Your Cold Calls Aren’t Failing, Your Language Is

Sometimes the problem with cold calling isn’t the call.

It’s the language.

Listen to the way a lot of cold calls begin:

“I wanted to introduce myself…”

“I’d love to tell you a little about our company…”

“We’re a leading provider of…”

“I was hoping to get 15 minutes on your calendar…”

Every sentence is about the salesperson.

I wanted.

I’d love.

We are.

I was hoping.

The prospect has been on the phone for 15 seconds and already has a pretty good idea where this is going.

So they do what people naturally do when they feel a sales pitch coming.

They try to escape.

We’re happy with who we use.”

“Send me some information.”

Then we say cold calling doesn’t work.

Maybe.

Or maybe the prospect just didn’t hear anything worth staying on the phone for.

Try making the opening about their world, not yours.

Give them a reason for the call that connects to something they may actually care about.

Then ask a low-resistance question.

Not:

“Would you be interested in changing suppliers?”

That’s a big question from a stranger.

Try:

“How are you currently handling that?”

Or:

“What are you doing today when that happens?”

Now I don’t have to make a decision.

I just have to answer a question.

That’s a much smaller commitment.

Your goal on a cold call isn’t to close the sale in the first 30 seconds.

It isn’t even necessarily to book the meeting.

First, earn the next 30 seconds.

Then earn another minute.

Get them talking.

Get curious.

See if there’s a reason to continue.

Cold calling is hard enough.

Don’t make it harder with language that gives the prospect an easy reason to leave.