OVERLOOP AT SCALEPre-call planning is the systematic preparation a sales rep does before any prospect call: research the company, set one clear objective, draft a tailored script, and anticipate the top three objections. Reps who skip this step lose 40% of conversion potential. Ten minutes of prep buys you a 30-minute call that actually moves the deal forward.
What is pre-call planning?
All athletes need preparation, and that’s also the case for salespeople! Pre-call planning involves detailed preparation before making a sales call. It implies researching the prospect, setting clear objectives for your call, preparing a personalized script, and anticipating potential objections. In short, pre-call planning is the foundation of any successful sales call! [HBR]
The benefits of pre-call planning
Call efficiency
By having a clear plan, sales calls become more focused, efficient and to the point. Communication with your prospect will be more effective, and both you them will leave the call with all questions answered. Pre-call planning ensures that every call serves a purpose at every stage of your sales process, whether it’s to gather more information, make a sale, or move a prospect further along the sales funnel.
Higher conversion rate
A well-prepared salesperson is more likely to convert prospects into customers. Knowing your prospect’s needs, challenges, and how your product can solve those challenges can significantly increase your prospects’ trust… and your conversion rates! Pre-call planning will help you answer the prospects’ answers and potential objections more easily.
Enhanced customer relationship
When you show up well-prepared, it demonstrates respect for the prospect's time and a genuine interest in their needs, laying the foundation for a strong, trust-based relationship. Pre-call planning allows you to collect specific information about each prospect, helping you take a personalized approach to their different problems.
Higher self confidence
Preparation leads to confidence. Knowing your material, understanding the prospect, and being ready for objections makes you more confident and less stressed during the call, which is often reflected in your tone and delivery.
How to prepare for a call: our pre-call checklist
The number of elements to prepare for a call can be depressing. Take time to create your very own pre-call checklist to be ready for your call. Need some help? Here’s our own checklist to help you build your personalized one!
Research information on the prospect
Make sure the information you have is correct and reliable.
Think “human”: who’s the person you are talking to? By which name do they go by? What’s their function and position in the company? Do you have some common points with them? Sometimes, a little personal attention can change the outcome of a call!
There are many sources that can help you increase your knowledge of the prospect and their industry:
- The company website for mission statements, product information, news and sector knowledge.
- LinkedIn for professional profiles and network connections.
- Social media, blog posts, and YouTube for recent activities and public interests.
While researching information, think about what you want to know: what does their company do? Which industry is it? Who are their customers? Do they use competitors’ tools or solutions? How is their industry right now? What are their pains and gains?
Be careful to look for the right pieces of information for every call: if you’re having a discovery call, you won’t need the same data as if you’re making a demo call.
Set objectives
Determine what you want to achieve with the call. Are you planning to organize a meeting, close a sale, have the prospect subscribe to something, or secure an appointment with a decision maker? Think about the step you’re at in your sales funnel. What’s the next logical step? What’s the goal of this call in your overall funnel?
Create a personalized call script
Tailor your script based on the prospect's industry, behavior, their competitors, and any recent news about their company. This shows you’ve done your homework and that you know them well!
Prepare questions
As we said earlier, preparation is key! It’s the occasion to write down questions you’ll ask your prospect. Develop insightful questions that will encourage your prospect to talk about their needs and challenges. It will also help you determine their pains and gains. Try to think “out of the box” and ask more personalized, specific questions alongside the more “generic” ones. Asking questions will also help reinforce your position of expertise.
Have necessary information at hand
Ensure you have all the critical information you need during the call easily accessible. There’s nothing more embarrassing and threatening in a sales call than a salesperson looking frantically for information with a prospect waiting on the phone.
Spending too much time prospecting?
Overloop handles list-building, outreach, and follow-ups so you can focus on the calls that close.
Book a demo →See featuresPrepare for objections and any possible outcome
Anticipate common objections you might face and have thoughtful responses ready. To find them, ask your customer service for the biggest complaints and read your FAQ for the most asked questions.
Moreover, don’t forget to consider all possible outcomes for your sales call, both positive and negative. You can’t allow a decision of not buying by a customer to flabbergast you and making you go blank. A good pre-call planning will allow you to better answer any question a prospect could ask, but also to investigate their possible refusal. Do not see refusals as dead ends, but rather as obstacles or events that’ll help you improve yourself.
Prepare technically
Avoid any technical issue. Check your equipment beforehand. Ensure your computer, microphone, and phone are in working order, and that you have the correct phone number or meeting link. Find a quiet environment to make your call.Post call analysis
Reflect on the call to understand what worked, what didn’t, and how you can improve for next time. Did you come upon unexpected questions or objections? How di you react to them?Follow-up
Organize how you'll follow up after the call to maintain momentum. This could involve scheduling another meeting, sending additional information, or entering notes into a CRM system for future reference.Discover how Overloop can help you in pre call planning
Automation at your service!
Overloop can be a vital tool in your pre-call planning arsenal. It automatically connects with your CRM to make sure you’re always talking to the right person. Your data is always up to date!
Multi channel campaigns and automated sequences make sure you always connect with the prospect at the step they’re most likely to engage. It offers you a personalized approach and enhances your conversion rates!Build trust
Overloop’s local presence dialing features help you build more trust with your prospects by displaying local numbers, regardless of your actual location. This helps create a trustful connection with your audience, and boosts pick-up rates, enhancing the likelihood of engagement.
Save time
No need to switch between apps anymore! Directly make your calls from Overloop using our Aircall integration! Overloop automates many prospecting tasks, such as adding and verifying email addresses, allowing you to focus on preparation and less on administrative tasks. Moreover, you can fully rely on the data Overloop found: it checks them for you!
Improve your skills
Overloop’s call tracking features allows you to analyze your call and generates performance reports to refine your strategies.
Integrate
Overloop integrates with all the main CRM’s on the market: Hubspot, Zoho, Salesforce, ensuring your data are always in sync!
Pre call planning is more than just preparation, it’s a part of bigger strategic plan that’ll help you improve your sales call outcomes! By dedicating time to your preparation, you not only pave your way to successful interactions, but also cultivate better relationships and close more deals. Overloop integrates smoothly into your sales strategy, enhancing productivity and making your sales effort more impactful. Pre-call planning becomes a piece of cake!
