Sales is a numbers game, right? Not so fast. If you make 1,000 calls but your strategy is off, then you might close out the week with zero appointments booked. Zero, nothing, nada. Now tweak a few things, and you’re off to the races.
That’s the beauty of sales. It can be learned, and a few changes here and there can make all the difference. And those who lean in, adapt, and constantly seek to improve (you!) are the ones who come out ahead.
With that, I’ve compiled the biggest cold calling mistakes that result in bags of money left on the table. Shore up these weaknesses, and I can almost guarantee you’ll be closing deals left and right.
RELATED: The SDR Rockstar – How to Master Cold Calling to Make Millions
1. You’re Calling the Wrong People
You might be making calls, but are you making the right calls? I see this a lot — salespeople scrape a list off the web or pull a lead list from ZoomInfo. They hardly put any thought into compiling the list. You need to filter based on things like industry, company size, employee count, revenue, title, etc.
Take the extra time up front and get laser-focused here. If it were me, I’d rather call down a curated list of 1,000 potential buyers than 100,000 random people. Remember, sales isn’t as much of a numbers game as some think it is.
KPI to monitor: Connects and Conversations. If you aren’t having conversations, or too few conversations, go back to your list.
2. Your Opening Line is Off
It’s called an “opener” because it’s supposed to “open” a conversation. If your first 10-20 seconds fail to do that, then it’s costing you sales. Ditch the generic, “Hi this is so-and-so from company name, I’m reaching out to see if…” Crumple that script and toss it in the trash.
Get more creative. Use psychological tactics like intrigue, implied authority, and act like you’ve been there before. Drop a shared connection or referral if you can. Maybe boost your prospect’s ego a bit (“Look, I was hoping you can help me with something…”). And do your best to be personable. Not necessarily “likable,” but personable.
KPI to monitor: Conversations. If you’re hearing a lot of “sorry, not interested,” then definitely work on your opener.
3. You Talk Too Much
Another way to phrase this is… you don’t listen enough. Look, I get that when people get nervous, they jabber on and on. They also talk too much when they think they have all the answers. But unfortunately, you don’t have all the answers. But guess who does? Your prospect.
So learn to quiet down and let your prospect talk. The more they talk, the more intel you will gather. The more intel you gather, the more you can learn about their pain points, fears, goals, dreams, and desires. That’s all you’ll ever need to close deal after deal. So it’s time to start selling more by talking less.
KPI to monitor: Meetings; deals won/lost. If you’re having convos but prospects aren’t converting, it could be because you’re talking too much.
RELATED: Sell More with Silence
4. You Sound Too Robotic
When you do talk, you can’t sound like a monotone robot (like 90% of salespeople out there). You have to speak with confidence and conviction. You have to transfer emotion to your prospect. You have to get them excited and engaged.
I’ve written and coached countless salespeople on the power of tonality in sales. Try varying the pitch, range, and cadence of your voice. Put some rhythm behind your words. Practice tonight at home when talking to your spouse or kids. Then use it on every call moving forward. It will change the game for you. Promise.
KPIs to monitor: Conversations; deals won/lost
5. You Fail to Qualify Your Prospect
This is sales 101. If you fail to qualify your prospect, you might book the sales meeting, but they won’t convert to a paid customer. To qualify prospects, just remember the acronym B.A.N.T. which stands for Budget, Authority, Need, and Timing. So your prospect must have the budget to buy your product/service. They must be a decision-maker with the authority to purchase. They must have a need for it. And the timing has to make sense. So be sure to bake these questions into every outbound call you make.
KPIs to monitor: Deals won/lost
RELATED: 5 Ways to Know For Sure You Have a Decision-Maker on the Phone
6. You Forget to Ask for the Sale!
Ever heard of a CTA? It’s marketing-talk that stands for “Call To Action.” You have to ask your prospect to take action. (Or you can assume the sale and ask Visa or Mastercard.) But the point is, deals don’t magically close themselves. So once you’ve effectively communicated how you can solve their problem, and the timing is right, just ask them something like “It sounds like this fits your needs perfectly, can we move forward and get the agreement signed?” Now get ready for objections (you have practiced overcoming sales objections, haven’t you?)
KPIs to monitor: Deals won/lost
7. You Give Up Too Easily
Now, I don’t just mean give up on your sales career. I also mean admitting smaller defeats throughout the day. Ever have a bad call at 10 am that ruins the remainder of your day? Sound familiar? You can’t give up on yourself like that.
There are many forgivable offenses, but giving up isn’t one of them. You can’t expect to be a cold calling expert after 100 calls or even 1,000 calls. It takes time. But thankfully, you’ve got time. Remember that the only way you can fail is if you give up. So just keep dialing and smiling, and making the necessary incremental improvements, and it will pay off.
KPIs to monitor: Call volume/sales activities
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the biggest mistakes in cold calling, you can turn each of these on their heads and start crushing it. You just have to want it. You have to adopt a lifelong learner mentality. Because the only thing that stands in your way of sales success is YOU.
Now, if you feel like you’re in a good place with all of these points I cover, then take this list back to your sales team. After all, they say “a rising tide lifts all ships.” And I encourage you to identify a handful of other cold calling mistakes that could be hurting your sales numbers. And little by little, you’ll become a rockstar in the world of sales. You’ve got this.
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso