8 Ways to Prepare For Your Cold Call

1. Research, Research, Research

Researching your prospect should be a pre-call ritual. By tracking down key information about them, you can deliver calls with value and keep their attention. Without research, you appear selfish by showing zero investment in the person on the other end of the phone. Your prospects will appreciate the extra effort made with personalization and will open up to better conversation.

2. Write an Outline of What You Want to Say

Write up a quick (30 seconds or less) cold call script that you can reference on the phone. The idea isn’t to read from this verbatim but to use it as a guide to help you communicate your message clearly and confidently.

Remember: The goal of a cold call isn’t to pitch to someone on the spot. You’re just trying to get them to commit to a meeting at a later date.

3. Take 1-2 Hours to Go Through Your Call List

The only thing in front of you should be your call list and script. Anything else can be a distraction that prevents you from being fully present with the person on the other line. ✅

4. Calculate How Many Calls You Need to Make to Hit Your Goals

Do you know how many cold calls you need to hit your monthly quota? Use this worksheet to work backwards from your goals and pinpoint roughly how many cold calls you need to make each day and in total for the month.

To adapt this spreadsheet for your own use, click here to open the original, then File > Make a Copy.

5. Prepare a Strong Opening Sentence

You have ten seconds to prove that you’re worth talking to, so differentiate yourself from other callers. After introducing yourself, turn the focus to your prospect by weaving in your research and personalizing the call.

For example: You could open with a compliment on a recent professional accomplishment you came across through research.

6. Let Rejection Motivate You

Rejection brings emotional pain. We can relive and experience social pain more vividly than physical pain, so it’s easy to get discouraged by a bad call. Don’t be defeated. Keep a positive attitude, pick up the phone and continue learning from your mistakes.

7. Practice Makes Perfect

Never go into a cold call completely, well, cold. Simply rehearsing what you’re going to say builds confidence which leads to better performance. The more confident you become, the easier cold calling will be.

8. Overcome Call Reluctance

Studies show that 80 percent of new salespeople fail due to call reluctance. It’s completely normal to feel jittery before a cold call, but with the right measures, you’ll be able to conquer that.

Next time you’re feeling nervous:

• Take Positives Where You Can: Regardless of the outcome, look at every call as a learning experience. Learn from the negatives and embrace what goes right.

• Use Essential Oils: Pick a scent that relays fond memories. Essential oils can trick your mind into moving to a place of positive power.

• Look at a Photo of a Loved One: Seeing someone you love makes you feel happier, relieves pain, and makes you less susceptible to anxiety.

Adapted from https://www.yesware.com/blog/cold-calling-tips/