How to Communicate With Prospects While Cold Calling

The Ultimate Guide To B2B Cold Calling

How To Handle Objection On The Phone

A core attribution to a business’s success is to be financially strategic, in other words, if they already have a system going there may be some friction with talking them into trying something new. 

You are providing something these people need, resistance is typically caused by natural tendencies to stick with what you know.

It’s going to be very common that you are going to be experiencing a fair share of objections. Objections are not NO’s. 

If you get an objection- they haven’t hung up on you yet, so they’re still listening and hoping for you to overcome! 

1. Acknowledge – repeat the concern back to them and get confirmation. “So if I understand you correctly, you’re worried about X” 
2. Align – Get on their team – “That’s a totally reasonable concern and honestly it’s one of the reasons why our company exists”
3. Assure – Let them know why they can trust you “Honestly a lot of our clients were also worried about X and this is how we improved things for them. I’m certain we can do the same for you”

Objection Handling Examples

“Send Me An Email”

Caller	…can we find a 30-minute window next week to schedule a meeting?
Prospect	Send me an email and I’ll get back to you.
Caller	Sure thing, what’s the best email to send that to?
Prospect	[email protected]
Caller	Great, I’ll send you an email and include some times. So I can send over some reasonable times to connect – what day works best?
Prospect	Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best.
Caller	I have a 10:30 AM  and a 2:30 PM available on Wednesday Would either of those work for you?
Prospect	2:30
Caller	Great, I’ll send a calendar invite as a placeholder for you 2:30 on Wednesday the 5th, and if we need to reschedule that won’t be an issue. Also, before I get you off the phone, are there any major pain points within your operations that you feel like would be beneficial to your operations?

“I’m Too Busy”

Prospect	I don’t have time to think about this at the moment…
Caller	I hear what you’re saying, I’m not wanting to waste your time, if we can find a 20 minute block in your calendar we can schedule a meeting for us to discuss more at a time most convenient for you.

“Send Me More Info”

Prospect	Sounds interesting but I don’t like setting meetings with cold callers and getting stuck in a call that wastes my time. Could you just send me an email with a little more info?
Caller	Sure thing, what is your most direct email address- I can absolutely send that info over. While I’m writing that up let me ask you this: {Qualifying Question}
Prospect	Answers that question
Caller	Awesome, thanks for giving me some insight here. I’ve sent that email over, feel free to respond to that email with any questions, and I’ll shoot you a followup call next week to see what you think. Is there any day/time that you’d prefer?

“We Don’t Have Budget”

Prospect

I’m not sure that I’m in a position to purchase anything like this at the moment.

Caller

I completely understand that budget is always a concern especially for a growing company. We work with companies of all shapes and sizes so our team is excellent about working with a variety of different sized budgets. I still think that we can add some insight and value into your current processes. Our intro calls usually take 15-20 minutes and they are super low pressure. We never expect or push for anyone to make a purchase on the spot, It’s really more of an educational meeting where we can learn a bit more about your current needs and show you how we might be able to help.

“This Sounds Expensive”

Prospect	We don’t have a budget for this.
Caller	I’m sure cost and quality is important to you, given your placement in the company, trust me I don’t want to waste your time. If we can schedule a meeting whenever you’re most available, we can show you all of the benefits we offer for being a part of your team.

“Not Interested”

Prospect	We’re not interested, we have everything handled.
Caller	I understand, and I’m sure you’re getting called all the time from different companies, but do you mind me asking: {Qualifying Question}

“Not Decision Maker”

Prospect	Send me an email and I’ll pass it along.
Caller	That would be great, although if we could demonstrate our values to the decision-maker I feel like that could increase overall value for you. Can you share their contact info?

“Pricing”

Prospect

How much is your service  / What is your pricing model

Caller

That’s a good question, and to be honest, my manager would be the best person to go over pricing with you.  I do know we tailor fit the scope of our service to your needs and budget. That’s why he wants to set this 15-minute  zoom call with you so he can hear a little more of what you’re looking for, and he’s going to be the one to deliver an accurate quote to you. Would you be available on ( day and time)  for him to give you a callback and go over this?

“We Do This Internally”

Prospect

We have an internal team that handles this.

Caller

That’s no problem. In reality, most companies we speak with already have an internal team assigned to this. But what we’d like to do is hear what they’re currently doing and see if there’s anything we can do either compliment them or even take them to the next level. And that’s the whole purpose of this call, to see if you had 15 minutes for a quick Zoom conversation just so my manager can hear a little more about what you’re doing on that end?  Would you be available on ( day and time)  for him to give you a callback and go over this?

“Already Have A Vendor”

Prospect

We already outsourced this service to another company

Caller

That’s no problem. In reality, most companies we speak with already have an internal team assigned to this. But what we’d like to do is hear what they’re currently doing and see if there’s anything we can do either compliment them or even take them to the next level. And that’s the whole purpose of this call, to see if you had 15 minutes for a quick Zoom conversation just so my manager can hear a little more about what you’re doing on that end?  Would you be available on ( day and time)  for him to give you a callback and go over this?

“Can’t Use Our Services Now”

Prospect

We have no plans to do anything for the rest of this year / quarter.

Caller

That’s understandable. Most companies we speak with actually say something similar.  They’re putting things on hold until the next year/quarter or until things start trimming out. But that’s also why we want to speak with you is because we know even though this nothing might happen now when things do start to get better can you start reopening little by little, you’ll have us in your back pocket, and if it’s something we can do for you you at least have more information and our pricing. With that said, would you be available for my manager to give you a call back on (Day & Time)?

“No Budget”

Prospect	We don’t have a budget for this at the moment.
Caller	That’s no problem. We tailor fit the scope of our service to your needs and budget. And if you have time, my manager would like to hear a little bit more about what you are doing over there and take that info and deliver a non-obligation quote for you.  With that said, would you be available for my manager to give you a call back on (Day & Time)?

“Info Request”

Prospect	I prefer you to send an email before any appointment.
Caller	Okay, no problem, just to confirm, the email we have on file is (email), is that correct?   Great.   I’ll send this request to my manager in the next few minutes, and I’m sure he’ll get it out to you shortly.  And when will be a good time for him to give you a callback and go over everything you just read and answer any questions you may have? Does  (Day & Time) work for you?

How To Qualify Prospects While Cold Calling

Qualifying Questions are like our defensive moves in Cold Calling Jiu-Jitsu. 

9/10 if a prospect pushes back or tries to wrap up a call, your gut may tell you to accept that answer to avoid friction, and move on to the next prospect.

Success in calling (unfortunately) does not come that easy.

When a prospect shuts you down, make sure to

• Acknowledge what they are saying.
• Give appropriate rebuttals
• ALWAYS follow up with qualifying questions to get as much conversation as you can to build rapport.

Always ask open-ended questions that require conversational answers

• “What is the biggest pain point your company faces when it comes to ______” 
• “If you could change anything about _____ what would it be?” 

Never ask for yes/no answers- that can be an unintentional set up for giving them the chance to shut you down. 

• “Do you ever find yourself struggling with ____ in your operations”
• “No.”

The person that is in control of the call is always the one asking the questions. 

• “What do you like and dislike about your current ______?”
• “Okay, well our software can provide ___ which would combat that issue, may I ask how long you’ve been struggling with this for?”

Always answer questions (or deflect) when they’re asked but always be prepared to load up another question to keep control of the call. 

• “How is this any different than what I’m currently using?”
• “Our tools are specifically designed for companies like yours, also if you don’t mind me asking  QUALIFYING QUESTION PERTAINING TO CLIENT ” 

How To Build Rapport With Busy People

Rapport is a relationship characterized by agreement, mutual understanding, or empathy that makes communication possible or easy.

Good rapport isn’t about ‘making best friends’ with the caller, the secret is creating a relaxed phone call where both parties are able to converse freely and comfortably.

Making someone feel comfortable early in your call gives you an “in” for the conversation, and it makes a great first impression for our client’s company!

Examples of Building Rapport

“Hey is this Adam? Perfect, I’m Amanda from Saleshive and I’ve been looking for the person that’s in charge of ____ for _____. Would that be you?”

• When you open with “I’ve been looking for…”, It sounds like there was an effort to find their position within the company, rather than cranking through numbers on a list.
• Use what you know about the prospect or their company to establish a connection. Start your conversation with a clear idea about the other person, particularly when it comes to working.

“Hello, is this  Mr. Jones? Perfect, I’m Amanda with Saleshive, I understand that you’re the person in charge of bringing in new business opportunities and ensuring sales quotas are met, is that correct?”

• Rapport doesn’t solely need to be created at the beginning of the call, it can be built throughout the whole call, it’s especially the easiest to build when the call starts to go a little sour.

“I know your time is stretched thin, and I have to admit, I’m super busy myself, that’s exactly why I would like to schedule an appointment for when we can introduce ourselves and explain how we can be a great part of the team at a time more convenient for you.” 

Building Trust With Different Personalities

Analytical Require a deeper knowledge about the subject before getting convinced on a particular matter.	Amiable  Require personal relationships, trust, and empathy in the sales process.
Assertive Expect information to be delivered in the quickest way possible because they are goal-oriented.	Expressive  They value the welfare of the people who can be affected by their choices.

An In-Depth Look At Personality Types

Analytical

• Focus on providing information relevant to what your business can do for them. Use specific data that shows exact representations of facts to attract attention and stir interest. These people are informed and detail-oriented, be specific, direct, and confident when delivering your pitch.
• Expect questions and clarifications during the selling process. This indicates that they’re interested in knowing your business more. 
• These questions aren’t objections, they are “Need to Knows”

Amiable

• Make yourself likable by creating a good impression and recognizing their presence. Making them feel valued helps with building a relationship. Qualifying questions allow them to share their thoughts about a certain product. Address their needs based on answers.
• Pitch a relatable situation for their company to help them to visualize your product to see the benefits. 

Assertive

• Don’t spend too much time on the introduction or fluff. Get to the heart of your pitch right away. 
• Use their highly competitive nature to your advantage by showing them the ways your product could help them beat their competitors. 

Expressive

• Don’t spend too much time on facts and figures. They are more interested in how their buying decisions will affect their business on a human level.
• Ensure them that the sales cycle will include an ongoing relationship. Give case studies that explain how your business made an impact on other organizations.
• Explain what your business can do for them with a possible outcome they may encounter after the purchase. Connect with them and establish a deeper level of relationship by tapping into their emotions. 

How To Become Product Experts

The best callers aren’t getting lucky. They are obsessed with becoming experts for their clients. The more you know about what you’re selling, the easier it’ll be to handle objections and confidently present value to your prospects.

Leverage Your Resources

• Read the Playbook and CC Strategy Doc provided by your strategist!!
• These documents are designed to make your life easy, providing you with all the essential info.

Leverage The Internet

• So, there’s this super awesome website called Google… ; )
• Read Company Blogs
• What are competitors doing? What makes your client different?
• Look for and Follow other leaders in the industry on LinkedIn
• Connect with your client’s sales reps on Linked In to see what they are posting about.
• Review the client’s website to learn how they position themselves
• The “About Our Company” section and published Case Studies will set you up with stories that will help build rapport with your prospects.

Leverage Your Team!

• If you’re struggling to find the information you need, go to your Peers, they should be able to lead you in the right direction and provide you with best practices.
• If your Peers aren’t quite cutting it then reach out and schedule time with your Team lead, as they can help you do a deep-dive into your client’s company and industry.
• Write down a list of questions and give them to your strategist OR request to join a client check-in meeting with your strategist.

Know The Basics Before Your First Call!

• Bullet points of the services the company provides?
• Where are you located?
• What’s your company website?
• What is your Sales Rep’s name?
• What is your callback number?

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