Getting prospects to answer the phone is the biggest challenge when cold calling. Having the best product and the best pitch means nothing if you can't talk to someone.
If you feel like a lot of your calls go straight to voicemail, watch this webinar recording on "How to Get Prospect to Answer the Phone When Cold Calling" where we will outline small things that you can do to improve your ability to get into new accounts.
How to Get Prospects to Answer the Phone When Cold Calling
1. How to Get Prospects to Answer the
Phone When Cold Calling
Michael Halper
Founder and CEO
SalesScripter
2. One of the biggest challenges:
Just getting the prospect to answer the phone
Prospects never answer / can always get voicemail
Prospects put gatekeepers in the way to block you
3. Goal:
Figure out how to get prospects to answer the phone.
Figure out how to get into new accounts (where prospects
don’t answer the phone)
4. How You Communicate (Types of Communication)
How Many Times You Reach Out (Repetition and Frequency)
What You Say (Sales Pitch)
Leverage the Gatekeeper
Organizational Movement
5. How You Communicate
Use a Multi-Touch Approach
• Phone
• Voicemail
• Email
• Social Media
• Physical Mail
6. How You Communicate
Phone
• Increase call attempts
• Get direct dial number
• Don’t use direct dial
• Good hours to try to call
– Try: 7-8, 12-1, 5-6
– Avoid 10 and 2
7. How You Communicate
Voicemail
• Use voicemails to educate
• Create different voicemail messages
• Use no voicemails to increase attempts
• Goal is not to get a call back or sell
• Follow up every voicemail with an email
8. How to Effectively Use Voicemail as a Sales
Prospecting Tool
https://salesscripter.com/portfolio-items/sales-
prospecting-module-10-how-to-deal-with-
voicemail-when-prospecting/
Using Voicemail Webinar:
9. How You Communicate
Email
• Try not to sound like a salesperson in your emails
• Don’t sell the product - Try to sell the conversation
• Types of emails:
– Pre-Call Emails
– Post-Voicemail Emails
– Email Threads
– Marketing Emails
• Create different versions for your multiple passes
• Use email guessing process to get email addresses if you don’t have them
10. How to Effectively Use Email as a Sales
Prospecting Tool
https://salesscripter.com/how-to-effectively-use-
email-as-a-prospecting-tool/
Prospecting Emails Webinar:
11. How You Communicate
Social Media
• Connect on social media
• Stay active to broadcast
• Like/share their content
• Send direct messages
– Do not sell your product
– Sell the conversation
– Can be similar to your pre-call emails
12. How You Communicate
Direct / Physical Mail
• Prospects rarely receive physical letters
• Can look similar to your prospecting emails
• Hand-written letters add an extra effect
13. How You Communicate (Types of Communication)
How Many Times You Reach Out (Repetition and Frequency)
What You Say (Sales Pitch)
Leverage the Gatekeeper
Organizational Movement
14. Understanding the Prospect
• Prospects are rarely at their desk
– Often in meetings
– Very likely traveling
• Prospects get a lot of calls, emails, and voicemails
15. Repetition and Reinforcement
• Phone
– Will take a lot of attempts to time it correctly
– Multiple calls in a day or week (without voicemail)
• Email
– One pre-call email per week
– One post-voicemail email after every voicemail message
• Voicemail
– One per week or every other week
16. How You Communicate (Types of Communication)
How Many Times You Reach Out (Repetition and Frequency)
What You Say (Sales Pitch)
Leverage the Gatekeeper
Organizational Movement
17. Typical Sales Pitch SalesScripter Sales Pitch
Company
Product
Features
Pricing
Goal: Closing sale
Benefits
Common problems
Questions probing for
problems
Differentiation
Customer examples
ROI
Goal: Starting conversation
18. How to Build a Strong Sales Pitch that Will
Increase Sales Results
https://salesscripter.com/portfolio-items/video-
intro/
Building a Powerful Sales Pitch Webinar:
19. How You Communicate (Types of Communication)
How Many Times You Reach Out (Repetition and Frequency)
What You Say (Sales Pitch)
Leverage the Gatekeeper
Organizational Movement
20. Prepare for Gatekeeper Objections
• What is this in regards to?
• Is this a sales call?
• We are not interested.
• Just send me your information.
21. How to Consistently Get Around Sales Objections
Webinar Recording
https://salesscripter.com/sales-training-webinar-
how-to-consistently-get-around-sales-objections/
More info on objection handling:
22. Using the Gatekeeper as a Resource
• Press “0” to go back to gatekeeper
– After receiving the prospect’s vm box multiple times
• Seek advice and assistance
– Ask for advice on connecting or organization
• Treat gatekeeper like a prospect
– Share value prop, common problems
– Ask probing questions
23. How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers
when B2B Cold Calling Webinar Recording
https://salesscripter.com/how-to-consistently-get-
around-gatekeepers-when-b2b-cold-calling/
Gatekeeper Webinar:
24. How You Communicate (Types of Communication)
How Many Times You Reach Out (Repetition and Frequency)
What You Say (Sales Pitch)
Leverage the Gatekeeper
Organizational Movement
25. CXO (CIO, CFO, CEO, COO)
VP of [department] (IT, HR, Finance, etc.)
Director of [department]
Manager of [department]
User/front-line worker
Vertical Movement
Organizational Movement
27. CEO
HR
VP of HR
Director of HR
HR Manager
HR Specialist
Finance
CFO (Chief Financial
Officer)
VP of Finance
Director of Finance
Finance Manager
Accountant
Marketing
CMO (Chief
Marketing Officer)
VP of Marketing
Director of Marketing
Marketing Manager,
Marcomm Manager,
Product Manager
Sales
VP of Sales
Director of Sales
Sales Manager
Sales Rep, Account
Manager
IT
CIO (Chief
Information Officer)
VP of IT
Director of IT
IT Manager
Engineer
Operations
COO (Chief
Operations Officer
VP of Operations
Director of
Operations
Operations Manager
Engineer
Organizational Movement
29. Round 1
Answer
Call?
Go Through
Call Script
Do Not Leave
Voicemail
Send Pre-Call
Email #1
Step #1 FIrst
Cold Call
Start
Yes No
Start Pause 1 Day
Call Cadence
30. Round 2
1 Day Pause Expires
Yes No
Call Back
Go Through
Call Script
Leave Voicemail
#1
Send Post VM
Email #1
Answer
Call?
Pause 7
Days
Call Cadence
31. Round 3
7 Day Pause Expires
Yes No
Pause 7
Days
Call Back
Go Through
Call Script
Do Not Leave VM
5 – 10 times
Leave
Voicemail #2
Send Post
VM Email #2
Answer
Call?
After 1 week
or 5 - 10
attempts
Start Step 1 -
Round 1 for New
Contact
Move Horizontally
and Laterally to
Find a New
Contact in
Organization
Call Cadence
32. Round 4
7 Day Pause Expires
Yes No
Call Back
Go Through
Call Script
Do Not Leave VM 5
to 10 Times
Leave
Voicemail #3
Send Post VM
Email #3
Potentially Close
Prospect as a Lead
and add to Email Drip
Campaign
Answer
Call?
After 1 week
or 5 - 10
attempts
Call Cadence
36. SMART Sales System
Sales Methodology Software Platform Professional Services
Sales Training
• Recorded Training Videos
• Live Sales Training (virtual)
• Live Sales Training (in-person)
• Custom Sales Training
37. SMART Sales System
Sales Methodology Software Platform Professional Services
• Sales Pitch Builder
• Library of Scripts and Templates
• CRM Functionality
• Email Automation
38. SMART Sales System
Sales Methodology Software Platform Professional Services
Sales Consulting
• Sales Pitch Development
• Sales Process Mapping
• Script Assessment
Sales Coaching
• One-on-One Sales Coaching
• Weekly coaching
• Coaching Hour Blocks
39. • By creating clarity for what to say and do, we will help you (your salespeople) to be SMART.
• By asking good questions, you will appear SMART.
• By appearing SMART, you will be able to make a better impression with the prospects you talk to.
• Having more information will make you SMART and this will help you to make better decisions
regarding what you do with your time and the prospects your pursue.
• By making SMART decisions, you will be more able to use your time wiser and get the most out
each day and week.
• By being SMART, you will position yourself to sell more and your job will be easier and less
stressful.
SMART Sales System
40. SMART Sales System
Pricing
• Software - $49 per user per month (40% discount for annual subscription)
• Sales Training – No cost on YouTube
• Scripter Walk-Through (2 hour engagement to create your pitch) - $200
For $249, you will get a full library of sales scripts,
emails, and tools