reason?
In 2007, it took an average of 3 cold call attempts to reach a
9 simple tips on how to make cold
calling far less stressful in 2024
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Overwhelmed and frightened by having to make cold calls? You’re not alone.
To take some stress off your shoulders, we’ve collected 9 simple tips to make
cold calling a little bit easier.
Cold calling is the bane of existence both for consumers and companies.
Do you hate cold calls as well? Do you see it as a method that requires far
too much effort for such poor results? And is it far too stressful?
If you yes to any, or all, of the above questions, then I’m pretty sure you are
not alone. ValueSelling Associates and Selling Power research says that 48%
of sales reps are afraid to pick up the phone and make cold calls. The
potential buyer.
In 2014, According to TopHQ the situation got much worse still, and it now
takes 18 calls to actually connect with a buyer. I am not really surprised,
though, considering how many people see cold calling as a nuisance.
Key takeaways:
 Transform cold calls into assets by prioritizing pre-call research,
using a well-crafted script, identifying optimal call times, mastering
objection handling, and fostering engaging dialogues.
 Modernize cold calling with our 9 tips, emphasizing thorough pre-
call research, a comprehensive script, strategic timing, objection
handling, and the use of automation tools like CloudTalk.
 Cold calling demands persistence. Multiple attempts increase
success rates. Embrace CRM tools and virtual call center systems
that are automating follow-ups and lead scoring. Enhance
efficiency and reduce frustration.
And with the number of other available means to reach potential
customers, like cold emails or social media, shouldn’t calling a prospect
who has not previously expressed any interest in your products or service
be deader than disco?
Well, if you consider cold calling to mean phoning hundreds of random
people with the hopes that someone will be interested in your product,
then you’d be right that it doesn’t work anymore. But with a few tweaks to
the old cold calling approach, many companies are finding to their surprise,
that this method is still working well. 41% of respondents to Marc’s
Wayshak study said that phone calls are actually their best sales
tool! How is that possible?
Well, a lot of cold callers still use those ancient “spray and pray” strategies.
If out of a dozen calls, they get one interested person, that’s a success for
them. Don’t sell yourself short that way! If you adapt your cold calling
strategy to modern times, you can get much more done in a shorter time
and with far less frustration than now. How? Here are our nine tips on how
to change cold calling from a daily chore to a vital asset in your company!
Nine cold calling tips for 2024
#1 Carry out pre-call research
We’re all familiar with those salespeople who call out of nowhere with a
“fantastic offer”. Too bad it’s not at all what the consumer wants. Or
maybe the client is interested in the offer but later learns they’re not
actually eligible for it. Case in point: some months ago, I answered a cold
call about a Fibre internet plan offer. Unfortunately, the moment I declared
my interest, it turned out that there was no optical fiber cable in my
neighborhood! Awkward, isn’t it?
You can avoid such embarrassing situations by:
 carrying out thorough research on your prospects before calling
them
 knowing essential information about your consumers will help you
customize offers to their needs and also help you to maintain their
attention without wasting your own time and energy on hopeless
leads
#2 Write a cold calling script
Making several cold calls a day and talking with different people is no easy
task. And it’s even harder (and more stressful) if you are a newbie and just
started to learn the ropes. Having a call script with all of the necessary
information, plus offering details and tips about how to deal with
demanding or rude customers, would be incredibly helpful for both your
new sales reps and experienced ones.
It would give them…
 a clear list of steps to take during cold calls
 detailed answers to frequently asked questions
 advice about facing sales objections
In case your sales reps get distracted, a cold calling script will help them get
back on track.
Of course, a script isn’t there for your sales reps to read word for word.
If a consumer thinks that they are listening to a pre-recorded message
because of how robotic the call sounds, they will hang up. Treat it more as
a helpful checklist of what should be mentioned during each call.
Don’t fear changing the script based on what does (and doesn’t) work
during the calls either!
#3 Find a good time to call
One of the main reasons people react with an annoyed groan to a cold call
is awful timing. A sales pitch on Friday at noon? Or maybe a call on Monday
morning?
Plenty of salespeople seem to prefer phoning in the early morning for
some reason. Perhaps they think it’s better to call prospects before they
start work and become too busy? But really, the last thing people tend to
think about in the early morning is a new sales offer. You need to find a
better time to call.
A good tip here is to analyze the call records you have in order to find
out what days and times people most often answer the phone.
Scheduling your calls to that time of the day might be just what you
need to improve your sales performance.
#4 Learn how to deal with objections and rejections
Hearing a yes on a first sales call was possible several years ago, but
nowadays, the vast majority of customers will have their objections and
doubts. But dealing successfully with sales objections might be just what
seals a deal.
It’s especially worthwhile to learn how to answer the most common
sales objections, such as:
 “it’s too expensive”
 “I don’t need this product right now”
 “I’m already using something similar”
To help your sales reps overcome such obstacles, it’s a good idea
to include guidance about how to deal with specific objections or
doubts in your sales script.
Another issue that your sales reps must be familiar with is dealing with
rejection. Try as they might, reps won’t be able to close every deal, so it’s
crucial for them to learn how to take a “no” in their stride and move on to
another prospect.
#5 Don’t start cold calls with a sales pitch
A lot of sales reps make this mistake. They start the call by
immediately presenting their offer without even asking for the opinion
of the person on the other end of the phone. And if there is something that
the consumer is looking for, reps often dive straight into selling their
product or service. They might get lucky, and their solution might be
exactly what the recipient needs at the given time, but is a sales rep’s job
really about “being lucky”?
If you called me and started immediately talking about how excellent your
product is without letting me say a word, I’ll just politely thank you and end
the call.
However, if you…
 took your time to ask me what I need
 tailored the offer you are calling with to my needs
 and than started a sales pitch
…it’s an entirely different story!
If you want your prospect to stay on the line, start by gauging their needs
and expectations, or risk them ending the call before you even manage to
finish the pitch.
#6 Calls are a dialogue, not a monologue
Sales reps who start immediately with a sales pitch also often make
another mistake, which is that they talk endlessly. The prospect may try,
but they simply aren’t allowed to say a word unless it happens to be “yes.”
It’s like such reps think that the longer they talk, the more convinced the
client will be. Quite the opposite is true in reality.
If you don’t give your clients enough time to talk about their needs
and ask questions, you will likely be regarded as yet another pushy
seller, and the call will be hung up. Besides, do you think that your
prospects have the time to listen to a few minutes-long speeches? If there’s
nothing in it for them, then no.
#7 Leave a voicemail
Some people don’t answer calls because they are busy, or they just don’t
notice the phone ringing. But there’s also another reason for not answering.
87% of respondents to a recent survey said they do not answer calls from
unknown numbers.
No surprise here really, I don’t answer a call before checking the number
either. So should you give up or call several times during until the prospect
answers the phone? In the first case, you are losing a chance to connect
with that client. In the second, there’s a very high chance you will get Wouldn’t it be much better if…
blocked. Any other way?
 scheduling follow-up calls,
Yes, leave a voicemail. I do check the names of people/companies that  dialing numbers,
called me, but does it tell me why they called me? If you leave a voicemail  updating the database,
with your name, company, the reason for calling, and your phone  setting up online meeting follow-ups,
number, it’s more likely that the prospect will call you back.  sending messages

Voicemails should be short, clear, and straight to the point. According to
Hubspot, the best length for voice messages is between 20 and 30
seconds. It’s a good idea to have a voicemail script prepared in advance
so as not to waste precious seconds on unnecessary details.
#8 Don’t give up…too fast
Cold calling is much more demanding nowadays than it was years ago, at
least, that’s what 61% of Marc Wayshak’s survey respondents said. What’s
more, 44% of salespeople leave just one follow-up and then resign. Calling
more times or sending further emails will only make them seem like
nagging salespeople, won’t it?
Surprise – 75% of online buyers want to receive between 2-4 phone calls
before a sales rep gives up on them. What might be even more surprising
for you is that 95% of all converted leads are reached by the 6th call
attempt. By not following up on a prospect, you are missing out on a large
number of possible deals!
…to your team members, was done automatically? With a good CRM
tool and a virtual call center system, that’s possible!
What’s more, thanks to inbuilt analytics tools, you can quickly spot which
of your prospects are most likely to be interested in your offer and which
aren’t worth your time. Not only does that mean higher productivity and
work performance, but also much less frustration!
Conclusion
For plenty of sales teams, cold calling is a nightmare, but it doesn’t have to
be. With a few strategy tweaks, a handy sales script sitting next to your
reps, and smart automation tools like CloudTalk, you might be pleasantly
surprised that making cold calls is no longer as difficult as it once was. And
maybe you’ll even think that people who say cold calls are alive and well
are actually right.

Be careful not to go overboard with following up on them, though –

you wouldn’t want to receive 12 calls, 2 emails, and a text message
during a single day yourself, right?

#9 Automate your sales

Are you still updating your database by hand, putting important info on
sticky notes, or scoring leads manually? You are wasting too much time and
energy that you could spend on making calls.