The Secrets of Cold-Calling: 38 experts share their tips and techniques

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Cold calling is probably the hardest part of sales. Obviously not because of all the travel, but it’s psychologically demanding, especially for beginners but veteran salespeople still have the shivers when starting their cold calling routine.

Let’s face it, you are up against the odds. You will have a list of people in front of you that might not even qualify for the product or services you are selling. You might call them at a bad time. Most people will say no to you before you even start your pitch.

secrets of cold calling tips and techniques telesales

It’s completely normal to feel daunted by the task of cold calling. But there is no need to make it stop you from becoming a successful cold caller.

You will have to prepare as much as you can and be ready to face the unknown prospects. And be prepared to improvise when the call goes off-script.

In order to help you to come prepared for success in cold calling, we reached out to 38 sales experts for advice on their top tips and techniques for cold calling.

Randy VanderVaate
CEO and founder of Funeral Funds of America
  • Practice your pitch. It's essential to practice your pitch before making any calls - this will help you sound confident and professional when speaking to potential customers.
  • Be prepared to answer questions about your product or service. You should know your stuff inside and out! 
  • Keep the conversation moving forward. Don't let the prospect get bogged down in details or side conversations. 
  • End the call by asking for a specific next step, such as setting up a meeting or sending additional information.

For your convenience, we have organized the tips and techniques into categories.

Shortcuts:

  1. Scientific fact: The number one success factor in cold calling
  2. How to motivate yourself and get over the fear of Cold Calling
  3. How do telemarketers deal with rejection in cold calling?
  4. How to use sales scripts in cold calling?
  5. Your communication style during a cold call
  6. Practice your cold calling
  7. Research will do wonders for your cold calls
  8. Why you should conduct research on prospects before a cold call
  9. How do you research prospects before cold calling?
  10. How Social Media can help in warming up cold calls
  11. The basics you should keep in mind before cold calling
  12. How you should start a conversation in cold calling
  13. Active listening: The art of talking less and achieving so much more
  14. How to end a cold call?

Scientific fact: The number one success factor in cold calling

There have been numerous studies done about cold calling. Only a handful of them look at which personality traits contribute the most to success in cold calling. And there is one dominating factor that can make or break a salesperson:

  • Optimism: Optimistic salespeople outsell by 20-40% and pessimistic salespeople are more likely to give up on the job and quit within the year (P Schuman, 1999)

If you are an optimistic person, you already have an advantage. But if you are pessimistic, don’t let your pessimistic nature make you quit the job yet! The good news is that you can train your brain towards more optimism.

According to Schuman, pessimism is mostly an error in logic and irrational beliefs. It is basically how you decide to view and interpret things. If you are able to identify those irrational reactions and react to them, you can start viewing the world in a positive way.

How to motivate yourself and get over the fear of Cold Calling

The best cure for the fear of cold calling is to start cold calling. Get on a run and it becomes easier. But it’s easier said than done to begin. Even veteran salespeople start procrastinating instead of picking up the phone. The hardest part of sales is talking to cold leads.

The good thing here is that this is an irrational fear, most likely a lizard-brain reaction to modern-day life. This means that all you have to do is to remember that this is irrational.

So keep this in mind:

  • It’s a natural feeling. Stay optimistic
  • This is not the end of the world
  • Set up a pre-calling routine to boost your spirits
  • Set a daily target for the number of calls

Practice optimism

Scott Keever
Founder at Scott Keever SEO 

You should not give in to call reluctance, as it’s a natural feeling and not something that you should run away from. If you get hung up on, before you finish your sentence, try to practice optimism.

You should reassure yourself that it’s not the end of the world and there is some other prospect out there who is awaiting your call. Sales representatives should look at every call as a learning opportunity through which they can take their careers to another level.

Lift your spirits before the first call

If you are someone who is struggling to pick up the phone and start a conversation with someone who potentially has never even heard your name, here is what you can do:

Ask yourself: What is the worst and what the best thing that can happen? The thought of calling a stranger can be intimidating, but if we think about it rationally, there is nothing harmful about it. The worst thing that can happen is that the person at the other end of the line is upset by our call and hangs up. The best thing that can happen, however, is that you end up having a great conversation and help someone by doing what you do best.

Set yourself up for success. What can you do to lift your spirits and boost your energy levels before you dial the first number?

Maybe you like going for a short walk to clear your head or prefer to listen to your favorite song. Most people underestimate this point, but your energy (positive or negative) has a huge impact on the outcome of your conversation.

Make cold calling an everyday habit and integrate it into your weekly schedule. The only way to overcome fear and insecurities is to practice, practice, practice. With every cold call that you do, you will gain confidence in yourself and in your ability to talk freely.

Rayk Hahne
Business coach and sales expert

Set a daily target for yourself

Ravi Davda
CEO of Rockstar Marketing

When I first started Rockstar Marketing, I did a lot of cold calling. I also got a ton of training and read many books on the subject. If there's one thing that helped me get through it, it's setting a daily target.

Whether that's the total number of calls you'll make, the number of people you'll actually speak to on the phone, or the number of actual appointments you'll get, setting a daily target is key.

Why? It's easy to talk yourself out of cold calling, that's why. Especially when you get someone rude on the other side and it completely knocks your confidence. Unless you have a target, you'll end up stopping for the day or week. Setting a daily target is key.

How do telemarketers deal with rejection in cold calling?

Are you afraid that people will say no to your pitch or even cut you off before you can present it? Don’t worry, you are not alone. No one in telesales will always dial the right people at the right moment. Here’s how you can overcome rejection in sales.

Be Persistent and Patient

James Angel
Co-Founder of DYL

In my opinion, you must be patient to succeed in cold calling. Making contact with a buyer takes an average of 18 calls. You may be directed to voicemail or prompted to leave a message many times.

You can miss a good opportunity if you quit too soon. Potential clients or consumers are unlikely to trust someone who calls them unexpectedly. You must gain their trust, which requires time, consistency, and a true commitment to meeting their requirements with the product or service you provide.

If you discover that you are unable to meet their needs, rather than force a mismatch, move on.

When you are getting started, you will have to accept that you are going to hear the word no a lot.

Change your perspective and look at the positives:

  • It’s an opportunity to learn. The more rejections you get, you will be able to test and fine-tune your pitch to perfection
  • Being rejected doesn’t feel good but you will have to remember that it’s a numbers game. The more rejections you get, you are getting closer to closing the sale.

Rejections help you grow

Tim Davidson
President of Car Title Loan Lenders

While cold calling is an excellent prospecting tactic, it may be extremely annoying at times. Due to the nature of the task at hand, you may encounter rejections on a regular basis, as no prospect will say yes to you on the first call.

Accept that rejections are a natural aspect of cold calling and recognize that rejections actually help you grow and improve as a sales representative.

Understand and confront rejections

If you want to be a salesperson, you must be mentally prepared to be rejected. You should not be discouraged by the bad feedback.

Many salespeople, in my experience, become upset as a result of rejections and eventually give up. Because of their negative thinking, they are unable to provide their best performance.

The most common error salespeople make is disregarding rejections rather than understanding and confronting them. They stick to existing clients and don't endeavor to find new ones. It's a good sales strategy to keep clients, but it doesn't imply you should stop approaching new sales prospects.

Nicholas Rubright
Founder, New Reach Agency

Accept rejection

Anthony Mixides
Managing Director, Bond Media

Rejection is not anything to be embarrassed about. It is a necessary aspect of the sales process. The truth is that no one in sales has never been rejected.

People can be unpleasant to you at times, which can be disheartening, but you can't let your fear of rejection hold you back.

Just keep in mind that you should not take anything personally. If someone declines your offer, gently ask them why so you can figure out where you went wrong. It's not always because of you; sometimes it's due to the product's price or the fact that they didn't need it.

Understand the pattern and adjust your cold calling methods, but don't allow rejection to stand in your way. Accept rejection and be a true salesperson.

The more rejections you get, the more you will be able to reflect back on your strategy and ask yourself these questions to refine your cold calling technique:

  • Is the price right?
  • Is the product positioned correctly?
  • Are you calling at the right time of day?
  • Is my list any good?
  • Are people more likely to respond to emotional selling points rather than practical ones?
  • Should my emphasis be on benefits or features?

It’s an integral part of every sales activity

Dan Skaggs
CEO, One Thing Marketing

One of the best tips to take your cold calling to the next level is embracing rejection rather than running away from it. You must remember that rejection is an integral part of every sales activity out there, from prospecting to closing.

There’s no salesperson alive capable of closing 100% of their prospects. So when you get rejected, reassure yourself that it’s part and parcel of the sales game, and start working on your next prospect.

Deal with rejection in a healthy way

Embrace rejection and not run from it. I know this is easier said than done, but it’s such an important tip when it comes to cold calls.

It’s important to remember that rejection is a vital part of any and all sales activities. If someone says “no” instead of taking the rejection to heart and immediately trying to get off the phone, ask them “why” in a nice way. This will help you learn, move forward, and deal with the rejection in a healthy way.

Sharon Van Donkelaar
CMO, Expandi

Embrace the rejection

George Leith
CCO Vendasta & host of Conquer Local Podcast

You are going to get rejected. That’s just part of cold calling. You actually have to be embracing the rejection. You’ve got to be learning from every one of the rejections that you’re getting.

I want you to be prepared to walk away. Part of embracing rejection is realizing when there’s not an opportunity there, when there’s not a fit

How to use sales scripts in cold calling

A sales script is a good way to cover all the points that your pitch should include. But don’t rely too much on the script and don’t treat it as scripture. Some people can read a script and sound natural but it can often sound too rehearsed and unnatural.

It’s a good idea to use a script when you are starting out with a new product or are new at the job. When you think you know the script by heart, a good idea is to write down bullet points of things that you want to make sure to cover. It is especially good to have those reminders on longer sales calls.

Using a script can also help you fine-tune your pitch. Have it printed out and mark things that are important and strike out those that aren’t. Make notes and add them to the script and print out a fresh, improved copy. You mind find our article on how to write a cold calling script useful.

Scripts help bring clarity to your thoughts

Sara Johansson
Customer Success Manager, Onsiter

Even experienced salespeople may find cold calling difficult. It can make you tense and anxious, causing you to stutter or speak too quickly. That's not ideal when you're trying to sell something, so having a script would be beneficial.

Using a script is one of the greatest cold calling tactics because it provides numerous advantages. You may bring clarity to your thoughts and refine your approach with a polished script. It may also be simpler to develop the sales team's selling skills since if one of the reps deviates from the script and discovers a better way out, the information is shared with the entire team.

A sales script is a roadmap

While some salespeople prefer to go with the flow and ignore scripts, utilizing one is good practice, especially if you are a novice. Your cold calls may not always go in the direction you want them to.

A cold calling script is similar to a road map that can be used to direct the conversation. Cold calling scripts may assist you in easing into the call by providing a collection of dialogues to establish the tone of the chat.

Taylor Murchison
SEO Growth Director, On The Map

Don’t sound like a robot

Tyler Martin
Founder and certified business coach, ThinkTyler

While having a sales presentation can be beneficial, you should avoid sounding like a robot reading out the lines word for word. Use the script as an actor would and improvise on it. The dialogue should include your personal feelings.

Begin by thoroughly remembering the introduction and being prepared with open-ended questions to get the conversation going.

Prepare yourself for the answers to frequently asked questions. Keep the script as detailed as possible while keeping the emotions alive.

Your communication style during a cold call

It doesn’t matter if you use a script or not, you will have to decide on how you deliver your pitch and how you carry on the conversation. Be mindful of the tone of voice you are going to use and how you want to keep the flow of the conversation going. Avoid awkward silences by being prepared for them.

Think of yourself as a brand. For the first seconds, before you can engage with prospects in a screen sharing session, your voice and how you deliver your pitch are the only things prospects can use to determine whether they should hang up or stay on the line.

Stand out

Lisamarie Monaco
National Independent Life Insurance Agent, InsuranceForBurial.com

The best tips for cold calling would be to stand out, be creative on the phone. Don't sound like every other salesperson out there. Create an emotion through the phone. If you are smiling, speak in a what that they can visualize that smile!


Let them know you are a human being just like them on the other end of that phone. Give the client what they are looking for and make the call an experience. Put their needs, desires ahead of yours.

Be courteous and engaging

Maintain a conversational tone. Even if you have a goal in mind, your calls should be courteous and engaging. Keep in mind that your prospect may be visiting relatives, working, or having lunch.

Ask about significant areas of interest that you included within your script to illustrate the worth of spending the time to talk with you. The idea is to keep the conversation lighthearted and friendly.

Jeff Mains
CEO, Champion Leadership Group

Speak in an implicit Tone

Kevin Cook
Chief Product Owner, TrackRight

As an expert, I would say that you are aware of the importance of tone, but what you say is almost as critical.

Specifically, the manner in which you ask questions can mean the difference between obtaining pertinent information from a prospect and not.

You want to focus on asking open-ended inquiries. If you tend to ask yes/no questions, try adding a couple additional open-ended questions the next time you speak with a prospect. Even if you don't close the transaction, you'll be amazed at how much additional information you gather.

Own the Value Proposition

“It is vitally important that you have a level of confidence as you step in to do some of this cold calling. You know, they can smell your fear. So you need to be very careful that you have that value proposition nailed down, and that you have a number of different ways that that could go”. - George Leith

Practice your cold calling

You can read all the books and guides on cold calling but you will need to practice. Say your pitch out loud, do mock-calls. Make notes of your calls. If you are too much in the zone during calls, record them and listen back to make notes.

Practice creates confidence

Andrew Dale
Technical Director, CloudTech24

Don't expect to produce an effective sales script and use it to conduct successful cold calls right away. After all, you want to come across as confident from the moment the phone rings in order to entice buyers.

As with any other skill, practice makes perfect in sales. Before you make your calls, practice your cold calling technique, including several dialogues based on the prospect's reactions. After each call, assess whether any components of the selling process were successful and revise your procedure.

Learn from your experience

Initially, you will stammer, be nervous, and scared; sometimes, you will not have any answer to the prospect's questions. However, you can eliminate all of it with practice and experience.

Record your calls, listen to them again, write down the points where you went blank, things that make you nervous. Stand in front of the mirror, do mock rehearsals, make your friends or family members your fake prospects.

Gather the information from your seniors that you must know about the business you are promoting. Eventually, all this will make you confident and efficient at cold calling, generating higher conversion rates.

Rahul Vij
CEO, WebSpero Solutions

Research will do wonders for your cold calls

An important thing to remember, especially for higher ticket items, is that you are trying to establish a relationship with the prospect. Let them know that you have put the effort and work into knowing their pain and why the product or service you are selling is the right thing for them.

By doing the groundwork, you can show that you are an expert in the problems your prospect needs to solve. This establishes trust, not only for you but also for the product or solution you are providing.

Try to find out everything there is to know about the company, its industry and the person you should be talking to. Once you have identified the right person to talk to, either a gatekeeper or a decision-maker, do some research on that person as well. You might have something in common that would help you break the ice.

Why you should conduct research on prospects before a cold call

Research should be part of your prospecting process. First off, you should start with a wide scope and then narrow it down. The research helps you narrow down companies or people that would be suitable for your product.

Research respects your prospect’s time

Nathan Hughes
Marketing Director, Diggity Marketing

 

A cold calling session includes a span of 10 seconds. Within this span, you have to prove to your prospects that listening to you further will be worth their time. The best tip I can provide is that you must respect your prospects’ time by having done enough research and being concise about your objectives.

Keep up with the latest trends.

“Monitor changing trends, new regulations, and other changes in your prospect’s sector to have a better understanding of it. This information may then be used to tie your service or product to a need that your prospect has due to company developments.” - Jeff Mains

Don’t dial random numbers

“Cold calling necessitates the application of hard facts. To adequately express your sales message, you must understand the prospect on the phone.

Expect to have no luck contacting random numbers and speaking with whoever answers the phone. Cold calling should be undertaken with prudence. What qualifies the person on the other end of the line as a target customer? “ - Andrew Dale

Research helps create a tailor-made pitch

“Make a list of potential targets. Before you start making calls, make a list of potential targets - this could be a list of businesses in your area or a list of people who you think may be interested in your product or service.

Do your research. Once you have a list of potential targets, do your research to tailor your sales pitch to their needs.” - Randy VanderVaate

Know your customer

“Before making a call, it is important to gather all the relevant information about the likings and dislikings, tastes and preferences, their location, gender, age, etc., of your target audience.

It will help you get an idea of the questions that you will receive from the other end. In addition, the spontaneous response to their questions will increase your confidence, and you will be better able to pitch your deliverables.” - Rahul Vij

How do you research prospects before cold calling?

Further research helps you narrow down individual characteristics. Don’t have the criteria too industry-specific. Make note of facts that might come in handy later on.

Did the person live in the area you grew up in? Did your uncle work for the same company?

Understanding the business side shows that your product can be trusted. Relating on a personal level with the prospect creates a relationship that opens the door for your product or service.

Online, you can find member directories for trade associations, comments from people with a problem that you can solve and you can see the latest news on a company’s website. LinkedIn is the best source for the latest news on companies you are targeting as well as seeing career milestones of your individual prospects.

Know the company, know the person

David Wurst
Owner & CEO, WebCitz

 

Do your homework before contacting someone: This is one of the most significant cold email outreach techniques. It is impossible to overestimate the significance of conducting research prior to phoning prospects.

Prospects would appreciate the fact that you were able to gather sufficient information about them before the contact. Researching might assist you in starting a better conversation with the prospect and demonstrating your interest in them. It will aid in the formation of stronger ties.

Begin by looking at their corporate website, social media, and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. To begin, search for the most recent news about the prospect's company on their website, learn about the company's history, and see if you know any of the board members. A look at the careers page will give you an idea of the many open roles and the necessary skill set.


You must also be knowledgeable about the prospect in order to be amazing; find out about their schooling, professional experience, function in the firm, recent accomplishments, hobbies, and interests, and, most crucially, whether you have any mutual connections.

Use LinkedIn

“Picking up the phone and dialing aimlessly without proper research, can lead you nowhere. You should research the prospect client thoroughly and make sure if their business operates in a similar niche.

Ideally, you should go over the client’s website and LinkedIn profile, allowing you to get to know them a little better. This would allow you to get to know the clients on an interpersonal level, which would allow for a natural conversation during the cold call.” - Scott Keever

Searching for information on companies has never been easier

Daniel Foley
Director, SEO-Audtio.io

 

Know your prospect well: It’s important to know your possible prospects well. Take the time to research your potential prospect before making a cold call.

You can learn more about their business and market by visiting their website, as well as the websites of their competitors.


Reviewing annual reports, press releases and articles can also be helpful. Another option is to browse the company's social media accounts. LinkedIn, for example, can be a useful tool to connect with key decision-makers.

Never do blind cold calling

“You HAVE to know who you’re pursuing. And, with the resources at your disposal today, there is no reason to go into a cold call blind.

LinkedIn simplifies this process. When our sales team makes a prospecting call, they need to know how many sales representatives the prospecting organization has. LinkedIn provides a plethora of data, including growth rates, employee counts, and sales rep counts.” - Tim Davidson

How you can warm up leads with Social Media

Social media platforms give salespeople endless opportunities to qualify leads and connect with prospects before calling them. Interaction on social media platforms is a great way to warm up leads.

You don’t have to interact with them directly but if your name and your expertise will pop up on their feeds, they are more likely to recognize you when you make the first cold call. Even if they reject your pitch, they will get a constant reminder of you and will be contacting you when the moment comes.

Don’t come on too aggressively

Sigurdur Arnason
Founder & CEO, Overtune

 

Do not try to sell in your first message. Just chat.

A cold sales message is easy to ignore.

It is more difficult to ignore a friendly message

Be Genuine

 

Interact With Your Prospect Ahead Of Time. Before conducting cold calls, consider communicating with potential consumers or clients on social media.

Join their LinkedIn group, like their Facebook page, subscribe to their YouTube channel or tweet them. For links to this and other social media platforms where they have a presence, go to their website.

You can also comment on their postings and react to them. This will provide you with more opportunities to connect with your potential client, and they may remember your name and profile image when you make your cold call. Make certain that any interactions you have are genuine.

Do not, for example, like a post just to be noticed. React to and share posts that you find useful, interesting, or relevant. Authenticity and mutual trust are the foundations of the strongest business relationships.

Before calling your prospect, interact with them on social media to learn more about their pain areas and priorities. It also gives you discussion ideas that you can utilize to establish a personal connection with your prospect.

 

Amar Vig
Managing Director, London-FS

The basics you should keep in mind before cold calling

Before you start cold calling, there are some tips that you should keep in mind. They might not necessarily be relevant or applicable in your case. But keep them in mind and see how you could adapt them to fit into your cold calling strategy.

Make use of a local phone number

“Consider utilizing a local number when contacting people on your list if you operate as an independent contractor or a sales call center. Using a local phone number increases the chances of someone picking up your call.

When prospects encounter an unknown number with a long-distance area code, they often dismiss it as spam and do not respond.” - Jeff Mains

Get an emotional buy-in

Danny Marshall
MortgageRateGuru.com

 

On any cold call, offer to give a demo or send a sample for review. Giving a freebie in return for a review is always a win. If they like your product, you have a customer.

This keeps the person interested on the call because you're not selling anything yet. Instead, you've called them to give them something for free.

 

Find the right time to call.

 

Making a cold call is more about who you're calling and where they're calling from than it is about you. As a result, it's important that you select the best time to make a cold call.

If your prospects are senior executives, they are frequently available early in the day before rushing off to back-to-back meetings. However, if your prospects are in the middle, they are more likely to be available after lunch and later in the day.

 

Dustin Porreca
SEO Manager, Elevate Demand

Set a goal

“My most important piece of advice is to set a goal. prior to calling the number. You should begin with a specific goal in mind that you want to achieve at the end of the call.

While closing a transaction is the ultimate goal, the initial goal should be to get your prospects to consent to a meeting. It can occur at any time, depending on the circumstances.

Some people will agree to a meeting right away, while others will need to be persuaded. You can better organize your time and resources if you have a well-defined aim.” - Taylor Murchison

How you should start a cold call

It’s hard to decide what is the most important part of cold calling. You should put the most effort into the opening of the call.

Consider it to be the headline of your pitch. For every dollar you spend on your pitch, 80 cents should be on the opening. As with headlines, the opening helps the prospect decide if the that follows is worth the time.

Prepare a strong opening sentence

Shiv Gupta
CEO, Incrementors Inbound Marketing

You just have a few seconds to show that you're worth chatting to, so stand out from the crowd.

After you've introduced yourself, focus on your prospect by incorporating your research and customizing the conversation. For instance, you may begin with a compliment on a recent professional achievement you discovered while conducting research.

Be proficient

“I would recommend you to begin by stating the reason for your call. By beginning your call with a brief explanation of why you’re calling, you can raise your success rate by 2.1X. Humans require justifications, even if they are not particularly compelling” - Tim Davidson

Never start with “Hi, I’m XYZ from ABC”

“This is an instant giveaway that this is a sales call.

Instead, start with a question to evoke a response. For example: “Hello. May I speak with ABC?”

After which you can always start with their problem first to get them interested and offer the solution right at the end.

The worst mistake most people make is starting with the solution, that’s a giveaway that you’re hard selling something.” - Danny Marshall

Make Small Talk

Kavin Patel
Founder & CEO, Convrrt

As a CEO, I would not immediately dive into a sales pitch when a call comes in! While it may seem paradoxical, we've observed that rapport is best built first.

Make small conversations about work before you start your pitch. Inquire about their day thus far, their projects for the week, or their commute. This is a great way to find out if you're dealing with the right person and gauge immediate interest in your products or services.

After the short talk, quickly offer something valuable: a free resource, a sample of your product or service, or other free information. If they take the bait and seem interested in what you're selling, go ahead and pitch.

Active listening: The art of talking less and achieving so much more

People love talking about themselves. When you are making a cold call, ask questions and then listen. Don’t interrupt, let them do most of the talking. But be careful of zoning out, you will have to be an active listener.

Be genuinely interested in the person you are talking to and prod them with further questions. If further questions arise, don’t interrupt them, write the questions down and ask them later. People usually say what you want to know without a direct question.

Comprehend their requirements

Jason Ball
Director, Considered Content

Because we only have two ears and one mouth, we can listen twice as much as we say. The call is not an opportunity for you to brag about how great your product is, nor is it an opportunity to promote your agenda.

You've called because you'd like to assist your customer. To do so, you must first comprehend their requirements, which can only be accomplished by listening.

Ask one question and give the other person time to think about it and respond thoroughly. If necessary, use the mute button to prevent yourself from speaking. When you're more focused on what they're saying than on what you're going to say next, you'll be astonished at how much they have to say.

Be genuinely interested

We can all tell whether someone is genuinely interested in us versus someone who is merely interested in gaining something from a conversation.

Genuinely listen to what the other person has to say. Ask thoughtful follow-up questions that go beyond qualification checks. When you connect with people genuinely, they will regard you as a partner rather than a self-serving outsider.

Gerrid Smith
CMO, Joy Organics

Practice curiosity and keep an open mind.

“Thinking in boxes and categories is a human trait. Judging a person based on their social status, career position or looks is something our mind often does on autopilot because it suggests security.

Try to avoid thinking in boxes and stay curious throughout the conversation.

Ask questions and let the other person lead. The best salesmen or women listen more than they talk. Show your potential customer that you are really interested in them by asking honest questions.

The main goal of your first call with someone shouldn’t be to make them buy your product, but to gather as much information as you can about them.” - Rayk Hahne

How to end a cold call?

As we have covered, preparation is just as important as your conversation style during a cold call. When you are finishing up a successful or semi-successful call, you have to keep in mind that you have formed a relationship with the person on the other line. There are some ways to build trust after a cold call.

You might have been able to close the sale in the first call but it’s also likely that you might need a follow-up call. It seems like a no-brainer but many salespeople forget to make the follow-up or check in with the customer after the first call.

Steve Pogson
Founder, First Pier

Use your best closing line. Keep in mind that many deals are closed after the initial cold call. As a result, your closing line can be just as significant as your opening line in terms of your success rate.

Create and practice your finest closing line, and make sure you leave your prospects asking why they didn't do business with you sooner. Your pitch will be remembered by the lead, who will be waiting for your next call.

Schedule a follow-up. Making cold calls requires a follow-up call, which is an important part of the sales process. After all, only about 2% of deals are closed during the first cold call.

Without some form of follow-up contact or follow-up appointment, 98 percent of agreements would be missed. Prepare professional, courteous voicemails for prospects, and set aside time to contact them back when they are available.

You can check out our expert list on the best tools for cold calling to see which software can make your job more organized and effective.