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Cold calling is one of the most important skills you can develop as a sales rep.

So today, I'm going to share a surprisingly simple B2B cold calling technique that will help you ramp up faster or just get to the meat of the sales conversation faster.

How does it do that?

By focusing on the bare elements of a good prospecting conversation - so you can stay focused and the prospect doesn't get irritated or impatient.

Ready? Let's dive in.

Step 1: Only Call Prospects

I know what you're thinking: "That's obvious, Derek. Who else would I call?" So let's talk about what a "prospect" really is.

A prospect is someone who WANTS to solve their problem.

That's it. If they don't already want to solve it, you're wasting your time by trying to convince them. If you want to be a B2B cold calling badass, start by making sure you're calling the right people.

My entire team is lucky. We can see a lot of this information online. If you can, too, make sure that you do. If you can't, you'll want to qualify the prospect as soon as possible (which happens to be Step 2 in this process).

But let me give you an example of our cold calling process.

We'll start with the call-prep template. Use it as a cold calling script for your list of prospects to decide whether they're really a prospect:
Problem we solve: Why I believe this prospect has this problem: Why I believe this prospect wants to solve this problem:
Don't overlook the third one, because it's critical: People buy things because they want a problem to be solved. They're willing to let problems continue to exist if they don't have the time, energy, or motivation to solve them.

What that means is...

If you're cold calling someone, and they don't care about the problem you solve - even if they are experiencing it every day - they're not the right person, not a prospect.

Here's how we teach reps at PatientPop:

Problem we solve: getting patients for doctors

Why I believe this prospect has this problem: they're located in a competitive city where the population moves every few years

Why I believe this prospect wants to solve this problem: they're spending money on some online solutions now

The counter-example that we see with many new reps is that they want to find the doctor who doesn't even have a website. "She needs a website, and that's part of our solution!" they say.

But the absence of a website (in 2021!) means they're unlikely to care about getting a website at all. Or even about being online.

So Step 1 provides a great start for verifying that the prospect is ready to solve their problem. And if you can't figure that out from your research and other information sources, answering that question is the next step in your process.

Prospect to Start the Conversation

Our prospecting philosophy is, "Don't prospect to make a sale. Prospect to start a conversation."

Stop selling when you're prospecting. Shift your focus from "how can I sell to this person?" to "how can I help this person?"

When you want to help, your tonality naturally shifts. You're curious, instead of assumptive.

Let curiosity drive the conversation.

The cold call is an opportunity to learn more about the prospect to see if you can help them.

Let this mindset be the foundation for your prospecting approach.
How to Be a Better Salesperson Through Relationship Selling
Step 2: Find the Gap

If you CAN answer the "why" from the template in Step 1, you will still need to get the prospect to tell you that they WANT to solve it. The best salespeople look at this as a disqualifying game:
How quickly can I get this person out of this step of my pipeline? They're either not a senior-level prospect or the right person in general and they're out, or they are, and I move them forward.
Rapport-building is fine while cold calling (and can be really important), but make sure you identify as soon as possible whether or not you should keep working with this prospect.

Start by telling them, in clear language (no jargon!), which problem you've noticed or that you think they have.

This is simple if you can see the information online (like, whether they have a website, or whether it's optimized for search), but it's not much more complex if you don't.

For instance, you can refer to industry statistics, telling them that X% of people in their industry struggle with (problem). You can also base it on observations you've made about their website, their marketing, or a quote from one of their blog posts.

Be Creative with Your Opener

Once you've identified the gap, you need to get creative with your cold calling opener.

I'm sure you've heard at some point that our attention span is about the same as a goldfish. Or that it's dropped from 12 seconds to 8 seconds since 2000.

Well, that's another misrepresented study.

Our attention spans are task-dependent, meaning it depends on the task we're performing. Our role in that task (e.g., watching a lecture vs. giving a lecture) plays a big factor in our ability to pay attention.

How does this apply to your cold calling opener?

You have more time than you think. Sure, you need to grab the prospect's attention quickly at the beginning of the call. But opening with your product pitch isn't the best way to do that.

You grab the prospect's attention by using an unconventional opener.

A successful cold call is close to twice the duration of an unsuccessful cold call. Your goal in the first few seconds of a cold call is to buy time.

Have sales reps start their cold call out like this:
"Hey [first name], this is [your name] with [company]."
Then use one of these 9 openers. (The company or person mentioned with each opener is who popularized it. They may not be the creator.)

1. "How've you been?" Gong.io (best opening line according to their study)

2. "Thanks for taking my call, do you have a couple of minutes?" John Barrows, founder at JBarrows Consulting

3. "I know you weren't expecting my call. Do you have 27 seconds to..." ConnectAndSell

4. "If I told you this was a cold call, would you want to hang up? Or would you give me time to tell you why I've called today?" Richard Smith, co-founder at Refract

5. "Calling to introduce myself, and see if what we do might be useful to you in the future. How's my timing?" John Klymshyn, found at the Business Generator

6. "I was really hoping to speak with you briefly. Do you have two minutes?" Tito Bohrt, CRO/CEO at Altisales

7. "I'm the guy/gal who sent you [reference email/direct mail piece]." Outreach.io

8. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" Christopher Voss / Aaron Ross

9. "You and I haven't spoken before, but the reason for my call is..." Jamie Carlson, SDR at athenahealth

I wrote a post on LinkedIn asking people about their favorite cold call openers if you want more. Over 200 salespeople responded with their thoughts.

Or you can have sales reps get creative and come up with your own.

Avoid using these generic openers:

"How are you?"

"How are you doing?"

"How are you today?"

"How's your day been so far?"

Going straight to your 15-30 second pitch

B2B Cold Calling Tips

Think About the Times When You Have the Most Social Energy

For one of our clients, it's when he's at the Crossfit gym with his friends. Channel that feeling before your next cold call. This technique is called Imagery Training, it works really well if you practice.

Bring It Back to Your Why

Every prospect you interact with (including assistants) could be the ticket to your next big deal. Show up. Be present. Make a great first impression.

Put Your Favorite Music On

This is my go-to. For me, it's 80s rock and 90s hip-hop. Morgan Ingram put together a Keep Dialing playlist you can check out as well. It's a good idea to put your favorite pump-up jams in a playlist to get your mind right.

Sit Up Straight

Research has indicated that physicality drives tonality. Put simply, your physical state affects your mental state. Simply sitting with good posture can put you in a better mood and can mentally give you a positive image. And prospects will hear that on the other end of the phone.

Try these tips:

Stand up or sit straight up on the edge of your chair when you're making calls.

Go for a quick 5-minute walk before your call blitzes to get your blood flowing.

Smile when you talk. Keep a small mirror at your desk you can look at.

Grab a coffee in the morning before you start working. Your goal is to be social. Challenge yourself to make the barista and one person standing in line smile by saying hi and asking how their morning is going.

Use the Right Cold Calling Script

A quality cold calling script is one of the best ways to take the guesswork out of what to say when you get your prospects on the line. You're not wasting valuable time making small talk, adding useless filler, or trying to figure out what works and what doesn't.

Creating a cold calling script is a good idea that is beyond the scope of this article.

PRACTICE, practice, practice

Role play your sales pitch with your manager or other sales reps, where you are cold calling them and working through your script. Record your sales pitch calls so you and your sales team can review things like your tone, pace, word choice, and call strategy, which can then be shared with other sales reps.

You'll never get better at B2B cold calling without understanding what you need to improve upon, and that takes active practice.

Document the Call

Immediately after hanging up, it's a good idea to document call details while they're still fresh in your mind. Don't leave out anything, even if you think it's not significant. When you review the call later, those details can really stick out and may create talking points for future conversations.

Follow Up

Regardless of how the call went, send the prospect a quick follow-up email immediately after hanging up to thank them for their time and outline next steps, if there are any. This extra touchpoint gives them a way to easily contact you, and leaves them with a positive impression of you and your company.

Don't Take It Personally ?

B2B cold calling is a tough job. You're going to get a lot of Nos. So think about it like this:

The people who give you a well-deserved Yes are one step ahead of their competition (who may have already given you a No). You are making a difference to their business. Well done.

Next, you need to get the prospect to tell you they want to solve this problem. THEY must say it, or it's worthless. Not saying it is a strong signal they aren't committed enough to find a solution.

And you have to do this quickly.

Continuing to talk about something your prospect doesn't consider a priority is dying a slow death. Get their commitment with a simple question: "Do you want to fix that?"

Here are some good ideas for doing this naturally:

"I saw X, which led me to believe you're trying to (whatever problem you solve). Are you?"

"I saw that you were running Google ads for laser tattoo removal. That led me to believe you might be looking to bring in more patients. Is that a priority for you right now?"

If you CAN'T figure this out before you get them on the phone, you need to uncover it right away.

"Most (roles) that I talk to tell me that they're trying to do one of three things: (problem 1), (problem 2), or (problem 3). Does that sound like you at all?"

"Most of the doctors I talk to tell me they are looking to either bring in a higher volume of patients, bring in patients for specific services, or just see more patients who pay out of pocket. Which of those is most important to you?"

"Most VPs of Sales tell me they either have trouble generating enough pipeline or aren't sure the quality of it. Does that sound like your world at all??

A word of caution, here. "Problem" and "feature" are not the same thing.

99.99% uptime? That's a feature. Losing sales because your hosting isn't reliable - that's a problem.

Better online reputation? Feature. Paying too much for a PR service that doesn't seem to move the needle - problem.

Faster, bigger, prettier? Features. Not having time (or skill) to create landing pages that convert - problem.

What do your features DO for the prospect? Translate them into more income, more savings, less worry.

Question Stacking

Of course, in order to get the information you need, first you need your prospect to actually answer your questions.

A super useful technique here is question stacking.

Here's why you should give it a go.

In Chorus.ai's study of 5 million+ sales calls, they found that the most successful reps talk 40-50% of the time in their cold calls. They also ask four questions, including 2-3 engaging questions that solicit responses of 30 seconds or more.

Now if you look at Gong.io's data, it conflicts slightly with those numbers. Their studies show that successful reps talk 54% of the time. And there was no difference in the number of questions successful vs. unsuccessful reps asked.

Here's what you can take away from this:

1. You and the prospect should roughly split the talk time. It won't be perfect, but avoid dominating the entire conversation.

2. You only have time to ask a few well-thought-out questions. Make it count.

We teach our clients a method called question stacking.

Let's look at an example.

Your company has a product that automates bookkeeping. Manually doing their own bookkeeping and account reconciliation through spreadsheets and multiple platforms are the biggest frustrations for most of your users.

In a cold call, you want to know if they're using multiple tools for their bookkeeping because that's where you can potentially help.
"Many small business owners spend a few hours every week using tools like PayPal, Stripe, and spreadsheets to manually do their bookkeeping. I'm curious. How are you handling bookkeeping at ABC Company?"
The first sentence provides context to the question in the second sentence. If you asked the second question without providing context, you're much more likely to get a generic response that doesn't give you the answer you need to set an appointment.

It's a simple cold calling formula for asking questions that looks like this:

Here's how to come up with your own questions:

Figure out what you need from the prospect. What requirements need to be met in order to have a quality sales conversation? It could be tech stack requirements or the number of employees they have in a particular department.

Examples:
"Many sales teams are using Salesforce these days. What tools do you guys use?" "Many of the small business owners I talk to are using Quickbooks for their bookkeeping. What are you guys using?" "Many of the sales teams I talk to are using sales engagement tools like Mailshake or Outreach.io to run their outbound cadences. What are you guys using?"
Look at your notes from previous sales calls. Take a look at the notes or listen to the recordings from your past cold calls and discovery calls. What pain points did prospects share with you? If you don't have anything good here, pay closer attention during the calls you make moving forward. Write down, word for word, exactly what your prospects say when they're sharing their pain points.

Examples:
"One thing I hear from delivery teams is that they're short on staff when it comes to MIM, Active Directory, or Office 365 expertise. How do you guys staff for these types of skill sets?" "Personalization at scale is what many sales teams are trying to do in their cold outreach right now, but many sales directors are worried about how long it takes. How do you guys approach personalization?" "Getting in touch with decision-makers at companies your nonprofit doesn't have a personal relationship with can be challenging. I'm curious, how do you guys approach companies you want to partner with?"
Examine existing customers. What are the top three areas where your product/service helps your customers the most? Take note of the value you provide them. This is a good opportunity to collaborate with your product or delivery team.

Examples:
"One thing business owners tell me they really want is to spend less time working with spreadsheets and multiple software platforms when they're doing their bookkeeping. I'm curious about how you guys handle your bookkeeping?" "A trend that's big with prospecting right now is using tools like video and LinkedIn to set more appointments. I'm curious about how you guys are using those tools to fill your pipeline?" "Many HR teams are looking for ways to spend less time manually tracking their performance management. I'm curious about how you guys are using automation to better track and save time with your employee check-ins?"
Step 4: Close!

Has the prospect told you that solving the problem you solve is a priority? Go for the meeting!

Here's what happens with new salespeople (either new to the game or new to a company): They validated the gap, but they want to keep selling the prospect on why their solution is great.

This is called "selling past the close." Don't do it. You may think you're solidifying the meeting, but in reality, you're putting it at risk.
Call Mapping: What It Is, and How to Incorporate It Into Your Sales Process
All you need is for the prospect to agree that solving this problem is a priority. Then you directly ask for the meeting. It's so simple, it will feel weird the first few times you try it.

2 Keys to Getting This Right
1. Uncertainty
"We can definitely solve that for you" doesn't work as well as "We might be able to help."

That's because uncertainty creates curiosity.

Every salesperson is 100% convinced their product is the best. But that makes them come off as less trustworthy. The prospect starts to worry that the salesperson will push their product and make it hard to say no.

If you appear uncertain, you remove that concern because you're projecting an attitude of, "I'm here to help."
2. Ask for One Decision at a Time
"Let's set aside some time" is better than "Let's set aside 20 minutes."

Let your prospect agree that they should spend any time with you at all before they agree on how much, and they're more likely to do both.

So once the prospect has said they're ready to solve the problem, say this:

"Ok, let's set aside some time to talk about that and see if we can help you."

One of two things will happen when you do this.

They'll take the meeting (and a huge percentage of people will take it earlier in the conversation than you think).

Or they'll give you an objection.

Either way, it's a win.

Step 5: Repeat

Even though the prospect has agreed that their problem is a priority, they might still hesitate to meet with you.

If you've made it to this point, their objections are most likely reflexive - they're objecting to you being a salesperson, not to the solution itself.

Getting an objection from the right person early is a win.

Think about it. If you spent ten minutes longer selling after the close, they may run out of time to talk to you before you even know the objection. We want to get to this point as quickly as possible so we have the best chance to move to the next step!

Objection-answering is a whole issue all to itself, so I'll just say this: Keep tying your answers to the problem they're dealing with and the pain they're feeling.

Do This...
1. Write down the 3 biggest problems your product solves for your customers.
If you're selling to different levels or roles, you may need to do this exercise for each of them. Don't guess. Talk to your existing customers and ask them:

Why did they buy?

What were they hoping for?

If your company is a young start-up, you can set up some interviews to find these answers. If your company is more established, you may already have marketing collateral with quotes from customers, or you may have a playbook with these answers.
2. Create your validation question.
This is a good template to use: "Most (role) that I talk to tell me that they're trying to do one of three things: (problem 1), (problem 2), or (problem 3). Does that sound like you at all?"
3. Figure out if you can look online to understand whether your prospects want to solve these problems. 4. For each prospect, use this template to understand them before you call:

Problem we solve:

Why I believe this prospect has this problem:

Why I believe this prospect wants to solve this problem:

This is a simple framework that can make your cold calls incredibly effective. But don't let its simplicity fool you. It helps you achieve the core objectives of any cold call: to qualify the lead, gauge their likelihood to close now, and book a meeting.

Check out this short video How to Create and Use Cold Calling Scripts:

B2B Cold Calling FAQs

How many calls does it take to get in front of a decision maker?

The answer to this question depends on the size of the company you're working with. If it's a large company, you may have to have multiple conversations before getting in front of a decision maker. Conversely, if the company is smaller, you may be able to talk to a decision maker with your first call.

When is the best time to make a cold call?

Wednesdays between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. is generally considered the best performing time for cold calls. You'll want to avoid calls on Mondays and Fridays, when people will be less interested in a sales pitch as they are either returning from the weekend or mentally preparing for the weekend.

Where can I find some examples of cold calling scripts?

While plenty of scripts exist online, Mailshake has provided a guide for creating your own cold calling scripts.

Is cold calling better than cold emailing?

Rather than relying more on one form of cold outreach than the other, your outreach strategy should be a hybrid of both, in addition to other forms of networking such as in-person events and social media. In addition to this guide, check out Mailshake's Cold Email Academy to learn how cold calling and cold emailing can be implemented in the same strategy.

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How to Cold Call: 5-Step B2B Cold Calling Technique

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Cold calling is one of the most important skills you can develop as a sales rep. So today, I'm going to share a surprisingly simple B2B cold calling technique that will help you ramp up faster or just get to the meat of the sales conversation faster. How does it do that?

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Face-to-face selling is a process by which a salesperson engages in communication and interaction directly with a person in order to make a sale. This is often done during a sales meeting or similar engagement, though social functions and interactions can also include elements of sales in them. A number of different strategies and methods can be used during this type of sale, which can include presentations made in person or simply a persuasive pitch and engagement. Face-to-face selling is often considered the cornerstone of sales, as many people prefer to meet someone in person to discuss a major sale, rather than doing so online or over a telephone.

There are a number of ways in which face-to-face selling can occur, though it typically involves some type of meeting between a salesperson and a potential client. This can take place during a meeting that is set up specifically for this purpose, such as when someone in sales makes an appointment to meet with a client. Face-to-face selling can also occur in a number of retail environments. If someone enters a store that sells products, which can range from office supplies to motor vehicles, then salespeople often approach him or her to provide information and attempt to make a sale.

One of the major strengths of face-to-face selling is that it provides a personal connection between a salesperson and a customer. Many people feel that they can receive more fair and honest treatment from a person who they are meeting with directly, rather than someone communicating via telephone or email. A salesperson engaged in face-to-face selling can also better gauge reactions and interest from a client when meeting him or her in person. This allows someone to adapt a sales pitch or message to meet the specific interests and needs of a person, rather than relying on a set script or approach that is used for everyone.

There are some potential downsides to using face-to-face selling, however, especially considering the amount of resources it calls for. Individual salespeople are often required to attend each sales meeting, which means that they are typically paid for their time regardless of whether the sale is successful or not. Some clients may also be quite difficult to reach for face-to-face selling, which means that a great deal of time and money may go into simply trying to set up a meeting. Sales made through a telephone system or Internet campaign can often be far less expensive to produce, but many people are unwilling to commit to a major sale without a face-to-face meeting.

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Face-to-face selling is a process by which a salesperson engages in communication and interaction directly with a person in order to make a sale. This is often done during a sales meeting or similar engagement, though social functions and interactions can also include elements of sales in them.

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If you're a sales representative, you should know that making a follow-up call to a prospect can be challenging, but it's a necessary part of the job. Typically, these calls are what helps them go further into the sales funnel and where you can turn leads into paying customers. It's what will set you apart from other reps, and mastering it will help you become a more effective person for the job.

Why Are Follow-up Calls Necessary?

There are many reasons to follow up with your prospective customers. It's a vital part of the job, and it helps reinforce the foundation you created when you first contacted them. Here are some of the reasons it's a necessity:

Reason #1: It Establishes a Connection

Reaching out to your prospects once simply will not establish a meaningful enough connection to get them to try your product or service. Although one cold call can get them interested in what you have to offer, they will likely not go out of their way to learn more about it.

People nowadays live more fast-paced lives than ever before, and they'll likely forget about you in a matter of minutes. If you're a B2B sales rep, this problem is especially more apparent because business owners get tons of sales calls per day. Building a meaningful connection by following up with them after your initial contact will help them better remember you.

Reason #2: It Helps Gain Trust

Another reason to reach out to prospects again is to build trust. A follow-up call will help the client know that you're looking to develop a long-term working relationship with them and are not just looking for a quick sale.

Establishing trust will help further drive their decision about making the purchase, and they will likely become a satisfied, loyal customer who can recommend your products or services to others.

Reason #3: It Breaks Down Barriers

Prospective customers may sometimes hold back from a purchase because they'll have some questions and apprehensions about what you offer. However, making follow-up calls help you proactively address their concerns, which will break down the barriers that delay their decisions. You'll have a chance to educate them about your products and services, which can secure the sales. As a bonus, you'll show that your company offers excellent customer support!

Reason #4: It Generates More Sales

Following up with your prospects has the ultimate goal of closing more deals and generating more sales. When you build a connection, establish trust, and break down your prospect's apprehensions, they will be more likely to support your brand. Contacting them repeatedly also helps them feel like you value them, which is an excellent way to start a healthy business relationship.

The reasons above make it clear that following up with your prospects is a vital practice that will help you become a more effective sales representative.

Some Tips to Make the Perfect Follow-up Call

Because follow-up calls are so important, it's ideal to use only the most effective strategies for the job. Although it can be challenging, you can drive more sales by following the best practices and right techniques. Here are some tips to get you started.

Follow-up Tip #1: Set It up on Your Initial Call

Setting a time and date for your follow-up right from the initial call is a critical step that sales representatives must do. Doing this will make sure that you and the prospect are on the same page, so you can both contact each other at the best, most appropriate time that works with your schedules.

Avoid making vague commitments, such as "within a few days" or "within the week" to avoid any confusion and conflicts. Ask them if a specific time, day, and date works for them to ensure that you will not end up as just another missed call. If their schedule is full at that time, you can recommend another one or ask them about what's most convenient for them. The important thing is to set up a foundation.

Follow-up Tip #2: Make an Interesting Opening Statement

Starting off on the wrong foot will likely not give you the best results. It always pays to open up with more interesting lines than the usual ones, such as:

"I'm calling to know if you have any questions."
"I would like to know if you have come to a decision."
"I am just following up on the proposal."

Although there is nothing wrong with those statements per se, they may seem overplayed, routine, cold, and robotic. You'll want to set yourself apart from any other vendor out there looking for some quick sales. It's best to seem genuine and open with something refreshing and interesting.

Start off by stating your full name and company, then differentiate yourself by reminding them of the reason you're contacting them. Help them remember the pain points they discussed or implied in the initial call and how your products or services can help.

It's crucial not to waste any of their time, so set up an agenda before your discussion to let them know what they can expect from the conversation. It also helps if you can give an estimate on how long the call will take.

Follow-up Tip #3: Email before and after the Call

Although you might have marked your calendar and set an alarm for when you'll be calling a prospective client, it may not be the case for them. The odds are that they will forget that you even scheduled a follow-up call, and they might be surprised that you're contacting them that day. To prevent this from happening, it's advisable to remind them by emailing them at least 24 hours before you contact them.

Sending them an email after you get in touch with them will also be ideal, as this will help summarize what you've discussed and inform them of the next steps you'll take. It doesn't have to belong and be exhaustive - a short one highlighting the key parts will be enough to remind them why they need your products or services.

Follow-up Tip #4: Be Memorable

It's crucial to get creative and think of ways to let a prospect remember your brand. You may send handwritten thank you cards or provide them with incentives to thank them for their time. Imparting something to remind them of your service will help clients look forward to working with you.

Conclusion

Follow-up calls are integral parts of a sales representative 's job. They help establish connections and trust while breaking down the barriers that hinder their decision to purchase. Learning the right strategies can help you communicate more effectively, so keep this guide in mind as you make the most of your follow-ups!

If you're looking to land a job as a sales representative, CrewBloom has you covered. We're dedicated to helping you find the right remote work that suits your needs and interests. Apply today!

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How to Make the Perfect Follow-up Call - CrewBloom

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If you're a sales representative, you should know that making a follow-up call to a prospect can be challenging, but it's a necessary part of the job. Typically, these calls are what helps them go further into the sales funnel and where you can turn leads into paying customers.

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A warm call is a call made to a prospect with whom you have had prior contact and may or may not have already shown some type of interest in your company, product, or service.

How warm calling works

Warm calling works best on prospects that check off all the customer suitability boxes, even if they have not explicitly expressed any interest in your company, product, or service yet. Warm calling is the opposite of cold calling, in which prospects are solicited without any prior interaction.

Warm calls are generally more casual and personalized in nature, as you have specific jump off points such as "Hello Ms. Stevens, we met at the expo last week" or "Ms. Stevens, I saw you left a comment on our blog post on LinkedIn." Those icebreakers open up the warm call to further discussion.

Warm call guidelines

Before you get into scripts, there are some guidelines you should follow to have more successful and effective warm calls.

✔ Target prospects with a profile most similar to your average/most loyal customer.

✔ Research the target's needs and values in order to tailor your offer to them.

✔ Respect their time by getting to the point quickly and keeping your pitch brief.

✔ Stay human. Don't be afraid to be casual, humorous, and just you during your call. This is not a formal meeting and the goal is to connect.

✔ Prepare. Know what it is you want to say so you are not floundering during the call. That is a huge turnoff for prospects.

✔ Keep the call under 5 minutes. The goal is to open communication, not do a complete data dump of everything about your company, product or service.

✔ Make effective use of all communication channels. Use email to provide more information or assistance, or leave a voicemail if they do not pick up, then follow-up with an email.

✔ Make a second (or fifth) warm call if need be - you want to talk to the prospect, so make sure you talk to them!

Warm call scripts

There are literally thousands of examples of warm call scripts out there on the internet, it is almost overwhelming (ok, really overwhelming) and it's hard to choose where to start.

The first thing you need to remember is that most prospects are going to feel a little trepidation when a salesperson contacts them. Warms leads do not necessarily equal "I want to buy whatever you're selling right now." Warm calls are really only a few degrees above a cold call, for the most part.

As for scripts, I am going to go with an example of the most basic bare bones, which can be built upon and personalized to your specific situation and prospect. (This very generic script actually would work well with cold calls too - a word to the wise.)

1. Get their attention. Use their name when you say hello. Be warm and welcoming. Then hop to step 2 because a question like, "How are you?" could derail your whole reason for calling.

2. Introduce yourself. "I'm Amanda from Snov.io." It is that simple.

3. Let them know why you are calling. The reason you are calling is not to throw a sales pitch or make a sale. It is to get their attention and to set up the next meeting; to connect. Jumping right in shows you are serious and professional, and you know a lot of small talk is for after you've begun to create a relationship with the prospect.

4. Bridge. This is where you tell them a little about your product and why you called them specifically. It's also where your previous research comes in handy, as you can say, "I know you need [this] and I can provide you with [that] to help."

5. Tell them what you want then listen. Ultimately, your goal is to set meetings with prospects because you are calling a more targeted list. Listen to what they have to say and work based on that.

6. Improvise if you have to. Calls don't always go as you want them to - you can't be so locked into a script that you get flustered when the call goes off script.

It's important to save your scripts within your CRM to make sure you can use them over and over if they are successful.

What else can you do with a warm call?

This part is very important, in my opinion. Just calling a warm prospect is technically all a warm call is, but there is so much more you can do to mix it up. Let's take a look at three examples of such mixed approaches.
Method #1

Send a welcoming package to get to know the brand

Send an email as a follow-up to the gift

Make the warm call

Method #2

Send a cold email as an introduction

Send a follow-up email with free resources and ask to schedule a call

Make a warm call asking whether they liked the resources or not

Method #3

Find your lead on LinkedIn and invite them

Comment on what they likes, share their posts

Make a warm call

There is no wrong way to approach it. You can use all of the above methods in any mix. You can even send 5 emails if that's what you feel is a reasonable amount to warm up the lead before making a call. The point is always to begin building a relationship between you and your prospect.

After the warm call

You may be wondering, "But what is the goal of warm calls? What is the next step?"

That is up to you, but some examples would be:

✓ scheduling a phone call or coffee meeting to further discuss your company, product or service

✓ getting the prospect to want more information sent to them

✓ begin an email conversation to continue your discussion, etc.

Like I said, it's up to you exactly what you do, but the goal is to make the big first step in turning a warm lead into a hot lead.

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What is a Warm Call: Definition, scripts and follow-ups | Snov.io

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A warm call is a call made to a prospect with whom you have had prior contact and may or may not have already shown some type of interest in your company, product, or service. Warm calling works best on prospects that check off all the customer suitability boxes, even if they have not explicitly expressed any interest in your company, product, or service yet.

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have already made the connection, can be used gifts or make that next level of relationships with the customer

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Pro: is a reminder for the potential customer

Con: too much contact might be annoying

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The costumer might become annoyed with the second interview or gifts

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this is boring