Top 23 Cold Calling Tips for Better Selling Success in 2022

"There is often the conception that scripts are for novices, and more experienced salespeople are better off freestyling their way through. On their best day, an experienced salesperson will do just fine, but no one performs at their best all of the time. . . . A script rescues us when we forget something or have a mental block. Instead of spending mental effort thinking about WHAT to say, we can focus on HOW to say it."

— Jason Lavis, Managing Director, Out of the Box Innovations Ltd.

"As a cold caller, you probably have a script to follow, and most people do a very bland job when it comes to it. This is because most of the time they are reading the script off from a screen and the tone that comes out is quite robotic. . . . [L]earn your script by heart, and prepare it like an actor. Imagine yourself playing the role of salesman and then sell the product. Expressions, tone, convincing power, all of this comes in handy when cold calling, just like it does for an actor."

— Scott Keever, Founder, Scott Keever SEO

"[M]ost important of all, practice. Before you actually cold call your lead, practice with your assistant or with another sales rep. Only then will you be able to fully utilize your script."

— Jessica Chase, Sales & Marketing Manager, Premier Title Loans

"Define [your] objective, [which is] generating interest for the first sales conversation. Sometimes sales people can forget that the purpose [of a cold call] is to merely generate interest for a conversation of greater depth. [They] try to do too much in the first interaction."

— Stephen Bumb, VP of Marketing, American Medical Technologies

"Cold calling is much easier to do when you understand that you are not aiming to sell anything in the call. Your goal is to obtain the contact information for the person who can make the decision on what you are offering. The information you forward to them details how your product or service will benefit them. It gets the conversation going."

— Brian Winch, Author, Cleanlots - America's Simplest Business

"It's easy to talk yourself out of cold calling. . . . Set yourself a daily target and stick to this, no matter what. Yes, it won't be easy. There will be times when you are required to do them late in the day (or do other work late in the day). But if you're looking to get results from cold calling, you need to set yourself and stick to it. I've used this method to book dozens of discovery calls."

— Ravi Davda, CEO, Rockstar Marketing

"Mondays are for transitioning back into work mode after the weekend and planning the upcoming week . . . Fridays are typically spent getting ready for the weekend, so many buyers aren't interested in beginning a new relationship with a sales team or representative. Wednesday and Thursday, on the other hand, allow for those who have settled into their work week and won't feel rushed by your call."

— Gulsaba Khan, Business Development Specialist, QuillBot

"First is knowing the company profile, which includes but is not limited to their company’s mission and vision, leadership, financials, and even awards. Second is knowing their company products and personas through extensive research showcased in reading case studies and watching demos and webinars. Third, knowing the competition in order to formulate an efficient marketing strategy that is aligned with what you have learned from them. Lastly, identifying the profile of the person you’re speaking to."

— Daniel Martin, Co-Founder, LinkDoctor LLC

"There are only two reasons that prospects say, 'I’m not interested': you’re not talking to the right person, or you’re not saying anything interesting. If you are speaking with the wrong person in an organization or an inappropriate prospect, they will often say, 'I’m not interested.' What they really mean is, 'Why are you calling me? I have nothing to do with this.' Step 1 in overcoming 'I’m not interested' is to have a targeted, qualified, calling list."

— Wendy Weiss, President, ColdCallingResults.com

"Our best approach in cold calling is a combination of intense research to find the prospect's problem so we can clearly communicate it at the start of the call, and then transition with, 'We can help you fix this.' By doing it this way, you make the prospect the hero and get their attention by knowing their challenges and having a well-thought out solution."

— Brian Robben, CEO, Robben Media

"When you get through to the right person, eventually, then you don’t want to waste their time or indeed your own. So BE HONEST. . . . Set a timeframe and what you are going to do. . . . [T]ry ‘Hi, I’m Trey from Marketing.com, and this is a sales call; can I take just 30 seconds of your time to explain what we do, and after that you can tell me you’re not interested? No harm done. Or you can agree to talk with me a little more on the subject. Is that ok?' "

— Brad Cummins, Director of Sales, Insurance Geek

"The impact of a strong opening line cannot be underestimated, as you only have 5-10 seconds to prove you are worth the prospect's time and attention. Introduce yourself and completely shift the narrative by complimenting the person on the other side, [such as]:
- 'I have seen your work on X'
- 'Congratulations on your promotion'
- 'You are an inspiration to our company'
Remember that the prospect wants to feel valued and special. It is your job to make them feel like your company is going to work in their best interest."

— Ryan Nieman, CEO at Solitaire.dev

"Try calling prospects by their first name (you should ask for permission). This puts you on an equal playing field. If you start off with Mr. or Ms., psychologically this gives them a feeling of superiority. The key is to be professionally friendly."

— Deborah Pretty, President, PYTalkBiz

"You can say all the correct things, but if your tone of voice doesn't match, you won't be able to close the deal. . . . You must also project self-assurance. Your prospects will see if you're bored, and they won't want to do business with you. After all, why should they be excited if you, the one selling the items, aren't? It might be difficult to retain that excitement on a daily basis, but your tone should be confident but welcoming at all times."

— Bram Jansen, Chief Editor, vpnAlert

"If your lead uses a serious tone, you’ll want to match that seriousness; similarly, match the tone of more casual leads to keep them comfortable. Pay attention to how loud they’re talking, and try to mimic their volume, as it’s likely the most appropriate level for their environment. People usually talk as fast as they find comfortable, so don’t overwhelm them by talking faster than they do. Mirror them as closely as possible."

— Pat Kelleher, Sales Consultant, Kin Insurance

"[A] mistake I see a lot of salespeople make is they think they are supposed to go from top to bottom every time. But if somebody is already on the topic of question five out of your ten-question script, why would you start at the top? You’re going to break rapport, they’re going to think you’re not listening, and it kills the flow of the conversation."

— Bryan Casella, YouTube Content Creator & Real Estate Sales Trainer

"When cold calling, it's easy to turn rejection into motivation. You get rejected so much that you start needing to turn a cold prospect into a lead, or better, a customer. But you that task will get much tougher without enthusiasm and wit, and as you get more tired, those things will disappear. Make sure to take breaks often and not burn out. Take at least five minutes every hour, and if you have a choice, don't cold call for more than three hours a day."

— Sean Dudayev, Founder, Frootful Marketing

"Just write down every objection that you get, and then write down an answer next to that, and over time you’re going to master objections . . . The secret is in the follow-up — the success is in the objection-handling."

— Jordan Platten, Author of The 15-Minute Agency & Owner of Affluent Co.

"We use a predictive dialer to avoid going through the tedious task of calling. It helps us avoid manual dialing, waiting on hold, and scheduling follow-up. It only places us into a conversation with the prospect when they answer the call. Predictive dialer saves us time and money because it makes the physical act of cold calling simple."

— Randy VanderVaate, President & Owner, Funeral Funds of America

"[F]ollow a prospecting campaign, where calls might be a part of that process, but you’re sending emails, you’re making LinkedIn requests, you’re sending packages, you’re sending letters, you’re leaving voicemails — and yes, you’re making calls."

— Marc Wayshak, Founder, Sales Insight Lab

"95% of my first time calls go to voicemail, so I try to stand out by connecting immediately with a note on LinkedIn and a personalized email at the same time. [For example]:
- Voicemail: Intro of who I am, why I’m calling and something about their profile that stood out. ‘Call me back if you’re interested.’
- Immediate email (form letter that inserts their name): ‘Hey Nicole, I just left you a voicemail, but I wanted to make sure that you got the message. I would like to speak with you about XYZ opportunity.’ I include a few interesting facts about the job and that their skill set is exactly what they are looking for. I create some urgency and then a call to action.
- LinkedIn connection: ‘Hey Nicole, even if it’s not the right time in your life for the opportunity I sent, can we connect and share networks?’

I like the shock and awe approach because it’s memorable. If done the right way, it’s not pushy, but instead opens the door a crack for your follow-up calls."

— Joe Ames, President, Lighthouse Recruiters

"Every person who wishes to work in sales should know the cardinal sales rule: rejection is a part of the job. . . . So you should learn to not be afraid of rejection, but embrace it. Even if you put in a lot of effort but the other person doesn’t buy from you, try to keep a positive outlook, and move on towards another prospect. If you’re in constant fear of getting rejected, you would never be able to make successful cold calls."

— Cale Loken, CEO, 301 Madison Consulting, LLC

"Always follow up, at least once! Even if you did not get a good response the first time, one follow-up is extremely necessary. It will either end up with you potentially turning the prospect into a customer or get a definitive no from them. In both cases, there is no ambiguity and you can move on to the next client."

— Aviad Faruzo, Sales Executive, Faruzo