Calling Cold
How to leverage cold calling to cut through and close more business
Hello friends -
Cold calling is dead!?
We’ve heard this for years. So why do we still do it? Probably because it still works.
I’ve personally witnessed reps in the last year and two close substantial business from cold calling.
It may not be for everyone, or every industry - but as someone who still gets WAYYY more prospecting emails compared to the rare phone call - it definitely cuts through.
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly -
Josh Braun joins Will Barron to explain his simple step-by-step framework for successful cold calling and rejection minimization
This study from Gong about the best Cold Call opening lines proven to work. Learn why “Did I catch you at a bad time?” (40% LESS LIKELY TO BOOK A MEETING) and other openers aren’t what they used to be
Plus salesy snippets to help your team come through clutch in cold calling to close more business.
THANKS for reading!!
-Grant
And lastly - as always, if you find this newsletter valuable- subscribe or share it with someone who might as well 👊.
STRETCH SHARES
How to Cold Call Successfully in 2022
I definitely enjoyed this podcast as Josh Braun joins Will Barron to explain his simple step-by-step framework for successful cold calling and rejection minimization.
Maybe it's because Josh uses a couple great Golf analogies, but this one resonated. It’s a great episode to share with your team.
Highlights:
Cold calling can be effective OR ineffective- depending on how you do it.
Be patient. What is good? (How does it feel?) Deliberately practice good.
No appetite for change or cold-calling? Don’t do it.
With cold calling, ask “What did you learn?” (don’t focus on outcomes as much as learnings)
Stand for something in cold calls.
Ditch the Pitch.
Let go of assumptions that you are a fit for everyone (or even talking to the right person).
Time commitments and asking for help are keys to move cold calls forward.
Cold Call Opening Lines that Work
Throwing it back to this study from Gong about the best Cold Call opening lines proven to work. Learn why “Did I catch you at a bad time?” (40% LESS LIKELY TO BOOK A MEETING) and other openers aren’t what they used to be. Instead, try:
“How are you?” (3.4X Higher likelihood of booking meetings)
“The reason for my call is” (2.1X success in booking meeting)
“How have you been?” (#1 opener with 6.6X Higher success rate)
STRETCH SNIPPETS
🎬 Kyle Coleman says there is no “best way” for everyone to start a cold call. It depends on you – your style, personality, sense of humor, approach. Check out this 5 min video with top tips and openers from Belal Batrawy, Sam McKenna, Morgan Ingram, Jason Bay and more!
𝑸 Check out this cool article about Utah tech-darling Qualtrics, including insight into how it built its company and revenue engine by cold calling executives.
🧐 Todd Caponi geeks out with this fun and insightful piece on when cold calling first began.
⛵ Loved this peek inside the curtain from Justin Michael as he tells us the story of when he cold called (AND CONNECTED WITH) a CEO on his boat, late on a Friday afternoon.
☎️ Jeb Blount quickly gives us the best time of the day and week to make cold calls, how to get people to answer the phone, and what to do when prospects hang up on cold calls.
🧠 Mindset
Thanks for reading!
My hope is if you find this valuable, consider sharing it with friends (or signing up if you haven’t already).
— Grant 👋
About stretch vp: confessions, learnings, and insights from sales leaders in SaaS
Compiled and aggregated from a network of sales leaders in SaaS, Stretch VP showcases learnings, insights, and experiences as well as best practices to overcome common hurdles, obstacles, and setbacks in your quest for excellence as a sales leader in SaaS.
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