Smart Calling, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 1Cold Calling Is Dumb, but Prospecting Is NecessarySmart Calling Is the Answer

Cold calling. Just hearing the term causes chest-tightening anxiety for many people.

It may trigger the memory and distaste caused by a telemarketer who, three seconds after you answered the phone, mispronounced your name and robotically read a poorly written script, trying to pitch you something you’d never be a prospect for.

Few people can argue that cold calling is pleasant.

The mere notion of cold calling arouses fear, which is why most people are reluctant to do it. Add that to the fact that many cold callers lack the knowledge and ability to do it well. They think their only option is to rely on the cheesy, sleazy, salesy-sounding techniques that make people instinctively reject them.

There’s also this crazy notion that to sell over the phone, you should love rejection. Tell me how that would be possible in the real world?

Making cold calls is distasteful—and it’s dumb. In fact, after finishing this book, I want you to never use those words again when referring to professional telephone prospecting.

The great news is that soon you will be able to confidently call people you don’t know, who are not expecting your call, engage them in a conversation, and interest them in speaking with you—and ultimately buying from you. Imagine never having to place a cold call again.

But how will you know what never to do again, and what to absolutely do instead? Let’s begin by defining a cold call: ...