Virtual Selling

21Five-Step Telephone Prospecting Framework

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Telephone prospecting is the most despised activity in sales. Calling and interrupting invisible strangers is uncomfortable. You are going to get rejected a lot more on the phone because, statistically, you will generate more real-time interactions with prospects than through any other prospecting channel.

Still, the telephone is more effective than any asynchronous communication channel including email, direct messaging, and social media. Because, when you are actually speaking to another human being, there is a higher probability that you'll set appointments, make sales, and gather qualifying information.

Sadly, many salespeople find it awkward to use the phone for prospecting because they:

• Fear calling invisible strangers.
• Don't know what to say, say stupid things, or use awkward phone scripts that generate resistance and rejection.
• Don't have an easy-to-execute telephone prospecting framework that actually works.
• Don't know how to handle objections.
• Are afraid of rejection.

However, if you desire bigger commission checks and to stand tall on top of your team's ranking report, you've got to accept that telephone prospecting sucks and get over it.

When You Fail to Interrupt, You Fail

When you pick up the phone and call a prospect and they are not expecting your call, you are an interruption.

In a perfect world, salespeople would not interrupt prospects, and prospects would be happy that they were ...