In this high-tech age, salespeople are shying away from the simplest and most efficient way of generating business:

Using the good old-fashioned phone.

I say “old-fashioned” because it is almost redundant technology these days, as people flock to text and other instant messaging programs to connect with friends and family and of course, their business connections.

It is almost cult-like and I hear all the time that people don’t like to intrude on other people’s time, so they try to be more convenient in their thoughts when connecting with others.

Well, I like a straightforward phone approach…it connects me directly with the person I want to talk to, and it gives me an emotional connection.

I can feel the persons emotion on the phone, whereas we all know the problem with getting the right level of emotion on a text or email.

In business, I want to rapidly connect with my target customers, I want to gauge the chances of me making a sale and I can do both from an initial phone call.

I’m not talking about the “boiler room” sales tactics here…I am talking about a carefully constructed approach where I can be honest with the person I am calling and actually tell them that I am selling something.

It is the lack of honesty and transparency that gets people’s backs up when they are cold called by a complete stranger and then told that they are not being sold to.

When you cold call someone, you are obviously making direct contact with a complete stranger, so you have to put yourself in their shoes and think about how you would respond.

But the chances are that you have been called in this way yourself, so you know how awkward and annoying it is.

So how could someone call you and get your attention so that they could deliver a message?

This is the way you must think of making a cold sales call and it comes down to 3 things:

1. State who you are and your company and that you will respect their time by getting off the phone as soon as possible
2. Tell them why you are calling and what you are offering
3. Allow them to respond to your offer and respect their decision

The first point is the key point.

If someone calls me and they tell me they will respect my time and try to keep the interaction as short as possible, then I am far more likely to let them speak than if they try to bulldoze me with a fast-pitched sales pitch.

The best part of this process is that it is measurable, and you can track the number of calls and the results that go with it.

If your call volume is high and the results are low, then you need to look at the pitch and if your results and call volume are low, then simply up the calls.

I am not in any way saying that other marketing methods should be avoided…in today’s digital world you need to look at everything…organic ranking, paid ads, social media marketing, etc.

But put cold calling in there and I know you will see the benefits for you to becoming a good salesman.

Related: “Cold Calling Still Works – If You Do It Right.”

By: Neil Franklin