Why Your Cold Calls Are Failing (And How to Fix Them)

0:00

In our last lesson, we suggested some ways to handle an initial prospecting call when you get a gatekeeper on the line. But now, what do you say when you get Ben, your target prospect, on the line? Once again, break the expected pattern and keep selling.

At the time I'm recording this, all the research says that the exact line to start with when you get Ben on the line is, “How have you been?” If at some future time enough people learn about this research, the line may become overused and no longer work, but for now, you're in the clear.

0:35

The data says that with “How have you been?” you are almost seven times as likely to book a meeting using this phrase than any other opening. Mostly because it just buys you a few more seconds. For just a moment, this question causes Ben to wonder if he should know who you are or if you're simply being cordial. You buy yourself a few more seconds while he thinks it through.

If you spoke to Linda first, reference her next. Since you learned from her where they are in their branded merch program, you proceed with confidence.

1:07

“Hey Ben, I called you last Tuesday. You weren't around, but I had a brief conversation with Linda about how we're working with other restaurants like yours to broaden the reach of their branded merch to increase restaurant receipts. She did mention that you have a branded merch program in place already. I'm just wondering how you feel about how that's going.”

Now, if she told you they didn't already have a program in place, you'd just go like this:

1:36

“I had a brief conversation with Linda about how we're working with other restaurants like yours to implement a custom branded merch program to increase their restaurants' receipts. One of the things we found as we've worked with other restaurants like yours is...”

And then you'd describe the current state of pain in his situation that many are feeling. “Is that what you're seeing as well?”

You make this about something in his current state that very likely is causing him anxiety.

2:07

You drop right into teaching mode. Hopefully with something he's not thought of previously, and now you take it from there.

Occasionally, you can have your initial conversation right there on the spot. More often, you may want to grab enough interest to warrant more conversation, create curiosity that he wants to resolve or a knowledge gap he wants to close. Create that, but then before you close it and create that resolution, suggest:

“You know, I know I just caught you in the middle of something else, so I don't want to take more of your time right now.”

2:38

“Is there a better time when we could schedule 15 minutes to have a more in-depth conversation about this?”

You've got his attention.

Now, if this is your first time to get through, you didn't speak to Linda first, you simply are calling straight through to Ben, use the same kind of approach you would with Linda with a few minor variations.

“Hi Ben, how have you been? Well, I'm calling because I was wondering if you sell branded merchandise for people to wear and use to say how much they like your restaurant.”

3:09

Now, once again, the research is in your favor. If you quickly give a reason for your call, you're over twice as likely to get a meeting than if you don't do this.

Ben answers, “Yes, are you looking to buy some?”

In which case you say, “Oh no, I apologize. To be perfectly clear, I'm not looking to buy any, but I am looking to help you use your merch to drive more revenue for your restaurant by bringing you new customers. One of the things we found as we've worked with other restaurants like yours is...”

3:40

And then you tell him about the new customers.

Now, if the answer was, “No, we don't do that.”

“That's what I wondered might be the case. That's exactly why I was calling. One of the things we found as we've worked with other restaurants like yours is... Is that what you're seeing?”

And off you go.

For the purposes of this lesson, we've gone as far in the sales cycle as we need to. If we go further, we'll move past prospecting to the investigative part of your sales process.

4:15

But before we leave prospecting, there are just a few more things we should touch on.

First, be transparent. When challenged, “Are you a salesperson?” don't try to hide it.

“Yes, I am. You got me. I'm just a young buck starting at the bottom trying to make my way in the world of selling.”

Use your personality. Make sure you make yourself relatable.

“Hey, I'm literally a guy sitting here with a headset on. I just finished some chicken nuggets, and I'm calling to try to help improve your business.”

4:48

On Halloween a couple of years ago, one of my former students was showing the discipline of grinding even on a holiday when he got a meeting set by leading with:

“Hey, I'm literally a guy sitting here in a chicken suit for our company celebration later today. Just finished a quick burger, and I'm calling to try to help you improve your business. Have you got a minute?”

Another thing to remember to do is to compliment your listener. Some might call this giving her personal validation. And you can do it along with a little knowledge gap.

5:19

“Hey Linda, I know you're wearing a thousand hats, and you probably skipped your lunch to get caught up. I was calling to see if I can make your day better.”

Remember that you go through that first 10 seconds to get to your second 20. And you do that to build your credibility by mentioning something valuable to get them to want to know more.

When you do this, you're building credibility with your listener by demonstrating situational fluency, or that you know a lot about their situation.

5:50

You gain mutual agreement on a problem or unrealized opportunity. You do this by using hypotheses.

“I'm calling because a lot of my customers are facing this and such a problem. I was wondering how you guys are handling that.”

Alternatively, you could say, “I thought you might be facing the same thing, and if so, I wondered how you might be addressing it.”

Look for a pressing problem or unrealized opportunity they're likely to have and the implications of not moving from the status quo, the value of a future state.

6:27

Now, for example, let's say you sell software to accelerate hiring for service industry roles like plumbers, HVAC techs, and things like that.

“I'm calling to help you fill your open position, but also to help you not have to book jobs so far out. I know you lose money when one of your competitors can get there more quickly.”

Make sure you're always leading to what you're selling.

A friend of mine used to sell chocolate gifts when he was in college. He'd walk into an office cold and say, “I'm a sales guy, and I'm here to make your day.”

7:01

And then he'd hand out chocolate samples to everybody in sight.

If you use this type of approach of giving something away, make sure that anything you give to your prospects leads to your product. Actually, everything you do should lead to your product.

Now, this idea of making prospecting calls is 100% a process of trying it, rinsing it, tweaking, repeating.

7:33

There aren't any silver bullets. But you can become better at this than 80% of the people out there selling today. And as we've said before, you don't need to be perfect. You just need to be better to stand out from the crowd.

Now, can you use these types of sentences and statements and questions from this lesson without really knowing why they work? Yeah, probably. You can memorize what to say, and then you just say it.

But the problem is you may run into occasional, or not so occasional, challenges when your hearer doesn't follow the exact script that you anticipated.

8:02

The reason we've introduced these as concepts in earlier lessons is because if you understand why they work and what is going on inside the person you are speaking to, you're going to be able to make them work that much better. You'll be able to adapt and pivot whenever necessary.