Business Development

Is Cold Calling Still An Effective Tactic?

It’s an excellent strategy if your company is new and you don’t possess the financial means and connections to avail of other forms of marketing. But, given the numerous digital communications and lead generation platforms available, many budding entrepreneurs have started believing that cold calling is dead. Is it so? Well, it depends on the region and your tactics.

For instance, cold calling has become a lot more challenging in some parts of the Asian markets, particularly Japan and Korea. Why?

Simply because in these regions, salespersons have failed to devise the right strategy to connect with their potential clients.

Despite the evolution of communications technology within the last three decades, Japanese business culture is still stuck in the 1980s (no offense). Japanese entrepreneurs don’t use mobile phones and telephones as frequently as businessmen in the western markets do. For them, phone conversations are a waste of time and energy. A face-to-face meeting is their preferred mode of business. So, cold callers need to create a script that leads to that.

Another example is in Korea, where cold calling has proven ineffective because people are afraid of buying from strangers. Even when Koreans buy cars, they turn to their trusted entities to decide about it. Moreover, there are a huge amount of email/messages/phone calls scams observed in Korea and all over Asia. Scammers call people and trap them using various lures or misleading information.

So, does this mean cold calling is ineffective everywhere in Asia? Not at all.

While B2B cold calling has become relatively challenging in the Asian sales and marketing sectors due to the abovementioned reasons, there’s no harm in trying it out.

Do not forget that Cold lead generation (email and phone) is the second leading form of sales after referrals. 

Since most salespeople don’t have the gift of the gab, so you have to be tactical and implement a workable strategy.

Check out the top five most helpful lead generation tips through cold calling.

Pitch Prospects Wisely

When cold calling, prefer quality over quantity. Research and choose those contacts who need your products/services for real. Your targets list must be well-organized and segmented. This means rank them as per industry, business size, or any other differentiating elements you know about them; this will help you catch their attention.

It goes without saying that you must keep track of contacts you’ve already pitched, who didn’t respond to your call, and who called you back. Regularly revisit and adjust the list accordingly.

Remember the Actual Goal

A cold call isn’t all about landing the sale. Its primary purpose is to have an engaging and meaningful conversation with the prospect. Another critical aim to achieve is planting the seeds of a lasting camaraderie. If you follow a ‘Script’ too religiously, you’ll end up sounding robotic rather than connecting with the prospect on a human level. So, please don’t push the contact, or else you’ll turn them off.

Cold Emailing + Cold Calling = Massive Results

If cold calling doesn’t work for you in Asia, why not try cold emailing first? 

Every other cold email starts with the name, designation, and introduction of the business. This is the best way to not collect many replies… 

So, how do you expect your prospect to feel engaged?

That’s why we urge you to create an email that offers meaningful information. Choose a challenging topic, find service gaps, and offer solutions that only you can provide. Your prospect will feel engaged when they know you’ve done your research and know the problem they face.

Leverage multichannel prospecting

As we just said, the primary goal is to build a meaningful connection with your prospect. 

“Calling is too direct”. “Emailing is too impersonal”. Why not go Multichannel?

Multichannel campaigns including both emailing and calling usually offer the best success rate. 

The reason is simple: when the prospect pick-up the phone, they already heard about you and it creates an instant effect of “familiarity”.

Take Rejection as a Learning opportunity

Cold callers regularly experience rejection. That’s a part of this process. You may get used to it sooner or later, but we want you to find a lesson in every rejection. If the prospect doesn’t even answer your call, take it as a clue that you need to revise your calling schedule. And, if the prospect declines your offer, you can ask for an explanation politely. Never criticize them or take No personally. 

Just give it a try

Cold calling may be effective in Asia if you follow the right strategy. It may appear as an outdated marketing strategy in an excessively digital era. Still, it is a tried-and-tested and successful tactic.