Smart Calling summary

Planning a call in advance might sound strange. After all, it’s just a phone call, right? Well, as we’ve seen by now, it’s actually much more than that; you’re pursuing important goals with these calls, so you need to know what you’re aiming for.

When planning your calls, try to be empathetic and put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Remember, everyone has their own subjective worldview. They view things from their unique perspective and they’ll only be interested in what you have to say if it resonates with them.

A lot of sales reps expect cold calling to be routine and repetitive. But remember, the voices on the other end of the line are humans. They have fears and responsibilities, and they’re influenced by the world around them. You, as the cold caller, need to know what these influences might be.

So, in what kind of socio-cultural context is your target? Economic recessions, major political changes, technological innovations or other shifts in society can have a significant impact on people, so keep them in mind.

So, we’ve looked at the importance of research – but what’s the best way to go about conducting it? Instead of opening three dozen tabs, why not use a digital search tool?

Digital search tools give you everything you need on just one screen, and they’re especially useful when you have the time to do some thorough research before making your call. Online information can be overwhelming, but research tools like InsideView can help you sort through all of it to get what you’re looking for.

Why do we call up our prospects in the first place? That question might seem silly, but a lot of people phone their prospects without clear goals in mind.

Goals are critical to success, and successful cold calling isn’t easy. If it were, the rejection rate wouldn’t be so high!

Just about everyone loves an entertaining surprise, so don’t forget this when you’re smart calling. Surprising your prospect with unusual call tactics isn’t just more fun, it can also work wonders!

So why not try calling your contact at an unusual time? It might sound odd or counterintuitive, but it makes you stand out as braver than the rest.

It’s a common frustration every salesperson knows: you do great research, gain useful insights on your prospect, plan your call, develop a backup plan – then dial the number and get an assistant!

Assistants or other gatekeepers can be frustrating to talk to when you’re looking to make a sale with their boss. But don’t think of them as mere obstacles. Instead, put yourself in their shoes: you’re at work and doing a great job, when suddenly a salesperson calls out of nowhere and starts being rude to you. Would you want to help that person out? Of course not. You might even want to prevent them from showing the same rudeness to your boss.