SSA#13: Master Cold Calling

Yesterday's SaaS Sales Academy live call was a Cold Calling Clinic. We practiced mock cold calls with 3 different members - and they crushed it!

Cold Calling Stats

58% of B2B sellers consider the phone their #1 tool to book meetings. Compared to 22% who favour LinkedIn, and 17% who prefer email.

There's no question on the effectiveness of cold calling. But there's definitely a thing to be said about difficulty:

• Only 2% of cold calls result in a meeting

• It takes on average 18 dials to connect with a buyer

• It takes on average 8 attempts to reach one prospect.

Cold calling isn't easy. It's a brutal rejection game.

So here's how you can maximise it:

The Wolf Of Wall Street was a master cold caller - unfortunately not in an ethical way.

Tip 1: When To Call

• The best time to call prospects is when they're not in meetings, i.e. early morning (8-9AM) or late afternoon (5-6PM).

• Pro tip: block 2h for cold calling on Friday afternoons. Prospects are more likely to pick up the phone & be in a positive mood as they're headed into the weekend.

• Avoid: Monday mornings. People are generally high-stress and more likely to try to get you off the phone to start their busy week.

Use cold calling blocks in your calendar - or it ain't gonna happen!

Tip 2: How To Prep

Your cold calling block is mentally & physically the hardest thing you're gonna do that day.

• Energy management is key! It start's the night before: a healthy dinner, no alcohol, 7-8h of restful sleep.

• Don't waste time on research while you're calling. Have your prospect list prepared the day before. Name, contact information, account research, prospect personalisation.

• Don't start cold. Warm up your script 10 to 20 times before you pick up and dial. Rehearse out loud (like a singer before a concert).

• Remove all distractions. Clean your desk, close Slack + all other browser tabs (except phone, Sales Nav, CRM and your script). Put your smartphone on airplane mode (unless you call with it, of course) or do-not-disturb.

Get a clean desk setup that maximises focus & energy.

Tip 3: How To Execute

• Body posture is important: get a standing desk! Your lungs and diaphragm will expand and you will have a LOT more energy when calling. Prospects will feel it, trust me.

• Visual cues: have your call script printed out or open on the screen. Have your Objection Handling Flashcards ready or as Post-Its on the wall. Any visual cues that can help you succeed!

• Set a target to hold yourself accountable. For example 10 calls before 8AM, or 30 dials within 1 hour, 5 call connects. Gamify your own success and reward yourself once you achieve it.

Tip 4: Build An Effective Script

Cold calling without a script is like driving across the country without a map: you won't get very far.

Luckily, I've built a step by step manual how you can build your own script. You can find it here.

Quick summary of what you need:

• A direct opener based on a research trigger

• A strong problem statement & validation

• An high-level prop with social proof

• 5 objection handling rebuttals

• Sell the meeting

That's it! Now you have all the information you need to crush cold calling. The rest is practice, practice, practice