Cold calling is fun. Don’t believe me? I promise you, it is.
First of all, cold calling is a craft. There are lots of techniques to learn and perfect over time. And while learning to cold call is rewarding, what truly makes it enjoyable is the people.
In this post, we won’t talk about telemarketing strategy or the tools needed for cold calling. Instead, we’re sharing grin-evoking anecdotes from our very own outbound team.
Amused, Not Annoyed
Rachel
I was making some cold calls to brokerage firm agents when I got someone on the line.
“This is Noah*,” my prospect answered the phone.
“Hey Noah, it’s Rachel from Telesales Gurus. I’m calling because I saw that your firm just landed a new contract– congrats!”
I can’t see him, but I feel he may have rolled his eyes at this point. I can also hear him smirk when he says, “Thanks Rachel, I appreciate that. Now, what the hell do you want?”
Some cold callers would have gotten mad. Others could get nervous. But cold calling is fun when you have the right mindset.
I thought, What would make him respond like this?
Obviously, mine wasn’t the only call he’d received about his new contract. Maybe the phone ringing non-stop was getting to him. It was time to lighten things up. I chuckled, matching his sarcasm with joy, and told him directly, “I’m calling to see if I can help you service that new contract. What do you say?”
He turned into a warm lead. One of the rudest responses I’ve ever received became a connection, and all it took was some empathy and humor.
*Names have been changed to protect the unsuspecting.
Turning a “No” Into A “Yes”
Aliza
I was making calls to pitch manufactured goods. I connected with a decision-maker in the purchasing department. She takes cold calls all day, but she was open to talking since we kind of hit it off. Cold calling is fun when you can develop instant but natural rapport with the person on the other line, and this was one of those situations. She was easy to talk to. She told me that they didn’t need anything now and went on to explain their typical buying cycle and products.
I was still on the newer side when it came to these goods, so I asked questions to confirm that I understood correctly as she went over each item. She went into detail, the conversation flowed, and eventually, she remembered that she did have an immediate need!
This really stuck out to me because I realized that even though she was being nice, she’d told me no initially as a knee-jerk reaction to get me off the line. In all likelihood, she’s self-programmed to say that she doesn’t need anything as soon as she detects a telemarketer. It’s good and bad because it means she’s too busy to talk to anyone that can’t help her. So by default, she tells people, “We don’t need anything right now,” when in fact, they do.
I was enlightened and excited. Our conversation started with me hearing a no and turned into a hot lead just because I asked some good clarifying questions.
Getting One-Up’d
Romina
Once, while I was making real estate industry calls, I called a realtor who answered me while she was in the middle of door-knocking. If you’re not sure what that is, it’s exactly how it sounds. Going door to door, ringing bells, knocking until someone opens.
I’d poised myself to handle anything that happened if the real estate agent was bothered by my cold call. Instead, I found her fully involved in the toughest kind of cold calling that exists!
If I could have bowed to her in reverence, I would have. But being on the phone, I could only sincerely wish her luck. She told me that she was canvassing a neighborhood because she had clients wanting to buy a house there, and none were readily available on the market. She was going door to door, telling whoever answered that she had a buyer and asking if they would sell their home.
“It’s almost like asking someone: If I gave you enough money, would you get lost so I can move in?” she said. I belly-laughed at that point of view.
To me, the most important part of this all was that she was 20+ years into her career and still willing to knock on doors. Even more impressive, I thought, this must be how she got started. And how she got to where she is today. She did it by literally hitting the pavement and knocking on doors.
Not only can we say that cold calling is fun, but also inspirational. What do you think?!
RELATED: Why is Cold Calling Important in Sales?, 9 Key Elements For Successful Telemarketing Calls