Let’s face it. Cold calling is the life blood of sales. No cold calling, no sales. Poor cold calling, fewer sales. Exceptional cold calling, great sales. So why then do so many salespeople treat cold calling like some antagonist they’d rather avoid? Hard to tell.
In any case, consider these hard truths the next time you feel stymied about cold calling:
Hard Truth Number 1: Motivation follows behavior. Not the other way around. Lots of salespeople wait for the motivation to appear somehow before they get to cold calling. Well, guess what? The muse doesn’t miraculously show up. They have the process backwards. Behavior precedes motivation. Start calling, and experience the motivation that flows from this behavior.
Hard Truth Number 2: You don’t have to like doing it. You just have to do it. If you allow your feelings to block you from the behavior of cold calling, you’ll pass up opportunities that could lead to sales and a pattern of sales excellence.
Hard Truth Number 3: No head trash allowed when cold calling. Head trash is that voice in your head that tells you things like, “This isn’t going to work.” The prospect won’t go for it.” “I’m not sure I can do this well enough.” Head trash is all the stuff you may be used to telling yourself that cripples effective, cold-calling behaviors. Focus, instead, on what you can do to get your calling momentum going.
Heard Truth Number 4: Prepare and use a cold-calling script. If you don’t, you’ll wing it. And every call will be totally new. And you’ll place yourself at a disadvantage and make up stuff that’s gets you off track. Get your script out cold. If you do, you’ll find it stabilizes you in the midst of the unknowns you need to move through when calling on prospects.
Hard Truth Number 5: If you call a prospect and want to leave a message, don’t spill your candy in the lobby. Leave a message that’s short and to the point. For example: “Hello, (prospect’s name), this is (your name). “I think we have something important to talk about. Call me at (your phone number). Then hang up. That’s it. No more, no less.
Spend time thinking over these hard truths about cold calling. Make them part of your sales repertoire and you’ll see your appointments and your sales multiply.
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