A successful call hinges on your ability to capture the prospect's attention and pique their interest. Crafting a concise, compelling narrative is key to driving the conversation forward and earning the opportunity for a deeper dive.
To kick off this quick guide let's set the stage by stealing a snippet of a conversation from two sales giants John Burrows and Chris Orlob on the topic of prospecting:
" You have five to fifteen seconds to get someone’s attention. That earns you a couple of minutes where you can create interest. That’s what you’re selling. When you’re making cold calls, you are not selling your solution. You are selling time. You are selling interest. You are selling the next step." -John Burrows
First, something needs to get our attention.
Then we have to be interested in it.
Then we have to have a desire.
Finally, we need to take action.
JOHN BARROWS: If some kid calls me up out of nowhere and says, "So John, tell me about your priorities for the year." I'm like, "Dude, screw off. Who are you?" But if somebody comes at me and says, "Hey, John, thanks for taking my call. Real quick, the reason for my call today is, we're showing VPs of sales, like you, in your industry, how to drive these type of results with our solution. I just wanted to see if that was worth having a deeper dive conversation or two."
CHRIS ORLOB: Yes, good cold calling follows the same rule as really good writing. If you've ever studied writing, there is a rule that says, the purpose of every sentence you write, is to compel the reader to read the next sentence. Cold calling should be exactly the same. You should be economical with your words, not frivolous. Every word and every sentence you say should design, be designed, to prolong the conversation, whether it's getting them talking, or getting them listening to your next sentence, which in turn is designed to get them to linger.
JOHN BARROWS: That's awesome. I think that's what a lot of people make the mistake of when cold calling or leaving voicemail messages. They are literally trying to sell their product or service during that call. So they treat it as a quick discovery. Let me ask you fifteen questions before I throw up on you, or let me just tell you literally everything about what we do to see if you're interested in buying from it.
Understand the company's type, size, and events they typically host. Enables you to relate with examples.
Find the event manager or office manager responsible for event planning. Use research calls or LI to find.
Collect relevant details about events your center can or has run with business of their size to tailor your pitch.
Start with a friendly hello and introduce yourself and your event center.
Clearly state the reason for your call - introducing your venue.
Highlight a benefit that relates to their business needs.
Ask about the types of events the company typically hosts.
Inquire about important factors when choosing an event venue.
Learn about their previous event venues and satisfaction levels.
Pay attention to the client's responses and needs.
Customize your pitch based on the information gathered.
Highlight specific benefits that address their requirements. Use Curiosity and offer an easy next step. You interrupted them, they were not thinking about your company, offer them just enough to schedule a next step. Don't overshare!
We always want to get to next steps quickly. It is a balance you will learn, but remember they were not thinking about your company (most likely), they were working, we interrupted them, let's offer them an out and confirm a time for them when they are not in the middle of something to discuss further.
Propose a time to discuss further and show the facilities.
Offer to send more details and a virtual tour link.
Ensure the client is interested in proceeding.
Thank the client for their time and attention.
Reiterate the next steps and timeframe.
End the call on a positive, professional note.
By mastering these principles and applying them consistently, you will enhance your ability to source and secure businesses that are a perfect fit for hosting events at your entertainment center. This will contribute to the overall success and growth of your center.
My name is Kyle Stremme, and my goal is to help bridge the gap between passionate business owners and effective sales management. I founded and run High Kick Sales to offer comprehensive support to FEC owners and event managers. Through a solid foundation, I help them achieve higher revenue, consistent event bookings, and smoother sales operations. For the last 14 years, I have been selling and leading sales teams for high-pressure VC-backed startup ventures. I built my playbook for driving revenue and am sharing this system to identify, source, qualify, and close business for myself and those I manage. The net result is enabling sellers to make more money by helping the companies they work for grow and thrive.
This guide will help event managers master effective calling techniques to introduce their event center to local businesses.