You can rehearse a cold call ten times and still hear yourself turn into a different person when someone answers.
Your voice gets more formal. You rush through your name and company.
Then you ask, “Do you have a minute?” before the person has any idea why you called.
I’ve spent a lot of my career on the other end of that moment.
In college, I knocked on more than 20,000 doors.
Later, I called companies about software and sales training.
I’ve cold called literary agents as an author and companies about speaking engagements.
I’ve also made plenty of the mistakes I’m about to describe.
An unexpected call gives you a small window to help someone understand why you’re there.
You can use that window without performing a polished sales script.
Know what the call is for
Before you decide what to say, be clear about what you’re trying to accomplish.
Your job is to find people who could benefit from what you offer and give them an honest chance to consider it. Some people will say no.
That is part of finding the people you can help.
When you expect every call to produce a yes, the opening carries too much pressure.
You start searching for a phrase that will somehow secure the outcome before you know anything about the person’s situation.
I want to find out whether there is a reason for us to talk.
That lets me be direct about why I called and attentive to the answer.
Begin like a person
A lot of cold call scripts begin with a formal introduction.
The caller gives their full name and company, then asks whether the prospect has a minute.
If the person doesn’t recognize the company, the name gives them little to work with.
“Do you have a minute?” asks for their time before you’ve explained what you want to discuss.
I usually begin in a more conversational way:
“Hi, Lisa. This is Rory. You and I haven’t had a chance to meet yet.”
The second sentence does useful work.
Lisa doesn’t have to search her memory for someone named Rory.
I’ve told her where the relationship stands.
A conversational opening still needs to be candid.
If she asks where I work or what I’m offering, I’ll tell her.
I’m trying to start an honest conversation in a normal voice.
Tell them why you called
Once you’ve acknowledged that you’re strangers, give the person a reason to keep listening.
“The reason I’m calling is…”
Then finish the sentence.
You can skip the promise that this will “only take a minute.”
The listener can decide how much time to give the conversation once they understand what it concerns.
Your preparation should help you get specific here.
Why did you choose to call this person?
What about their role or situation suggests your work could be relevant?
Answering those questions gives the person information they can use.
It also helps you avoid delivering the same broad pitch to everyone who picks up.
Help them recognize whether they’re the right person
When someone receives an unexpected call, they are trying to place it.
One useful way to help is to describe the people you serve.
For example, if you work with IT directors at small businesses in Cherry Creek, Colorado, you could say:
“Hi, Lisa. This is Rory. You and I haven’t had a chance to meet yet.
The reason I’m calling is that I’m speaking with IT directors at small businesses in the Cherry Creek area.”
Lisa can quickly tell whether she belongs to the group you’re trying to reach.
If she does, you have a chance to explain why the conversation could be useful.
If she doesn’t, you can respect her time and, when appropriate, find out who handles that area.
The details should come from the calls you’re actually making.
A job title, kind of business, or local area may help the listener recognize the connection.
Choose details that are true and relevant rather than making the description narrower merely to sound impressive.
That is the value of talking about who before explaining what.
The person can locate themselves in the conversation.
Then you can discuss what you offer in relation to their needs.
Use familiar names carefully
If you have clients whose work is relevant to the person you’re calling, naming them may help establish context.
Ask permission before telling prospects that you work together.
Be precise about the relationship.
If you’ve spoken with someone, say you’ve spoken with them.
A conversation does not make them a client.
This becomes especially important when you’re new.
You may have no customers to reference yet, and that’s okay.
You can still describe the group you’re trying to help and explain why you contacted this particular person.
A recognizable name may open a door.
Your honesty determines what happens after it opens.
Give the other person room to decide
Your opening earns a chance to have a conversation.
From there, explain what you offer and ask a useful question about the person’s situation.
Listen to the answer.
They may tell you they aren’t interested.
They may be the wrong person.
They may have a problem you can help solve.
You need to hear which of those is true before deciding what to say next.
Before your next call, write an opening you could say in your normal voice.
State your name, acknowledge that you haven’t met, and give a specific reason you chose to call.
Practice it enough that you can say it comfortably.
Then stop and listen.
The opening has done its job when both of you can understand whether there’s a conversation worth continuing.
