| Effective cold call selling can be helped greatly by | | | | names in the industry during your cold call. For |
| name-dropping. Name-dropping is a great way to | | | | example, if XYZ is the largest company in your |
| add credibility to you, your company, and your | | | | territory and you're doing business with them, |
| product. If you're talking to a person whom you | | | | don't hesitate to mention this fact. You might say: |
| don't know at all, dropping a common name or | | | | "XYZ Bank, the largest bank in my territory, just |
| two of a person or a company with which you | | | | installed three of the machines you're considering." |
| currently do business can quickly build credibility. | | | | Clearly, if you're doing business with the largest |
| Name-dropping can also help prospects feel more | | | | competitor, you must be doing something right. |
| comfortable doing business with you or, even put | | | | 2) Drop the names of well-recognized "outside" |
| some pressure on them to do business with you | | | | sources that endorse your company - For |
| if their competitors are. So how do you | | | | example, you might say something like: "We're |
| name-drop effectively? | | | | endorsed by the Better Business Bureau." |
| 4 sales tips for name-dropping | | | | 3) Drop the names of well-known individuals with |
| 1) Name drop companies you currently do | | | | whom you do business - If your customer is a |
| business with - Do you do business with some | | | | well-known political figure, entertainer, or business |
| well-known companies in the industry, or perhaps | | | | leader, you can build some credibility on the cold |
| some companies in the same area as your | | | | call by casually dropping that person's name. |
| prospect? In these cases, introduce this | | | | 4) You can name-drop at several different times |
| information in the cold call. You might say | | | | during your presentation - You can drop names in |
| something like: "We've been doing business with | | | | the opening of your cold call, as we showed under |
| most of the (whatever industry you're in) | | | | #1. You can also name-drop when giving |
| companies in the area. For example, in your area | | | | examples of companies who have been in the |
| we deal with ABC Company, DEF Company and | | | | same situation as your current prospect. Finally, |
| GHI Company and we're saving them an average | | | | you can simply add a sentence or two about who |
| of 28 percent on office supplies." | | | | you're doing business with at any point during |
| You also want to introduce some of the big | | | | your presentation to add credibility. |