales people to connect with prospects, generate sales, and build relationships. While cold calling might allow you to reach out to a wider number of potential prospects quickly, warm calling helps to ensure you’re focusing the most time and attention on the leads that matter most to your brand.
Just remember, warm calling takes time and effort. You’ll need to research your prospects, and find ways to build rapport through each conversation.
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