21 Cold Calling Secrets
21 Cold Calling Secrets
21 Cold Calling Secrets
08 19
Sales reps must learn to leverage technology and adapt to
EAMON FILINSKI JASON MCELHONE
changing communication styles. This ebook will highlight
how some of the best in the business are doing just that.
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conversation intelligence platform that analyzed more
than one million cold calls made in 2018. Note how our ELLA KOBELT GIO FLORES
pro’s tips align with these key findings.
Key Finding:
SUCCESSFUL
COLD-CALLS
THAT MOVED TO A
DISCOVERY MEETING
LAST AN AVERAGE
OF 7.5 MINUTES.
That means you have to hold their attention on an
unexpected call for a long time. So, be relevant, know
how to get a stranger talking, and be empathetic.
Here’s how the pros suggest you do it.
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If possible, I warm up the call in advance by finding someone I know that can introduce me.
When that’s not possible, I make sure I’m prepared and get right to the point. “Can I have
20 seconds to tell you why I’m calling?” Then, I explain why. I use an approach that feels
NANCY NARDIN
01 CEO, Smart Selling Tools, Inc.
comfortable to me.
I don’t say things that are taught as the perfect script. I make it my own. If you’ve been
told to use a script that doesn’t feel like you, find a way to make it more natural to you.
Nancy is the Founder of Smart Selling Tools, The key is to do it in a way that doesn’t stray from these key principles.
Inc. and the Co-Founder of Vendor Neutral.
She’s contributed to various university sales
• Be confident. You’re calling for a reason that will benefit them. Otherwise, why are
programs including as far away as Denmark.
She’s been in multiple publications including you calling?
Forbes and Selling Power magazines.
• Be clear on your objective. Unless you’re having a highly transactional sale, your goal
Nancy is a founding member of the Sales
Enablement Society and is actively involved is likely to get a meeting scheduled, rather than to close a sale.
in AA-ISP.
• Know their “why.” Why should they want to meet with you? My best tip is to not take
rejection personally.
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If it’s your job to set appointments than you’ve definitely had countless calls that go like this,
“Nah, not interested....click.” One of the most frustrating things about those calls is you know
SCOTT BARKER that they didn’t even listen to your value prop. The prospect just went into “ugh. I hate cold
A trick I used a lot earlier in my career, and still do from time to time, is asking the prospect
for feedback at that critical juncture (the part where they hang up on you). I’ll hit them
Scotts handles all revenue and partnerships with something like, “Hey, I’m really trying to get the hang of this, is there anything I could
at Sales Hacker. He is an evangelist for have changed in my approach that would have gotten you to take a meeting with me?”
Outreach.io, the leading sales engagement
What this does is jolt them out of their typical “ugh, I hate cold callers mode.” It puts them
platform, and is the GM of the Vancouver
into a position of authority, makes them critically think for a second, and then they are
Enterprise Sales Forum.
in teaching mode.
This works on a number of levels. First, you get free call coaching! Second, I can’t tell you how
many times their response was “Hmmm. Honestly, I don’t know...what is it that you do again?”
Then, you get a chance to articulate your benefits in a less combative environment (one
where they are actually listening). Of course, you’ll still get some people who hang up on you,
but give it a shot. It worked for me!
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Key Finding:
ON AVERAGE,
IT TAKES 4 TO 5
COLD CALLS TO
LAND A SCHEDULED
MEETING, BUT YOU
PROBABLY GET ONLY
ONE SHOT AT A
LONG COLD-CALL.
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Avoid the email cadence trap. Selling is about connecting with people in real-time, asking
great questions, listening and thoughtfully responding. The fastest way to improve your
Russ is the Head of Sales for new
departmental SaaS products at Google selling and interpersonal skills is to engage with people in real-time vs. asymmetrical
Cloud. Over the course of his 20-year communication channels like email.
career, Russ has never stopped cold calling
and inspiring his teams to pick up the If you’re an SDR, the fastest path to get promoted to an AE is to demonstrate you can
phone and engage with prospects on a have great conversations with prospects.
human level. Russ has built several sales
teams from the ground up and is a regular
speaker at events about data driven sales
machines. His experience includes sales and
leadership roles at FedEx, Salesforce.com
and DoubleDutch.
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Don’t look at cold calls as your chance to hopefully catch someone and run through a
discovery. With such a low pickup rate, use the call as a touchpoint in a multi-channeled
Blake is responsible for scaling a team at
one of the fastest growing companies in outreach cadence. Always leave voicemails that are followed up with emails or LinkedIn
Silicon Slopes. He is a passionate sales messages referencing the voicemail you just left.
leader who believes in always putting his
people first and creating an environment You want your prospects to hear your voice, recognize your name and the company
in which they are poised to succeed. you are with, see your email and then see your face on LinkedIn. This type of repetition
in a short amount of time creates pattern recognition and significantly increases your
chances at getting a response. If you happen to get someone on a cold call, keep it short.
The point is to build enough value to schedule a follow-up call where deeper discovery
can be done.
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Follow the call or VM with a LinkedIn message or an email with video to add a personal
touch. Be strategic with your prospecting by focusing on a specific industry so you can
master the same type of talk track, discovering what works and what doesn’t.
Continue to evolve and stay creative because buyers are savvy and standing out from
SCOTT WELLS
07 Director of Sales, Act-On Software
the rest is more and more difficult.
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Much like how actors in theatrical plays need to wear bright makeup to amplify their emotions
EAMONN FILINSKI
08 Director of Sales Development,
Uberflip
to fully capture the audience’s attention, we need to do the same with cold-calling (minus the
makeup). When cold calling, you only have one of our five senses at your disposal, so you need
to ensure that you amplify your energy, sentiment and pronunciation so that the message
comes across as you intended to the person on the other side. I’ve witnessed too many people
Eamonn has had a wide range of experience that slouch in their chair, mumble into the phone, or have a very monotone cadence while
over the past 10 years, working for high speaking to customers on cold calls. My advice is to do the following as soon as you make
growth tech companies, starting in Sales a connection on a cold call:
Development then on to Inside Sales,
Demand Generation, Sales Operations and • Stand up out of your chair (power pose).
Sales Management. He has a passion for
• Project your voice as if the person you’re speaking to is 10 ft. away.
developing careers of future sales leaders
and designing prospecting strategies to • Speak clearly and overemphasize the key points you want the customer to understand.
build a qualified pipeline and contribute to
bottom line revenue. Eamonn also loves Like actors about to go on stage, you’ll still be a little nervous while the phone is ringing.
donuts, running and competitive cooking But, by using this technique you’ll have more confidence, your message will be clearly
shows (in that order). understood, and you’ll have more fun making cold calls.
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Key Finding:
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If our clients say they aren’t interested, I challenge them with a leading question.
For example, I might respond with, “Okay, are energy/operating costs not a concern
for you?” Stay out of the weeds.
If they ask detailed questions about your product, pivot that interest to scheduling
ELLA KOBELT a call. Know that you deserve to be talking to whoever you are cold calling!
10 Partnership Representative,
Carbon Lighthouse
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Key Finding:
THE AVERAGE
SDR SEQUENCE
FOR A SUCCESSFUL
COLD CALL LASTS
20 DAYS AND
INCLUDES 4 CALLS
TO THE SAME
PERSON.
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Embrace failure
and learn from it.
Twenty days is a long time to work the same prospect. That means you might have a lot of
moments where you feel like you’ve failed. Keep at it. Don’t give up. Learn from your mistakes.
Don’t let it prevent you from diving right back in.
SCOTT LEESE
12 Senior Vice President of Sales, Qualia
Pick up the phone and call. Expect to fail. Take notes along the way. Learn and grow
from what isn’t working and what is. Adjust accordingly. Know everything about your
customer’s pain, the value in solving it, and your solution is there. This way you will be
In addition to being SVP of Sales, Scott is
a two-time “Top 25 AA-ISP Inside Sales unafraid of whatever their response is.
Leader,” a strategic advisor to numerous
Focus on listening more than talking. Ask the right questions. Stay confident.
startups, a two-time company founder, and
an Amazon No. 1 best selling author for his Ask for the business. Never give up.
book “Addicted to the Process.”
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Cold calling is not natural. If you convert 30 to 40 percent of your cold calls into
meetings, you are doing a fantastic job. If you were to get a 30 to 40 percent on
CURT ECHO an exam, you fail. You are set up to fail. Embrace and learn from it, so you don’t
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The perfect time rarely comes. Most of the time, it’s just an excuse to not pick up the phone.
MARC BRANCACCIO Instead of the waiting for the perfect time, work on developing a genuine approach.
14 Sales Director, PayJunction
What you don’t do is as important as what you do. Here’s short list of cold calling don’ts.
Marc has 20+ years of experience in sales
leadership in media and technology.
• No gimmicks. They may get your foot in the door, but they don’t add value or build trust.
His mission is simple... to make everyone • No false claim of prior relationship. “I’m calling because Jill said to speak with you”
like salespeople. doesn’t fly if it’s not true.
• Don’t wait for the perfect time, perfect situation, perfect anything. Pick up the phone
as a natural extension of your selling motion enough times and you will build the right
muscles.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for help. If you have good intentions and are genuine in your
approach, people will be willing to help you navigate to the right person.
• Don’t give up!
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Key Finding:
IN SUCCESSFUL
COLD CALLS
REPS ASK ABOUT
4 QUESTIONS
AND MOSTLY TEND
TO TALK BETWEEN
40-47% OF
THE TIME.
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AMIR REITER Do your research and pick possible positioning statements that you anticipate to
16 CEO and Founder, CloudTask make before the call. When making the call, announce yourself clearly and start the
conversation off by giving the potential lead the goal of your outreach and walk backward.
Clearly and quickly tell him or her “why” they should be listening to you.
CloudTask is a managed workforce provider
that helps organizations grow their sales
If they do have a pain-point, they will let you explain the “how,” giving you the opportunity
using a combination of technology and a to convert to more meaningful appointments.
managed team of experts. With offices in
Miami, the Philippines, Colombia and the
UK, CloudTask’s mission is to find prospects,
nurture leads and satisfy customers, allowing
them to reach their business goals.
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Getting a prospect to share their pain points and value props for more than half the call is a challenge.
Especially when they don’t know who you are. So you have to practice getting your persona to open up.
BRIAN DEIGNAN
17 Vice President of Sales, FastSpring
Practice! Rising to the occasion is a valiant thought, but the truth is most people fall to the
level of their training when faced with a split second decision. Try these best practices:
• Write out your pitch and practice it out loud. Overemphasize. Your tone will drop in real
At FastSpring, Brian’s mission is to transcend life, so go overboard like you’re in a play on stage.
global and social borders to help companies
achieve growth and success beyond
• Practice with a buddy. Before you get into full role play mode, go back and forth reading
their expectations. your pitch.
• Role play. Write out a list of top objections and how you’ll reply. Answer with a question.
• Research. Find a few relevant things to talk about.
• Set smaller, personal goals. Scheduling a meeting is great, but getting the prospect to
agree to read your email is even better.
• Have fun. If you aren’t having fun doing it, it’s not worth doing. Put a smile on your face.
If someone hangs up on you, it’s their loss. Send them a nice email, and I will bet they will
take your call on the next round.
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Key Finding:
THE AVERAGE
DURATION OF ALL
CONNECTED COLD
CALLS IS 80 SECONDS.
ONLY ABOUT 10%
LAST MORE THAN
TWO MINUTES.
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No one wants to be given a sales spiel the second they pick up the phone. However, you also
don’t want to ask if you can try to sell them something since the answer will most likely be
no. Here’s how the sales pros tackle the start of their conversations.
JASON MCELHONE
19 Director of Inside Sales,
MarketSource Ask for help at the beginning of every cold call. “Hi John, I wonder if you could help me
out for a moment?” It puts the prospect into ‘yes’ mode and creates a mutually beneficial
relationship. The biggest mistake SDRs make is not getting permission to speak.
Jason has 27 years of experience,
specializing in cold calling, email marketing A long time ago I learned, never present in the face of no interest. So before launching into
and social selling. In 2018, he played a vital your pitch, ask for help. If you catch someone at a bad time, offer to call them back. You
role in helping MarketSource deliver more have the keys to the kingdom, and that is a solution to their problem.
than $7B of revenue growth for its clients.
Once you understand both sides have something to gain, the conversation becomes that
much easier!
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Do excellent research on the person you are calling. This can be done in about 10 minutes.
What you are looking for is an honest question you have about your pitch. Now call the
prospect, not to pitch but to ask them how you should pitch. The call should be
MICHAEL MILLER
20 Former Owner, Rise Up Selling
very conversational.
When I had a sales training company, I would call an owner (not a manager) and ask if I could
pick his brain for 10 minutes about my pitch. These were unknown people, but I was amazed
Michael Miller has made a career out of at the information given, and often the people would say, “If you have something like X,
sales, making every mistake you can, and I’ll buy it right now.” Be curious about it all, as well as flexible. You will be pleasantly
learning as he picked himself up. He has surprised at people’s generosity.
built and sold several businesses and now
is planning his next one.
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The best cold calling tip that I recommend is the “always” rule and that means when you
cold call someone, you always have to remember the following:
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Cheat Sheet
Here are some data points on successful cold calls i.e. the ones that resulted in a booked discovery meeting.