Tips for Cold Calling

cold-callingI know some of you may loathe cold calling, but we’ve got stuff to sell!

I polled my team and some of my connections on LinkedIn not too long ago, with the question:

“When cold-calling, and you get the gatekeeper, what do you say to get your client on the phone?”

Here are some of the answers:

  • Pretend I’m returning a call
  • Just say your name, not the company you’re calling from
  • Try to disarm gatekeeper with small talk to get them on your side
  • Lots of name dropping
  • Swagger by assuming they are expecting your call, i.e.. “It Brian Farrell for Attorney Jones”
  • I don’t. I call after 5pm.

Strategies

  • Emailing ahead of calling, so it’s expected
  • Having a direction or game plan in the rare chance they actually get on the phone

What do you do? What’s missing? Reply to me and I’ll update the list!

Brian Farrell is the founder & managing consultant for FIND the CLIENT. He helps business leaders search for skills and solutions that drive growth.