I think most would agree that we’re all busy in today’s modern world. For B2B sales, this busyness has made it very difficult to reach our contacts when cold calling, and equally challenging earning time to speak with them. I recently wrote a blog called, 5 B2B Sales Tactics to Reach More Prospects, aimed at helping you reach your target, but I left out what can be done if you reach your contact but they do not have time to talk.

This blog will discuss how to maximize the value of brief customer contact when executing B2B sales calls:

1. Highlight the purpose of your call and its most attractive feature

Highlighting the purpose of your call is a tactic meant to keep your message quick and to the point. A short message will allow your contact to remember you on your next attempted call and help win you an audience when they have time to speak. Explaining the most attractive feature of your offering serves as the bait as to why the contact should be willing to listen and speak with you when they have time to talk. The most attractive feature should always be customer specific and from the perspective that you are selling the solution, not the product.

2. Ask when they might be free to talk

Your contact knows their schedule best and will know when they might be available for a call. Don’t miss this opportunity to personally ask them when might be a better time to reach them. Specify both the day and time when you will try and reach them again. This can allow for fewer calls needed to reach your contact again, saving you time and allowing you to pursue other sales opportunities.

3. Ask the most pressing qualifying question

Make a judgement call with regard to the appropriateness of using this tactic. If the contact needs to immediately end the call, pressing further and taking more of their time can be seen as annoying or frustrating and can negatively impact how receptive your contact will be to the message. If, however, the contact seems interested and willing to talk briefly, it can be a good opportunity to ask the most pressing qualifying question. The question should either help to rule out the contact and their organization as not a good fit based on information you previously were unable to find, or provide you with information to better tailor your message for the next call.

4. Always thank them for their time

At the end of every call, not matter how brief, be sure to thank your contact for their time. Being polite and showing appreciation will help you establish a positive connection and make your contact more receptive to both taking your call in the future and listening to your proposition.

5. Send a follow-up email

After ending your call, sending an email is a great way to add strength to the relationship. Now that the contact is familiar with your name and organization they will be more likely to open and read your emails. This tactic can be used in combination with my previously recommended tactics for following up after an initial sales email. This email should thank your prospect for their time, include the reason for your call and the main point you highlighted. The email also allows you to expand upon any discussed information as well as introduce new information to the contact. Consider this an exercise in persistence and remember – persistence pays, especially in B2B sales.

These five tactics have helped me to maximize the value of brief customer contact when making B2B sales calls, leading to stronger follow up calls and more meetings. Always feel free to experiment with what works best for you. If you would like to become stronger at cold calling and B2B sales be sure to download our free How to Cold Call white paper.