Sales calls
How to open a cold call
You’re talking to Mike, a busy business owner. The goal: say who you are, why you are calling, and ask for 2 minutes.
Your first line
Mike starts with “Yeah, this is Mike.”
“Hey Mike, it’s Chris. Full honesty, this is a cold call. I help HVAC shops stop losing jobs to missed calls. Thirty seconds, then you decide?”
Own the cold call: admitting it up front lowers his guard, and thirty seconds is a small yes he can give between jobs. If those land, ask for the two minutes.
What Mike might say, and what to say back
Mike: “Not interested.”
You: “Totally fair. One quick question before I go: when you’re out on a job, who picks up the phone?”
Mike: “Just send me an email.”
You: “Happy to. So it’s actually useful, what happens now when a call comes in and you can’t grab it?”
Mike: “What’s it cost?”
You: “Fair question. It depends on your call volume, so I don’t want to guess. Ten minutes Tuesday at 7, and I’ll give you a real number?”
Two things that trip people up
- Opening with “Did I catch you at a bad time?”Say who you are, why you’re calling him, and ask for thirty seconds.
- Listing features before you ask a single question.Ask about his week first, then use his words when you explain what you do.
Now say it out loud
Reading the words isn’t the same as saying them. Practice this one with Mike pushing back like the real person would. Then your coach, Ace, fixes your exact words. The move to focus on: Own the cold call.
Practice this one free3 free reps a day. No sign-up. Out loud or typed.