The oil & gas industry seems to be difficult to cold call into, but that is really not true. It’s not that it difficult, rather it is different.
Because it is so profitable, it allows a complex and large management structure to exist. Usually a mixture of product line and geographic reporting, along with many managers being “retired in place” This makes if difficult to navigate.
And because of the very nature of the industry, it’s very risk adverse (think about it – the industry is made up of engineers that go to another country, drill through 10,000 feet of water, then another 5000 feet of rock to capture something that is toxic and flammable). So instead of thinking about the advantage of using your product or service, the first thing that they think about is what is the risk of changing what they are doing now.
And its old fashioned. Meaning that your phone skills when cold calling into oil & gas is your most important skill set. Not your social media, content marketing or email skills.
Our team of Client Acquisition Specialists (CAS) does nothing but set meeting with qualified prospects for our clients sales teams within oil & gas companies. So we are very aware of the differences when cold calling into our industry, and how to produce results. Many companies consider us the top experts in this niche. So we know what works.
When my oil & gas peers let me listen to voicemails left by sales reps, I am constantly saddened. 98% of them simply suck. They are filled with ‘um’s’ and ‘ah’s’, they ramble on, talk only about their company, leave no compelling reason for someone to call back, and (pet peeve of mine) always leave their number so fast that its impossible to write it down.
So naturally all those voicemails get deleted. And the sales rep is left wondering why they never get a return phone call!
When you cold call, very few people are going to answer your call since they don’t recognize your number. So you absolutely need a voicemail strategy (for those that say you should never leave a voicemail, they don’t have a clue about how to cold call in oil & gas)
To help you in your efforts, we are giving you 7 voicemail script to use depending if this is a first call, a follow up call or a last ditch effort to get a prospect to return your call. Go here to download Call Scripts for Oil & Gas
Combine this with the proper email and social media strategy and you will separate yourself from the other 98% of voice mails that get ignored, deleted and never returned.
Good Luck!