Cold Calling: Like a Game of Table Tennis

By Leslie Buterin

www.ColdCallingExecutives.com

Being mentally prepared for successful cold calling is like being prepared for a verbal game of Table Tennis.

The truth about whether or not you are ready to win the game becomes evident immediately with the first whack of the paddle. Either you keep that little white ball in play for a nice volley or the ball repeatedly slams toward you, by passes your paddle, and leaves you chasing the bouncing ball as the other player takes a snooze.

Same goes for cold calling.

Your state of mental readiness (or lack there of) becomes evident with the first word you speak. Either you are prepared for the verbal exchange with your prospect, keep the conversation progressing during your 90-seconds of phone time and “score” with an appointment or you hear “thanks but no thanks” and a click on the other end of the phone more often than you care to admit.  

The most successful cold callers focus on cultivating thoughts that get them game-ready. These sales professionals fine-tune their abilities to keep prospecting conversations on track.

By way of brief example, one game-ready thought is the sales pro’s mental habit of following each of their prospect’s questions with a question of his own; another is in the sales pro’s ability to relentlessly redirect each of prospecting call toward scheduling an appointment.

For successful cold calls be sure to:

1. Mentally position yourself as equal to the decision makers you are calling.

2. Deliver the precise words that compel each prospect (and each executive assistant) to schedule a meeting with you.

3. Keep your 90-seconds of phone time with gatekeepers focused upon scheduling an appointment.

Like the game of Table Tennis, the cold call conversation has many, many volleys for which you, the successful sales pro, must be mentally prepared.

For your FREE mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit www.ColdCallingExecutives.com ! Or call the office of Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author, speaker, Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at  (816)554-3674 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time)