My Time as a Cold Caller
The lessons I learned as a cold caller in the sales industry.
It's been eleven whole years since I've started cold calling.
I had the opportunity to work for a staffing agency expanding their business in their territories.
I was assigned to Baltimore, Maryland, and I would use Bullhorn, a Customer Relationship Management platform, to conduct my daily calls.
I made 300 calls a week at 60 calls a day.
Sometimes, I did more calls, but generally, it was 60 calls.
At the start, I was far from proficient in cold calling.
I would stumble on my words, change my voice inflection, and be super nervous.
I improved with practice and listening to the best cold caller in the office.
Jim Minson, a master of cold calling and now a dear friend, played a pivotal role in my learning journey.
He taught me so much about sales and cold calling.
I emulated his every word and did whatever to improve my call.
Let's break down what was said over the phone.
It's cool to break down the psychology behind the script.
Okay, here it is.
"Hi, this is Barnaby Alkire.
I'm calling because I have a question.
When it comes to hiring, who should I speak with?
Okay, great.
Hi {first_name}, I'm calling because I have a quick question.
I'm looking to help as a waiter and wanted to know if that role is available.
When would you be free for an interview?
Does tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. work better, or does 2:00 p.m. work better?
What's the best email so I can send over my resume?"
The script, while simple, proved to be remarkably effective.
Initially, I introduce myself and get to the point, which is a question.
Everybody loves answering questions.
I use the script above to find a job in the restaurant industry.
I ask open-ended questions and close when I get a qualifying answer.
I provide time options so they are guided into picking a time that works for them.
Oh, I forgot.
I specifically use "because" to provide a reason for my calling.
Using it allows a psychological hack into getting time on the phone.
It's a critical word when making cold calls.
When I call, I'll ask for help, which people love to help others, or I'll ask a question.
Both paths lead me into a conversation about where I want it to go.
Cold calling is not hard when you're prepared.
Having a script and a list of open-ended questions makes the process smoother and more successful.
A script makes it more likely for you to be successful.
Additionally, having a list of open-ended questions will increase your likelihood of having a positive conversation.
As a cold caller, I made 30,000 calls and sent countless emails to garner business for the companies I worked for.
It was fun while it lasted, but I grew tired of it.
I did the same thing over and over again and felt like I was a machine.
Initially, it was fun, but it grew old after a while.
The core of my approach to cold calling was providing value every time I made a call.
I was confident as a cold caller because I knew what I provided was of value.
My friend Jim referred me to a book called Go-Giver Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann.
The book changed my whole sales approach.
The beginning of my sales journey was all about tactics and tricks to convince and win the prospect.
When I read the book, it was more about listening, empathy, and providing value.
I am finding out how to be a resource and relieve the prospect's problem.
The other thing I learned was to speak in pictures.
I call it Object Oriented Speech.
Jim did a great job explaining complicated topics; I envied him because it seemed to come quickly.
He always painted a word picture to explain himself.
I learned a lot from him, and he's changed how I articulate my thoughts.
I did well as a cold caller, giving me the necessary skills to build a business one day.
The other aspect of cold calling is the refusal process.
I call it refusal rather than rejection because rejection is like someone you love stabbing you in the back.
A refusal is a denial of the offer at that time.
There could be a possibility that may change later down the road, and that’s my job to find out and to follow up at the next opportunity.
I was bothered getting a no, but I learned not to sweat it.
My job was to diffuse the bomb on the unexpected call and make a friend by the end of the conversation.
Cold calling is about taking risks and facing your fear of the unknown.
I wrote on a sticky note at my desk, what’s the worst thing that could happen?
Nothing.
It’s all in my head.
Anyway, I’d love to hear from you.
Quick question: What have you learned in your career?