How to Generate Warm Sales Calls

You should always be refining your sales processes, whether business is booming or not.

One way to do so is by turning "cold calls" into "warm calls," which are sales calls that are somewhat pre-qualified. Warm calls are the opposite of cold calls. (Read: Cold Calling 101: 6 Steps to Success)

While warms calls are usually generated via your referral network, you don't have to sit back and wait for a warm call to come gift-wrapped.

Here are some tips on how to generate warm calls.

Find A Connection

Make personal connections when developing your list of leads. This involves research that either gives you a referral or offers enough common ground for the prospective client.

Think of it as playing "six degrees of separation" for money. While profiling builders I wanted to work with, I dug up the name of a primary contact and recognized his unusual surname. I connected the dots to a long time business acquaintance and got a warm welcome at the builder's office.

Making warm calls is, without a doubt, less stressful than cold calls. Connect the dots between you and your prospects and it will pay off. Expect to close a lot more deals.

Don't Forget About Referrals

Any veteran of the CE business will tell you referral business is crucial. You constantly need to forge connections with people who can send business your way.

If you've been around for a while, and you do good work, many referrals are spontaneous. But it doesnt hurt to make an effort to get more referrals.

So how do you get the ball rolling?

Do Exceptional Work. It's obvious, I know, but if you want people to recommend your company, you need to be worth recommending. I refer friends and acquaintances to businesses that I know are going to take care of them. It also helps make me look good for pointing them in the right direction. That's easily 90 percent of what it takes to build your referral network.

Ask for Recommendations. If you're not afraid to ask for the sale, then don't hesitate to ask your contacts to send business your way.

The time to ask for referrals is during the follow-up period after you've shown your worth. Hand them a couple of your business cards, and ask them to keep your company in mind if something comes up with friends or colleagues.

Remember, all sales calls are good calls. But warm calls help maximize the potential for closing deals.

Lee Distad is a freelance CEDIA Certified Professional Designer who offers design and process consultation to firms in the Custom Installation industry, as well as copy writing and other professional writing services. Lee’s business and industry blog can be read at http://www.leedistad.com