Cold Calling Is Dead. Sort of… | Travel Research Online

Gone are the days of knocking on someone’s door to make a sale (unless you are re-selling electric apparently). And blindly calling someone is nearly dead as it is very intrusive. But in the travel business, we get cold (or warm) leads all the time. And post-COVID, there will be more. So, how do you convert them from a lead to a prospect; or better yet, a sale? One solid way is email.

Yes, email. And here’s how to structure it so you get the best response:

1. Introduce yourself. Hi, this is Mary from Mary’s Travel
2. Build credibility. Recently, we were recognized by our local Chamber as a 25-year member.
3. Reinforce credibility. This is only one of the reasons that companies like Frank’s Hardware and Jimmy’s Accounting turn to us for their business travel.
4. Offer. With travel returning, it is more important than ever to have an advocate on your side. Our pricing is on par with everyone else, but our service sets us apart. Book your next trip with us and we’ll give you a $25 gift card to Sally’s Snack Shack, and if you are not awed by our service, we’ll give you another one! No questions asked! (Get to the point. Do not make them jump through hoops and let them know what’s in it for them)
5. Call to action. Your time is valuable, so we have no hoops to jump through, just reply to this email with a phone number and a convenient time to call, and one of our specialists will be more than happy to help! (Be specific. Tell them precisely what to do and when if it is time-sensitive. Never assume they know what you want them to do)
6. Thank them for their time.Thanks for your time today, and I hope this is the start of a long relationship. (Don’t expect a flood of responses. This is cold-calling in the 21^st century, but during slow times, it can be an excellent way to churn up new prospects and clients)

It can be that simple. As we exit COVID, there are boundless opportunities to drum up new business and this is one that takes next to no time and can easily be managed during slow times in the office. Craft one or two cold call email templates and store them in your mail program and they can be sent out with two clicks and a paste in Apple Mail—send again, enter their email address, send!