Hot Calls and Hot Leads: An Effective Sales Strategy

Ever called a prospective customer only to be dismissed without them even listening to what you had to say?

Like they wouldn’t even give you a minute to explain your product or service?

Well then, it’s time to shift focus to hot calling. Through this article, learn what a hot call is, what hot leads are, and how to use this technique effectively. 

What is hot call?

Hot calling is the better and more efficient version of cold calling. It involves the utilization of multiple platforms in addition to telephones. Through these, the sales team reaches out to customers prior to making a call. 

Before you place a hot call, you will need to do your research. You will need to familiarize yourself with a company’s recent announcements, milestones, leadership change and so on. As a sales executive, you are expected to be able to answer any of the customer’s questions.

Also, the hot calling process is more time-consuming and can be slightly more expensive than cold calling. Additionally, salespeople may even need to undergo further training.

Keeping all this in mind, it is no surprise that hot calling is more effective compared to cold calling. 

As a business, this is a choice you will need to see and evaluate for yourself. Hot calls provide better results but come at a higher cost and time requirement. Both the concepts as well as the results are quite different, just like the techniques used. 

Also Read: Cold Calling vs Warm Calling – Which is Better?

What are hot leads?

Hot leads are those leads where the individuals concerned are qualified and have been nurtured over time. As a result, hot leads are immediately ready to make purchases or any other transaction with your business.

These are people who are looking for a specific service for fulfilling a need that has already been identified by you. Thus, you are engaging them to fulfil this said need. 

To put it simply, these are the leads which have to be managed for closing the final transaction and completing a sale.

There are also certain attributes that could turn cold leads into hot leads, thereby making them more receptive towards calls.

Attributes that may turn leads into hot leads:

• A change in leadership
• A response to a contact form found on your company’s site
• Announcements regarding change in business structure
• Consumed marketing content (e-books or webinars)
• Leaving a comment or message on any of your social media posts
• Having partially completed a sale before

3 Types of hot calling techniques

Hot calling can prove to be a valuable asset if utilized properly. Here are some of the most widely practiced hot calling techniques used today:

Social Selling

In these modern times, practically everyone is on some form of social media. Moreover, social media usage itself is at an all-time high and only continues to increase.

In fact, a significant amount of B2B buyers utilize social media platforms for their decision making process. If you aren’t making use of social media to reach new customers, you’re really missing out on big promotional opportunities.

Referrals

In place of calling prospective customers, you should seek referrals from any mutual contact willing to introduce you. It has been statistically proven that a large number of B2B buyers consider referrals during their decision making process.

Direct Mail

If you thought direct mail is outdated, well think again! Direct mail campaigns are shown to be extremely useful for brands even today. 

In fact, statistics show that almost two-thirds of individuals who receive direct mail end up buying a product. 

As such, it makes sense for your business to find ways to integrate it in your hot calling process.

Also read about effective cold calling tips.

Conclusion

Hot calling is an effective technique for reaching out to more customers and securing sales for your business. 

As a result of hot calling, you will also be able to focus on your customer’s needs and situation. This allows you to take a different, more personalized approach in place of the same old generic pitch. 

For all these reasons, your business should make optimum use of hot calls and hot leads to build your brand.