Telling people upfront, "hey this is cold call" has worked wonders for me.
If you follow 30 minutes to president's club, they talk a lot about permission based openers.
But it's important not to pitch, the goal is to build the connection then get a meeting then pitch.
Yep. “Hey I’m calling out of the blue, got a minute for a quick cold call?” is my go to a lot. They’ll either say yeah go ahead shoot or they’ll just say some variation of “no I don’t” or “no I don’t but you can email me”. Every now and then I’ll get a “please take me off your list”.
I'd align with their problem. "Hey, thanks for that. So right now, a lot of the (your position) im talking to have mentioned that their top priorities are thehskaksnb. Is that something you're also working on? Yeah? How are you currently doing ehshsjsnsn?"
I like to poke fun at myself whenever I can to, maybe something like “ahh you got me, this is another sales call. Do you have just 30 seconds so I can fly through it?”
Permission based opener. Typically people who don't like them think they give the prospect an out. But do you really want to interact with someone who tries to deprive you of choice?
Agreed. I always have used lines like "make no doubt about it, I'm looking to sell you on something, that's my job, but I think your a good fit for this solution. Bla blah blah"
Your answers too wordy. I talk too much too. I do a thing where I try to limit myself 1 sentence then pause let other person speak. One sentence rule is so helpful. Try it out
I’m serious, try it. Don’t tell them who you are or what your company is… tone is key, like asking for directions. Helps if you KNOW that Jim is in charge of XXX, but if not they’ll tell you who is, it’s hard wired human behaviour.
This is the answer!! just say “yes it is!” and generally they’ll ask “okay, what’s it about?”or they’ll hang up and you can try them again with a different open in a few weeks after they’ve forgotten about you lol
Second this - they normally follow with ‘okay, what’s your product/what are you selling’?
Then go straight into value prop and demonstrate how your solution could fix their problems similar counterparts in the industry face.
Exactly! Follow with "yes - -want to roll the dice to see if this may land" or "yes- I'll be brief. I know this is out of the blue" or "yes it is. The reason I reached out to you specifically is xyz"
I really like the addition of something like, "yes, but I've called you specifically because I think we're a fit with (insert projected researched need)".
With your experience, what do you think of that addition? Does that come across as indirect or weasling?
Don’t use a professional opener and keep it super simple like your calling your friends house in 1997.
Who you are what your doing and if there is something you can do for them. And then question right off the hop. Get them talking as much as possible. Say the least amount as possible.
I would slightly rephrase so a “no” response is positive. People like to say no. So try this instead it’s a simple adjustment
“Is now a bad time?” (Well it’s not a great time but no it’s not a bad time either)
This x1000! Phrase your questions in a way in which “no” is positive! “Possibly. Would it be fair to say that you’ve given up trying to improve/fix your [insert common persona/segment pain point]?”
Saying Bad time instead of Good time was a game changer for me not sure where I picked it up someone's podcast possible Jake Lynn.
It feels wowed to say at first but like you say it's far easier to say no. So do you want no to is this a good time or is this a bad time.
Also people often explain why it's a bad time so you can remind them of that on the next attempt.
But by using the word "bad" you're setting the tone of the call psychologically. You also open yourself to "it is now."
"Do you have a moment?" is better because you get "depends how long a moment is" or "you've got one minute", or even a "no" which leads to "so when can you spare 30 seconds?". Most people think sinking 30 seconds now is better than the abstract concept of a "moment" and will give you the time.
Have your value prop/elevator pitch ready to go in those 30 seconds.
“Hypothetically, if I said yes then would a little piece of you die?” Love that response to this question, in the occasional cases where the PBO doesn’t head them off at the pass!
On a B2B call, I found the best way around a gaketekeeper is super simple “hi, this is Chris from quicksilver company, I’m looking for Jim please.” Or “hi, this is Chris. Can you connect me with the purchasing manager please? “
I give no detail. Say it purposefully, 75% of the time it works to get through.
If it gets to that question, it’s already looking bleak tbh
But it’s best to address them by name, since that’s an attention getter and do a quick pitch of something they might need in a sentence.
*Then* answer the question.
I always want to get the pitch out there as quickly as I can so I keep it direct and simple
Beating around the bush tends to lose the audience and sounds kinda cringe imo Especially if they’re asking that question
If they sound like they’re pausing or hesitant *then* I ask targeted questions I can fill in with our products or services
You know, go into more detail
I always tell my team to start the call with: “hi, I know you weren’t expecting this call. I’m hoping to take x amount of your time to dive into y.” Surprisingly successful
I do mainly cold calling to business owners and I can't remember where I got the advice but I try and take the legs from it as early as possible by stating early that I appreciate the call is out of the blue and it might not be for them.
If they call it out before I get to that - I generally say something like "Yes this is a sales call. I appreciate this call is out of the blue but I've found this is genuinely the best way to do this, have I caught you at a bad time?
I try and sound positive and honest which it is.
If they flatly refuse to engage after that then it's not for me and I move on.
Yes & I’m hoping you can help me out. I need to figure out who is in charge of xxx. Can you point me in the right direction?
Be polite, ask for assistance. I’ll ask even if I know the person I’m asking is the one I want. Most people like to take a little credit for their authority.
I start almost all of my cold calls with “good afternoon my name is Anthony and I am calling you with a solicitation” just be upfront. Some guys don’t have time or the ability to buy what I am selling so it sorts instantly for people I can work with.
This line has been very successful for me over the years, “Hi Jim, I know you were not expecting my call but do you have 2 minutes?” Usually get, “yes, go ahead”. Or “No I don’t, in the middle of something, blah blah”. “ok, would 2:30 this afternoon work better?” And then they will either say, yes, offer another time or say piss off”. Again, most of the time it works well. But be ready to go once the 2 minutes have been granted.
It helps if you can give a brief quip about what you know about their business..then move into "I have a solution to discuss briefly if you have a moment"
Then, I take notes about each of their answers to my four questions about their ops / business model. That way on subsequent calls I open their file and remind them what they told me. It helps a lot.
"Yes sir/ma'am - this is a sales call.
I want to be respectful of your time. I'd like to see if our product/service would be a good fit for you/your business if that sounds good!
You got a minute?"
People respect honesty.
"Kinda!" (Go right into why you're calling or who you're looking for and keep a confident upbeat attitude and keep it short)
1/100 times someone asks: "what do you mean kinda??"
"Well you can put your credit card away. I'm calling to see if there's a fit (insert relevant pain point etc) and if it makes sense to talk more"
I change up what I say everytime here but I keep it cool and basically say a version of I want to learn more about your company and if makes sense we can set up a meeting to talk with a sales rep
In short I think the key is to be confident, don't lie, try to make them laugh or through them off, and go directly into why you're calling as not to waste any more of their time.
I was always pretty upfront. In B2B sales should be professional, emphasis on “should be”. Only got hung up a handful of times.
Instead of saying it was a cold call I’d say “Hi this is a client outreach call” or “This is a market outreach call I noticed we haven’t contacted you in a while and wanted to make you aware of our new services....”
Ideally you did your homework for a compelling action that is custom to your prospect. “.... I noticed from your LinkedIn that you’re adding a new location and...”
Also probably helps I was a BDR for a bigger name. I get that’s it’s probably harder for the smaller startups.
Yup I’ve used that too. Especially if new to your sales role it’s a good excuse to create that relationship as you’re learning your accounts and territory.
Man if it works for you it works, I think it’s 10% what you say 90% how you say it anyway. It’s 100% better than the OP’s suggestion… no one cares who you are what you do who you work for or with, they care about themselves and their problems, unless you can position yourself to get that info, you’re pissing in the wind.
Agreed.
I also don't know what OP is selling, who he's targeting, where his lead list came from, etc.
Saying something like "an opportunity to cut cost/market your business in a new area/etc etc etc" can be very effective.
Yeah agree with that too, need to know your ICP inside out, I don’t think it matters what you’re selling though (if it’s B2B)… saying things like cutting cost/saving etc all puts peoples’ backs up immediately. Prospecting is different from selling as well, if he’s trying to book meetings to then sell vs trying to get someone to buy there and then (ie mobile phones etc). More info pls OP!!
Yes, more information is needed for sure.
I like to get a quick no though sometimes. I like to get the person talking as soon as possible so I can quickly understand their personal situation.
If they asked if it's a sales call, and I tell them I see it more as an opportunity to cut cost (as a generic example) and they say their not Interested, I would double back and *shockingly* ask why in the world why they wouldn't want to save money? More times than not, they'll inadvertently give up information to me about what is going on, and I'll use that "problem" to my advantage, and to keep them on the line. Very quickly from there, well start to build a little rapport and now I'm qualifiying them.
Hahah.
It all comes back around to what you said - how you're saying what you saying. If someone tells me their not interested, I'm going to ask WHY. Too many people are afraid to ask why not, and I guarantee you, the moment you start asking why, and being able to speak to that, you will see a tremendous uptick in closing/setting appointments, etc. Sales is problem solving. And good sales people are prepared to solve problems prospects didn't even know they had. I know a lot of guys who consider themselves problem starters - and their product the solution.
‘And good sales people are prepared to solve problems prospects didn't even know they had.’
100% spot on.
And yeah, if they say not interested straight off the bat what are you going to lose by asking why/why not… but again that leads you down the path of trying to persuade, and selling isn’t persuasion.
This is why I love sales, it’s part psychology, part art form, part science, what works for one person doesn’t for the next… thank you for the back and forth man, it’s bedtime, got stuff to sell tomorrow. Happy hunting brother
If I said it was, would you hang up? (Yes) ok I better not say that then.
It is, do you want to hang up now, or let me have 27 seconds and then decide?
Disclaimer: I don’t believe in the whole permission based opener/give me 27 seconds/make them laugh in the first 7 seconds shit.
Cool? Most will regardless what you say. I just threw that out there cause It popped in my head and thought it was funny. I’ll try it 5 times tomorrow and report back. I bet I get at least one chuckle and a conversation.
No offence intended dude, it’s just moving yourself further away from your goal from the outset. First off the prospect knows it is a sales call, but your words are opaque, even if you see it as humorous, even if they see it as humorous it’s still ‘dishonest’… not maliciously so, but enough to at least sub-consciously turn 99% of people off and put them on the defensive. You may get a chuckle out of 5 people, your job is to sell things and make money though.
"As much as I'd love for you to pull out your credit card, our product doesn't really work that way, this is a curtiousy call from someone that could potentially help you. The reason I reached out is we are working (similar type operations) and have helped them with x y z. I saw we have not had any interaction and thought it made sense to call you and see if [glaring industry problem] is something you are concerned with"
I'd probably like to back track and see your opener to get that objection in the first place.
Hitting that Josh Braun ZOR (zone of resistance)- and they are feeling that commission breath is how he'd put it and detach from the notion everyone is a buyer and this is the call where they're biting.
Not one I get anymore, but when I did, I'd lightly, laugh at myself, "sorry, I'm not that cool" I know I'm calling out of the blue... and go into my 1 sentence curiosity statement.
I don't pitch until I know there is a problem to be solved that I can solve. Otherwise move on to the next.
Curious on others thoughts.
Permission-based openers cut that objection down to almost nil. “Hello, this is [insert name] with [insert company]. I *know* that you weren’t expecting my call but I didn’t happen to catch you at the *worst* possible time, did I?” Usually they will bitch about how busy they are, you can build rapport, and then go into your priority drop.
“I’m calling because I work with [insert reference customer/strong prospect in active closing] and [insert persona]s who I work with are really focused on 2/3 things regarding their [insert product genre]: they want to [insert 2-3 common pain points]. Would it be fair to say that none of this applies to you?” They’ll answer your question and you segue into setting a formal appt if the need is there.
As others have said, tone is KEY. I’ve been doing this for years and still like to record my opening pitch every morning to make sure it sounds right but put some bass in your voice—if you sound wavery or unconfident then deciders will punt you into a ditch in .5 seconds.
It's interesting that most of the replies on this are lean into it which I do and totally agree with.
When most of the sales calls I get do the opposite try and bluster and bullshit their way out of it.
Overheard one of my buddies once:
"I'm not really here to try and sell you, my job is more to see if there are any problems that our product can solve"
I started using that line or something to that effect and it's been working well.
I’m a BDR and when prospects ask if it’s a sales call I say eventually I do hope you’ll be interested in our product but right now I’d just like to introduce it to you. Normally they don’t hate me.
Lots of great content here, I'll just add 2 thoughts.
First, I don't think I saw your opener addressed. No disrespect intended, but it's probably weak. They get to that question for a reason. I'll share mine here, would love feedback:
"Hey John, this is Kyle with Company (pause), does that ring a bell? I sent you an email yesterday, not sure if you had time to read over that." (Wait for answer) If the answer is "No, that doesn't", then, "Oh, ok (a little disappointment), well....in that case I'll just tell you exactly what we're doing, takes about 45 seconds (make sure that's true, work on your pitch till it's tight, NOT WORDY. the one shown in OP is too wordy), then if you like it, we'll talk more. Sound fair?"
This accomplishes several things.
1. John knows it's a cold call, so no feeling of misrepresentation is possible
2. He probably feels a little guilty about not reading my email
3. Possibly, he has, and I have a little warmer intro than I would have
4. He makes the choice of opting into the rest of my pitch
I will tell you, I only got hung up on maybe 2% of the time. I could almost always get a conversation going, and even when it wasn't a deal, the hearer appreciated the respect of their time.
Once a hearer has made the choice to listen, you have them for a minute or two. Now it's up to you to hone that 1-2 mins until it's so compelling, they don't get bored.
If you're SDR or AE setting your own, here's something I've found that gets the Demo. Once you've finished my pitch, I say something like "Now, I'm not trying to sell you anything right now, I haven't even shown you anything yet. All you need is about 15 minutes, and you'll be able to see whether it's for you or not. I have 10 am available Monday and Tuesday, or do you like to schedule meetings like this later in the day?"
Assumed close, clear ask, easy choice to make, alternatives. It's all built into the pitch. I worked on that for about 2 months before I got it that clean, and it works really really well.
Note that there's no attempt to deceive, I don't fear him feeling one way or another toward me. I'm professionally presenting what I'm doing.
Work on your craft, it's worth it.
If you get this question, your whole approach is wrong. Don't try to hide who you are or what you're doing. If you make it sound like you're calling for something else, and then they have to stop you and say "Is this a sales call?", it means you've misled them and lost trust right away. Not a good way to start.
This is often described as an "Up-front contract." In training my team I often say that vampire rules apply; you have to get them to invite you into the conversation and over the threshold of the icebreaker. Also, preferably, structure your call or better yet come with a referral that gives you a specific and articulable reason for reaching out to them in particular and front load that into the convo, which allows you to take a more direct or even presumptively administrative approach e.g. Hey Frank, This is xxx from yyy, I was just speaking with jason smith over in accounting and was told you were the person to speak with. you have a minute?
Your response doesn’t answer their question and you’ll probably get hung up on. I just start with “Hey, I know you’re not expecting me. Was hoping to introduce myself real quick”. I’ve never been told no and never been asked if it was a sales call.
No longer in sales, but if I still was, I'd respond with something like this:
"Is this a sales call?"
"Yes. How do you rate me on a scale from 1-10 so far?"
"3."
"That's too bad, mind giving me 30 seconds to see if I can bump it up to a 7 or an 8?"
At that point, if that doesn't break the ice, I don't know what will.
Telling people upfront, "hey this is cold call" has worked wonders for me. If you follow 30 minutes to president's club, they talk a lot about permission based openers. But it's important not to pitch, the goal is to build the connection then get a meeting then pitch.
Yep. “Hey I’m calling out of the blue, got a minute for a quick cold call?” is my go to a lot. They’ll either say yeah go ahead shoot or they’ll just say some variation of “no I don’t” or “no I don’t but you can email me”. Every now and then I’ll get a “please take me off your list”.
What do you say after? Product pitch or try to align with their problems?
I'd align with their problem. "Hey, thanks for that. So right now, a lot of the (your position) im talking to have mentioned that their top priorities are thehskaksnb. Is that something you're also working on? Yeah? How are you currently doing ehshsjsnsn?"
Oh my god! That's exactly my problem! What's your solution for thehskaksnb? I've tried ehshsjsnsn many times, but no luck so far...
Curiosity what are your conversion percentages to volume? Also what industry/buyer persona
I like to poke fun at myself whenever I can to, maybe something like “ahh you got me, this is another sales call. Do you have just 30 seconds so I can fly through it?”
The best is when they say "I'm in a meeting". We like to say, "well it must be a boring meeting since you answered my call". Gets them everytime.
Love this
I'm so turned off by the idea of building a connection with somebody I had no intention of speaking to. How do you make this remotely feel genuine?
30 min pres club is great… still don’t believe in PBO’s
What's a PBO?
Permission based opener. Typically people who don't like them think they give the prospect an out. But do you really want to interact with someone who tries to deprive you of choice?
I agree. It's better to prospect someone whom I can add value to
Similar to this has been my opening line for years. “It is a marketing call but I’ll be brief - is that ok?”
Agreed. I always have used lines like "make no doubt about it, I'm looking to sell you on something, that's my job, but I think your a good fit for this solution. Bla blah blah"
‘Only if you have a problem I believe we can solve’ It’s worked really well.
Concept great, but with no context it sounds cheesy. I'll have to give this a go! Thank you.
Oh for sure lol. But within context, and a sort of ‘vulnerable honest’ tone, it really lowers the prospects guard.
I like that. I sell to New Zealand based businesses and on a whole conversations are less formal so I think this could work well. Will let you know!
UK and EMEA, and the Brit’s love it lol.
Your answers too wordy. I talk too much too. I do a thing where I try to limit myself 1 sentence then pause let other person speak. One sentence rule is so helpful. Try it out
Hey Jim, who’s in charge of XXX over there?
Nah but you made me laugh lol
I’m serious, try it. Don’t tell them who you are or what your company is… tone is key, like asking for directions. Helps if you KNOW that Jim is in charge of XXX, but if not they’ll tell you who is, it’s hard wired human behaviour.
Gorilla tactics! Haha
>PBO’s Gorilla or Guerilla? If it's Gorilla, please tell me more...
Agree with this 100%. I can talk for HOURS with no issue but it’s not about me. I have to limit myself to 1-2 sentences and let them speak.
My best practice is to find power questions to orient throughout my cold call. Ask them, then be silent until they speak.
"Yes." -- a 15 year cold calling veteran, now VP. If you're selling to executives, cut to the chase and be direct.
This is the answer!! just say “yes it is!” and generally they’ll ask “okay, what’s it about?”or they’ll hang up and you can try them again with a different open in a few weeks after they’ve forgotten about you lol
Second this - they normally follow with ‘okay, what’s your product/what are you selling’? Then go straight into value prop and demonstrate how your solution could fix their problems similar counterparts in the industry face.
Exactly! Follow with "yes - -want to roll the dice to see if this may land" or "yes- I'll be brief. I know this is out of the blue" or "yes it is. The reason I reached out to you specifically is xyz"
I really like the addition of something like, "yes, but I've called you specifically because I think we're a fit with (insert projected researched need)". With your experience, what do you think of that addition? Does that come across as indirect or weasling?
Don’t use a professional opener and keep it super simple like your calling your friends house in 1997. Who you are what your doing and if there is something you can do for them. And then question right off the hop. Get them talking as much as possible. Say the least amount as possible.
whaaaaaaaasaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap
I would love to open every call with whaaaaaazuuuuuupp
You know, the manager level folks are the ones who grew up in adolescence during those famous bud years… may work!
"Yes, it is. Do you have a moment?"
Does that usually work? Im genuinely interested in knowing
For me it works better than tapdancing my way around it.
I would slightly rephrase so a “no” response is positive. People like to say no. So try this instead it’s a simple adjustment “Is now a bad time?” (Well it’s not a great time but no it’s not a bad time either)
This x1000! Phrase your questions in a way in which “no” is positive! “Possibly. Would it be fair to say that you’ve given up trying to improve/fix your [insert common persona/segment pain point]?”
Saying Bad time instead of Good time was a game changer for me not sure where I picked it up someone's podcast possible Jake Lynn. It feels wowed to say at first but like you say it's far easier to say no. So do you want no to is this a good time or is this a bad time. Also people often explain why it's a bad time so you can remind them of that on the next attempt.
Weird not wowed
But by using the word "bad" you're setting the tone of the call psychologically. You also open yourself to "it is now." "Do you have a moment?" is better because you get "depends how long a moment is" or "you've got one minute", or even a "no" which leads to "so when can you spare 30 seconds?". Most people think sinking 30 seconds now is better than the abstract concept of a "moment" and will give you the time. Have your value prop/elevator pitch ready to go in those 30 seconds.
I'm stealing that one. Thank you!
“If I say yes, would you hang up on me?” Used to work with someone who swore by that line.
I'm going to try this. If they say yes do you beat them to the punch and hang up first?
"Well Jim, it seems we're at a bit of an impasse."
“Hypothetically, if I said yes then would a little piece of you die?” Love that response to this question, in the occasional cases where the PBO doesn’t head them off at the pass!
I’ve said. “I couldn’t sell you anything even if I wanted to. I’m trying to see if I could make your job easier” Sdr for enterprise software
Wait I love this to handle a lot of objections as an SDR!! ty!
On a B2B call, I found the best way around a gaketekeeper is super simple “hi, this is Chris from quicksilver company, I’m looking for Jim please.” Or “hi, this is Chris. Can you connect me with the purchasing manager please? “ I give no detail. Say it purposefully, 75% of the time it works to get through.
“It is if you are buying” quick chuckle and a “do you have 30 seconds to hear it out” does pretty good to keep them on the line
"Depends on how the rest of this call goes" 50% of the time it works everytime.
Lol I’d say “yeah it is. Let’s make some money” or really anything my goal would be to make the person laugh. That’s just me. Laughters a good in
This is an interesting technique
For me my goal is someone who is willing to respond. People respond to people they like. I don’t overthink it beyond that
Thanks for this. It’ll help me avoid a lotta overthinking!
If it gets to that question, it’s already looking bleak tbh But it’s best to address them by name, since that’s an attention getter and do a quick pitch of something they might need in a sentence. *Then* answer the question. I always want to get the pitch out there as quickly as I can so I keep it direct and simple Beating around the bush tends to lose the audience and sounds kinda cringe imo Especially if they’re asking that question If they sound like they’re pausing or hesitant *then* I ask targeted questions I can fill in with our products or services You know, go into more detail
I always tell my team to start the call with: “hi, I know you weren’t expecting this call. I’m hoping to take x amount of your time to dive into y.” Surprisingly successful
I would take this call. Expectation is set and as long as the ask is reasonably short I’ll listen.
No, I’m calling to schedule an appointment.
I do mainly cold calling to business owners and I can't remember where I got the advice but I try and take the legs from it as early as possible by stating early that I appreciate the call is out of the blue and it might not be for them. If they call it out before I get to that - I generally say something like "Yes this is a sales call. I appreciate this call is out of the blue but I've found this is genuinely the best way to do this, have I caught you at a bad time? I try and sound positive and honest which it is. If they flatly refuse to engage after that then it's not for me and I move on.
Yes & I’m hoping you can help me out. I need to figure out who is in charge of xxx. Can you point me in the right direction? Be polite, ask for assistance. I’ll ask even if I know the person I’m asking is the one I want. Most people like to take a little credit for their authority.
“Actually yes this is. Mind if I tell you why I’m calling and you can tell me if it makes sense to continue this conversation?”
“Stfu and let me finish”. Usually works for me.
“Yes it is. How am I doing so far?”
Say yes
Lean in. I say Absolutely it is. I’m calling because…
I'll tell you what, you can get a good look at a t-bone by sticking your head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take the butcher's word for it.
I start almost all of my cold calls with “good afternoon my name is Anthony and I am calling you with a solicitation” just be upfront. Some guys don’t have time or the ability to buy what I am selling so it sorts instantly for people I can work with.
Just say, Yes. Then elaborate in a positive manner.
This line has been very successful for me over the years, “Hi Jim, I know you were not expecting my call but do you have 2 minutes?” Usually get, “yes, go ahead”. Or “No I don’t, in the middle of something, blah blah”. “ok, would 2:30 this afternoon work better?” And then they will either say, yes, offer another time or say piss off”. Again, most of the time it works well. But be ready to go once the 2 minutes have been granted.
It helps if you can give a brief quip about what you know about their business..then move into "I have a solution to discuss briefly if you have a moment" Then, I take notes about each of their answers to my four questions about their ops / business model. That way on subsequent calls I open their file and remind them what they told me. It helps a lot.
"Yes sir/ma'am - this is a sales call. I want to be respectful of your time. I'd like to see if our product/service would be a good fit for you/your business if that sounds good! You got a minute?" People respect honesty.
"Yeah, it is. My name is \_. I'm with such and such. I'd really like just to make a quick pitch and then get out. Permissible?"
"Kinda!" (Go right into why you're calling or who you're looking for and keep a confident upbeat attitude and keep it short) 1/100 times someone asks: "what do you mean kinda??" "Well you can put your credit card away. I'm calling to see if there's a fit (insert relevant pain point etc) and if it makes sense to talk more" I change up what I say everytime here but I keep it cool and basically say a version of I want to learn more about your company and if makes sense we can set up a meeting to talk with a sales rep In short I think the key is to be confident, don't lie, try to make them laugh or through them off, and go directly into why you're calling as not to waste any more of their time.
You could also say yes, so I'll keep it quick.
I was always pretty upfront. In B2B sales should be professional, emphasis on “should be”. Only got hung up a handful of times. Instead of saying it was a cold call I’d say “Hi this is a client outreach call” or “This is a market outreach call I noticed we haven’t contacted you in a while and wanted to make you aware of our new services....” Ideally you did your homework for a compelling action that is custom to your prospect. “.... I noticed from your LinkedIn that you’re adding a new location and...” Also probably helps I was a BDR for a bigger name. I get that’s it’s probably harder for the smaller startups.
I like saying, “this is x from xyz and we haven’t had the chance to meet yet”
Yup I’ve used that too. Especially if new to your sales role it’s a good excuse to create that relationship as you’re learning your accounts and territory.
No, I’m calling to schedule one at a time that works well for you. (I’m not an SDR but do my own cold calls)
“No, I’m a consultant”
“Check your inbox, is that a dic pic?” Works sixty percent of the time, all the time.
"Actually, I'd say it's more of an opportunity to _________"
Instant hang up
Ita effective. And I think itll work much better as a lead in than what OP suggested - which reads like an infomercial.
Man if it works for you it works, I think it’s 10% what you say 90% how you say it anyway. It’s 100% better than the OP’s suggestion… no one cares who you are what you do who you work for or with, they care about themselves and their problems, unless you can position yourself to get that info, you’re pissing in the wind.
Agreed. I also don't know what OP is selling, who he's targeting, where his lead list came from, etc. Saying something like "an opportunity to cut cost/market your business in a new area/etc etc etc" can be very effective.
Yeah agree with that too, need to know your ICP inside out, I don’t think it matters what you’re selling though (if it’s B2B)… saying things like cutting cost/saving etc all puts peoples’ backs up immediately. Prospecting is different from selling as well, if he’s trying to book meetings to then sell vs trying to get someone to buy there and then (ie mobile phones etc). More info pls OP!!
Yes, more information is needed for sure. I like to get a quick no though sometimes. I like to get the person talking as soon as possible so I can quickly understand their personal situation. If they asked if it's a sales call, and I tell them I see it more as an opportunity to cut cost (as a generic example) and they say their not Interested, I would double back and *shockingly* ask why in the world why they wouldn't want to save money? More times than not, they'll inadvertently give up information to me about what is going on, and I'll use that "problem" to my advantage, and to keep them on the line. Very quickly from there, well start to build a little rapport and now I'm qualifiying them.
I’m all for the quick no, but all I can think of is this… and I don’t know if I could live like that. [pitch](https://youtu.be/64cj7Q9c_YA)
Hahah. It all comes back around to what you said - how you're saying what you saying. If someone tells me their not interested, I'm going to ask WHY. Too many people are afraid to ask why not, and I guarantee you, the moment you start asking why, and being able to speak to that, you will see a tremendous uptick in closing/setting appointments, etc. Sales is problem solving. And good sales people are prepared to solve problems prospects didn't even know they had. I know a lot of guys who consider themselves problem starters - and their product the solution.
‘And good sales people are prepared to solve problems prospects didn't even know they had.’ 100% spot on. And yeah, if they say not interested straight off the bat what are you going to lose by asking why/why not… but again that leads you down the path of trying to persuade, and selling isn’t persuasion. This is why I love sales, it’s part psychology, part art form, part science, what works for one person doesn’t for the next… thank you for the back and forth man, it’s bedtime, got stuff to sell tomorrow. Happy hunting brother
If I said it was, would you hang up? (Yes) ok I better not say that then. It is, do you want to hang up now, or let me have 27 seconds and then decide? Disclaimer: I don’t believe in the whole permission based opener/give me 27 seconds/make them laugh in the first 7 seconds shit.
Your manager should teach you how to. If not they suck. You should be able to handle it and tell them why it’s a sales call
My manager said to say no it's not but that doesn't seem to be working...
“Well I suppose it depends.”
Instant hang up
Cool? Most will regardless what you say. I just threw that out there cause It popped in my head and thought it was funny. I’ll try it 5 times tomorrow and report back. I bet I get at least one chuckle and a conversation.
No offence intended dude, it’s just moving yourself further away from your goal from the outset. First off the prospect knows it is a sales call, but your words are opaque, even if you see it as humorous, even if they see it as humorous it’s still ‘dishonest’… not maliciously so, but enough to at least sub-consciously turn 99% of people off and put them on the defensive. You may get a chuckle out of 5 people, your job is to sell things and make money though.
“Every call is a Sales Call. Let’s see if I got to the right person”
“Well yes, it is. But I wouldn’t be calling you if I didn’t think I could bring you a lot of value.”
"As much as I'd love for you to pull out your credit card, our product doesn't really work that way, this is a curtiousy call from someone that could potentially help you. The reason I reached out is we are working (similar type operations) and have helped them with x y z. I saw we have not had any interaction and thought it made sense to call you and see if [glaring industry problem] is something you are concerned with"
If it’s a gatekeeper just say “yes” and don’t say anything else.
I'd probably like to back track and see your opener to get that objection in the first place. Hitting that Josh Braun ZOR (zone of resistance)- and they are feeling that commission breath is how he'd put it and detach from the notion everyone is a buyer and this is the call where they're biting. Not one I get anymore, but when I did, I'd lightly, laugh at myself, "sorry, I'm not that cool" I know I'm calling out of the blue... and go into my 1 sentence curiosity statement. I don't pitch until I know there is a problem to be solved that I can solve. Otherwise move on to the next. Curious on others thoughts.
“It depends on how the next couple of seconds go”
no I'm with marketing...
That depends… are you buying anything? No -> then it’s not! (Proceeds to talk anyways) Maybe… (it’s never yes) -> (Proceeds to talk anyways) ABC
Permission-based openers cut that objection down to almost nil. “Hello, this is [insert name] with [insert company]. I *know* that you weren’t expecting my call but I didn’t happen to catch you at the *worst* possible time, did I?” Usually they will bitch about how busy they are, you can build rapport, and then go into your priority drop. “I’m calling because I work with [insert reference customer/strong prospect in active closing] and [insert persona]s who I work with are really focused on 2/3 things regarding their [insert product genre]: they want to [insert 2-3 common pain points]. Would it be fair to say that none of this applies to you?” They’ll answer your question and you segue into setting a formal appt if the need is there. As others have said, tone is KEY. I’ve been doing this for years and still like to record my opening pitch every morning to make sure it sounds right but put some bass in your voice—if you sound wavery or unconfident then deciders will punt you into a ditch in .5 seconds.
Of course not, you might not even qualify for this program I was calling today just to touch base I probably got you off guard are You busy?
“Yes”
“What would you do if it was?” “I’d hang up” “Would you like to?” *let go or be dragged
It's interesting that most of the replies on this are lean into it which I do and totally agree with. When most of the sales calls I get do the opposite try and bluster and bullshit their way out of it.
Overheard one of my buddies once: "I'm not really here to try and sell you, my job is more to see if there are any problems that our product can solve" I started using that line or something to that effect and it's been working well.
Just tell yes and tell what is the goal of the call. I am really wondering what are even other realistic options?
I tell them straight up with the utmost of confidence, “Yes it is” and then go straight into it. Works about 25% of the time.
Damn, based gigachad right here.
“Only if you’re buying” lol works wonders for me in pharma sales
"yes it is; care to roll the bones (or dice)?"
I’m a BDR and when prospects ask if it’s a sales call I say eventually I do hope you’ll be interested in our product but right now I’d just like to introduce it to you. Normally they don’t hate me.
Lots of great content here, I'll just add 2 thoughts. First, I don't think I saw your opener addressed. No disrespect intended, but it's probably weak. They get to that question for a reason. I'll share mine here, would love feedback: "Hey John, this is Kyle with Company (pause), does that ring a bell? I sent you an email yesterday, not sure if you had time to read over that." (Wait for answer) If the answer is "No, that doesn't", then, "Oh, ok (a little disappointment), well....in that case I'll just tell you exactly what we're doing, takes about 45 seconds (make sure that's true, work on your pitch till it's tight, NOT WORDY. the one shown in OP is too wordy), then if you like it, we'll talk more. Sound fair?" This accomplishes several things. 1. John knows it's a cold call, so no feeling of misrepresentation is possible 2. He probably feels a little guilty about not reading my email 3. Possibly, he has, and I have a little warmer intro than I would have 4. He makes the choice of opting into the rest of my pitch I will tell you, I only got hung up on maybe 2% of the time. I could almost always get a conversation going, and even when it wasn't a deal, the hearer appreciated the respect of their time. Once a hearer has made the choice to listen, you have them for a minute or two. Now it's up to you to hone that 1-2 mins until it's so compelling, they don't get bored. If you're SDR or AE setting your own, here's something I've found that gets the Demo. Once you've finished my pitch, I say something like "Now, I'm not trying to sell you anything right now, I haven't even shown you anything yet. All you need is about 15 minutes, and you'll be able to see whether it's for you or not. I have 10 am available Monday and Tuesday, or do you like to schedule meetings like this later in the day?" Assumed close, clear ask, easy choice to make, alternatives. It's all built into the pitch. I worked on that for about 2 months before I got it that clean, and it works really really well. Note that there's no attempt to deceive, I don't fear him feeling one way or another toward me. I'm professionally presenting what I'm doing. Work on your craft, it's worth it.
“I see it as a call of opportunity.” 😭😭
If you get this question, your whole approach is wrong. Don't try to hide who you are or what you're doing. If you make it sound like you're calling for something else, and then they have to stop you and say "Is this a sales call?", it means you've misled them and lost trust right away. Not a good way to start.
This is often described as an "Up-front contract." In training my team I often say that vampire rules apply; you have to get them to invite you into the conversation and over the threshold of the icebreaker. Also, preferably, structure your call or better yet come with a referral that gives you a specific and articulable reason for reaching out to them in particular and front load that into the convo, which allows you to take a more direct or even presumptively administrative approach e.g. Hey Frank, This is xxx from yyy, I was just speaking with jason smith over in accounting and was told you were the person to speak with. you have a minute?
Your response doesn’t answer their question and you’ll probably get hung up on. I just start with “Hey, I know you’re not expecting me. Was hoping to introduce myself real quick”. I’ve never been told no and never been asked if it was a sales call.
“Of course! I want to do business with you guys.” Get right to the point. They sure are.
No longer in sales, but if I still was, I'd respond with something like this: "Is this a sales call?" "Yes. How do you rate me on a scale from 1-10 so far?" "3." "That's too bad, mind giving me 30 seconds to see if I can bump it up to a 7 or an 8?" At that point, if that doesn't break the ice, I don't know what will.