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I know how scary the thought of cold calling is, but it is a very effective way to build qualified leads and turn them into future store clients….so don’t ignore it.

As in anything with practice comes perfection that holds the same merit when cold calling is the concern in my opinion. In all reality it boils down to how well you accept rejection or how comfortable you are in meeting new people through nothing more than a phone conversation.

With practice also comes more comfort I can’t explain how nerve wrecking it was when first starting out in the fashion industry meeting new people, networking with successful individuals, and calling upon store owners and wanting them to respect me from the beginning with no prior knowledge of who I am, my business or what I stood for.

Below are a few tips for cold calling prospective clients:

• A Cold Call is an introduction not a sales call. You know how much we hate telemarketers and if you call a store owner with nothing more to say than “I want to sell my clothing in your store” most likely they will not waste their time meeting you because they owe you nothing. If your company is in its infancy they know nothing of you so it’s your job to inform the store owner of who you are and what you represent in this case that would be your fashion line. I’ve tested this many times and it works. Simply call introduce yourself and your company, but don’t waste your time talking to somebody who cannot help you with your ultimate goal (a sales appointment) ask to speak with the decision maker or in this case the buyer. I would start off with nothing more than an exchange of email and ask if you could send them more information about your company and follow up with them no more than once per week by phone until they reach a definite decision on whether not they would like to work with your company.
• The more targeted and refined your list of prospective clients are the better your chance of turning cold calls into leads and leads into clients. So research, visit the store, take a look at the product they sell. Ask yourself a few questions; is the clothing being sold similar to yours, is the store catering to your target market, is the clothing being sold relative to your clothing price range these are all questions you should ask before approaching them on the phone. Don’t waste time with a store that you know would not be interested.
• There is nothing wrong with rehearsing your first call. It’s called being prepared. Make an opening statement and practice it with one of your partners and think about what kind of reaction you would like to get from your opening statement and write it in that manner. Never ask yes or no questions that could easily end the phone conversation or identify your company too soon in the conversation because if they have never heard of you they might not come to the phone. If they ask who’s speaking don’t say this is Fred on behalf of Scout Union Apparel, say this is Fred I’m calling to inform (Insert Store) about a new and exciting clothing company that we think will fit your customer’s needs or something of that matter. Reveal all your details in the email unless they directly ask once the decision maker or buyer is on the phone.
• Cold call early in the morning before they have time to get busy or tied down with more important matters.
• Be persistent. Don’t give up if they fail to speak with you on the first few times, because they may actually be busy or just not ready to make a decision at that time. So chalk it up and follow up with them next season.
• Lastly thank them and make sure you follow with an email shortly after talking to them. Don’t give them time to forget you. Send the email with your contact information, short summary of your line, a line sheet, and your reason for informing them, which would be you’re wanting to be considered for selling in their store for Spring 08 or maybe to invite them to your booth at an upcoming show you’re both attending. It’s like breaking the ice to a new relationship and hopefully a sales appointment.

The more you repeat the steps above the easier and more comfortable you will become and your sales should reflect it. I found cold calling to be one of my best sales methods even better than trade shows in the beginning stages and cheap all you need is a phone, a plan, persistence (following through), and patience.

Does your business use cold calling effectively when selling? How are most of your sales generated?

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