By Marina Sala, on 16 August 2023
Most people reject calls from unknown numbers, so cold calling is not the best way to generate leads. Below, we're sharing alternatives for getting prospective clients in a quicker and more effective way.
What Does It Mean to Generate Customers Through Cold Calling?
This technique involves calling potential customers to make them aware of a brand and its products or services. These calls are made even if the recipient has shown no prior interest in the brand and what it offers and the objective is to increase business opportunities. This means that the person has not requested information and is not waiting for the call so this action would be at the beginning of a sales process.
However, with the rise of new technologies and social changes, this technique has been replaced by other, more effective and less invasive methods, which customers respond to positively.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Cold Calling
Companies still use the cold calling technique to generate leads, because it allows them to contact customers quickly, easily, and economically from anywhere. In addition, it allows for prior preparation, even having a script and perfecting it based on the experience and feedback received.
However, this technique is less effective today. More and more people reject calls from unknown numbers and cold calling can be a tedious job, as obtaining good results is becoming increasingly difficult.
10 Alternatives to Cold Calling That Generate Customers
More and more companies are trying to fill their pipeline with alternatives to cold calling, a technique that doesn't always get good results. Here are the best options:
1. Creating Compelling Content in a Commercial Blog
Creating content not only helps you position in search engines, but also give you a way to share valuable information, reach your target audience, and get conversions.
In a blog, you can share information related to your company's sector, and position yourself as a reference to generate customer confidence. This content can include CTAs and links to products or services that help to achieve conversion while providing useful and interesting information.
What must be considered is not just creating content but following a strategy where, among other things, SEO is taken into account.
2. Carrying Out an SEO Strategy
We have talked about the importance of creating quality content on a blog because it optimizes SEO, but it is also important to optimize your website. This means that all the content that is part of the website, both written and visual, is optimized so that search engines like Google can find it, understand it, and rank it.
3. Offering Downloadable Content
In exchange for completing a form where the user has to provide their email address and other information, downloadable content can be a very good strategy to expand your database.
Downloadable content can include anything from an ebook on a key topic in your industry to a free software trial. The company will collect data from the user who has shown interest in what they offer, and the user will receive free content.
4. Using Social Networks
Social networks have become one of the most effective communication channels for reaching your target audience. See where your buyer persona likes to spend time online and, based on that, choose the social network(s) you'll focus on.
Different strategies can be followed through social networks such as sharing links and offers, advertising, or using influencer marketing to increase reach and exposure.
What's important is that you post regularly. Keep in mind the message, tone, and values that are transmitted through your socials. In addition, social media should be seen as a two-way communication channel.
5. Getting Customers to Talk About Your Brand
Another effective strategy to reach potential customers is encouraging current customers to talk about your brand, its products, and its services.
This can be done by asking customers to write reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, Trustpilot, or other platforms or by sending out satisfaction surveys. This is relatively simple but very effective, as it has been proven that users value customer reviews and consider them to be personal, real, and objective.
6. Exhibit Your Brand at Events
There are many exhibitions, trade shows, conferences, private and public events where brands can participate. Attending these events is a great way to reach target customers and convey your brand's values.
7. Do Live Webinars and Other Online Events
While face-to-face events are often the best way to reach a wider audience, you can also use social media and other online platforms to host engaging events that can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
Instagram and Facebook live events work quite well, but you can also do webinars or free online courses to promote your brand.
8. Optimize Website Navigation
A well-organized website is essential for positive user experience. Visitors should be able to find what they are looking for quickly and easily.
A poorly structured website can cause people to leave and look at the competition, something that can also harm positioning. Design is also a key element since it causes potential customers to trust a brand.
Gathering information on how customers use your site can give you clues as to what needs to be improved. Heat maps, which indicate where visitors click, where they spend more time, and when they decide to leave, are very useful for this purpose. Another option is usability testing.
9. Use Newsletters
Newsletters are an excellent alternative to cold calling since they allow you to directly engage customers on a specific topic. To ensure this strategy's effectiveness and prevent people from unsubscribing, it's important for the content to be interesting and helpful, so it should include news, guides, discount codes, information on events, or future events, and so on.
Remember that to send a newsletter, you need the recipient's email address, information that can only be obtained from them directly. This means that some kind of campaign must be carried out to obtain this information, such as offering downloadable content in exchange for emails.
10. Don't Forget Your Existing Customers
Many companies focus on attracting new customers while forgetting about those who are already customers, which is a mistake. Retaining and building loyalty is much more profitable than acquiring new customers.
Interacting with current customers through social networks, sending them newsletters with information of interest, creating a loyalty program, or offering updates on purchased products, are some ways to achieve loyalty. Additionally, a satisfied customer will speak positively about your brand to their network.
If cold calls are not giving you good results, there are many other ways to become visible and get more lead. You just have to find the one that best suits your company.
