Does cold calling still work? Spoiler alert: it sure does.
Does it work for everyone? Unfortunately, no it doesn’t, because many take the wrong approach.
Too many salespeople use a canned script, try to close the prospect too quickly instead of build a relationship, and generally have a “me first” mentality. It’s not a good look.
There are others out there — probably you — who have a healthier view of cold calling and its power. But they don’t know how to wield this weapon for maximum effectiveness. As a result, they have a litany of limiting beliefs holding them back.
So today I’m going to cut through the noise and offer you a better way. Follow my guidance here and you’ll be a better cold caller by tomorrow. And follow it consistently over time and you’ll be a sales superstar at the top of your game. Guaranteed.
Let’s jump right in!
1. What you believe: People hate being cold called!
Why you believe it: You’ve personally heard the frustration in the voices of people when you call them. And let’s face it — you hate being cold called yourself! It all feels so intrusive and unwelcome. It’s called “cold” calling for a reason, right?
What you should believe instead: People LOVE being cold called. Of course, it is true that humans don’t love connecting with robots or people who sound like robots (monotone voice reading off a script, anyone?). But humans love connecting with other humans who have a spirit of passion and goodwill. If your offer is relevant, timely, and you truly believe in it — and your prospects can hear it in your voice — then they will be honored to hear from you.
Pro Tip: Listen in on cold calls made by the top-performers on your team. Does it sound like their prospects hate talking to them? Likely not! So why not “borrow” their approach? Just be sure to iterate and improve on it over time.
2. What you believe: I’m not very good at cold calling!
Why you believe it: Maybe you’re afraid or anxious to pick up the phones. When a C-level executive answers, you clam up or stumble on your words. Some calls are a full-on disaster. Maybe you experience rejection after rejection. And your dismal conversion rates are proof of your lack of cold calling skills.
What you should believe instead: I’m GREAT at cold calling. Start “acting as-if” right now. And put a plan in motion to improve your skills. Go after the lowest-hanging fruit first. Work on your tonality, learn the 10 most common objections and how to overcome them, and remember that you should be listening empathetically at least 60-70% of the time. The more you listen, the more sales you will make.
Pro Tip: Don’t think it’s possible to get better at cold calling quickly? Here are six proven ways to start improving at cold calling today.
3. What you believe: I’m not outgoing enough to cold call!
Why you believe it: You’re a natural introvert, or maybe you just don’t have that in-your-face personality like you see from famous salespeople like Jordan Belfort or Grant Cardone. You compare yourselves to the extroverts on your sales team, who all have the gift of gab.
What you should believe instead: Selling isn’t about being outgoing at all. Rather, sales is all about connecting with people and building trust. It’s about being QUIET… not being loud and boisterous. It’s about being interested before being interesting. If you’re an introvert, you have these qualities in spades.
Pro Tip: If you’re introverted, play to your strengths and level-up your listening skills. Don’t just listen. Listen to understand. And stop comparing yourself to others (as they say, comparison is the thief of joy).
4. What you believe: Cold calling is an outdated sales tactic
Why you believe it: You read articles and watch videos about how cold calling is outdated, but they’re written by folks who are terrible at sales. And maybe you get distracted by the get-rich-quick schemes that the internet gurus promise (i.e. just create a Facebook ad and make a million dollars). After all, “everything is done online these days.” So how could cold calling possibly be effective?
What you should believe instead: Digital marketing works — but it’s not a zero-sum game. Cold calling works, too! You can use digital marketing to close more deals. But the phones offer a unique opportunity to reach your prospect right now, right this second, wherever they are in the world. Cold calling is NOT outdated. Cold calling will work so long as decision-makers still have phone numbers. And if technology progresses beyond that, you’ll still be able to cold contact your ideal buyer in some way (brain chip to brain chip?). There is nothing more powerful than direct, human-to-human interaction. Nothing.
Pro Tip: Try this exercise. Take 100 specific prospects in any industry. Now tell yourself you have to contact them by Friday. How can you possibly do that without cold outreach? There is no other way.
5. What you believe: There are too many gatekeepers these days
Why you believe it: You hear, “Is he expecting your call?” on almost every pick up. You think there is simply no way to go directly to the buyer, so you settle for the gatekeeper. Chances are, you need to build a better list!
What you should believe instead: The best way to get past the gatekeeper is by not calling the gatekeeper. You should never cold call generic company lines, just like you should never cold email generic company emails. It’s a waste of time! Most good sales intelligence tools (ZoomInfo, Cognism, etc.) will offer the direct mobile numbers of your buyers. And look, if you have to speak to the gatekeeper, just be sure to communicate with confidence and urgency. Like you expect them to put you through to the decision-maker. It works like a charm.
RELATED: How to Get Past the Gatekeeper
Final Words
I know that cold calling works because I’ve built a successful sales firm by leveraging the power of cold calling. But you do have to take the right approach for it to work. Sales isn’t a numbers game, as they like to say. It takes an intentional approach and incremental improvement over time. If you do this, you’ll be lightyears ahead of the folks who only use digital marketing to sell their offer.
The fact of the matter is that cold calling is here to stay. It will continue to evolve over time with advancements in technology — and especially AI. But the opportunity will always exist to reach out to decision makers directly, in some form or fashion. It’s existed for hundreds and probably thousands of years in the past, and it’s not going anywhere in the future. So instead of being fearful of cold calling, let’s learn to embrace and master it.
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso