The document discusses strategies for effective cold calling. It recommends doing research on target industries, companies, and individuals. Contacting gatekeepers respectfully and finding common interests can help reach decision makers. When speaking to them, being relaxed, finding common ground, and engaging them in conversation increases the chances of moving the discussion forward. Following up calls with a thank you email can reinforce the message.

1. In Cold Calling, Part 1, we’ve explored the various trends in cold calling, and comprehended the
value it offers in this day and age of digital communication. We’ve seen how being consistent is
important and accepting failure is part of the game. But all this is moot if you don’t get the right
person at the end of your line.
I remember one of the first jobs I did (I don’t even think it’s on my resume!) where I had to spend
hours trying to get in touch with the ‘right people’, only to be sidelined by their assistants and voice
mails. In today’s world, where people are more enthusiastic about networking and freer in
publishing their contact details, it may be a little easier to get in touch with them via social media.
But when it comes to phone calls, smart targeting is still the number one way to reach your
contacts.
Do your research: Prior to picking up the phone, spend some time analyzing the objectives of the
call. What is it you want to achieve? Which are the industries you want to target? The companies
you want to reach? What are the problems you can solve? Once you list these, you can begin to
focus on the person you will be calling. Very often, you may assume it’s the marketing director who
makes the purchase decisions, when it actuality, it’s left to the marketing manager to manage
budgets and prioritize spending.
Widen your contact base within the organization: Can you leverage the help of the human
resources manager to get to the decision maker? How about someone in the customer service

2. team; can they help? Using internal contacts who can recommend you often makes a stronger
case for your sales pitch.
Treat gatekeepers with respect: It may be easy to get impatient and frustrated with those
blocking your path – the junior sales executive who picks up the phone, the executive assistant
who refuses your call, and the receptionist who will not patch you through – but they often hold the
keys to your final sale. Be courteous, polite and kind, and award them the same respect you would
the decision maker. After all, they are just doing their job, and it’s your task to convince them to let
you through.
Once you’ve reached the decision maker, now comes the hard part – you have got to convince him
you’re the real deal.
It takes between 10 to 30 seconds to make up your mind about the person you meet; it can take
half that time over the phone. When you speak to someone over the phone, you automatically
create an impression in the person’s mind – be anxious and nervous, and you will fail to convey the
confident image necessary to convince him he needs to speak to you.
Cold calling can be an intimidating process as you are speaking to someone you don’t know. The
person at the other end will not be able to judge you by your body language; his impression will be
made based on the tone of your voice. Here are a few things you can do to lessen your anxiety:
Relax: Deep breathing exercises are a cold-caller’s life saver. They help the stomach and throat
muscles relax, allowing you to sound confident.
Use a mirror: A mirror allows you to observe your facial expressions – is your forehead scrunched
in concentration? Are you tense or smiling? Are your shoulders hunched? Use the mirror to help
you relax, which in turn will be conveyed in your voice.
Find commonality: We’ve done our research on the decision maker. Now it’s time to use this to
speak in a language he understands. No one likes to pick up the phone to a sales pitch. Instead,
spend the first few minutes chatting about what you think your prospect might like to here. For
example, if he’s an avid golfer, you can start with a simple introduction like, “Hello, my name is
Andy McGregor and I work with XYZ Company. Tom Nielsen and I golf together, and he suggested
I get in touch with you. He thought you might like to hear more our XYZ product.” That leaves you
an option to discuss a common friend (Tom Nielsen), a common interest (golf), and of course, the
product you mentioned.

3. Practice your sales pitch: Never go blind into a phone call as you can stumble and lose
momentum. Instead, practice each sales pitch no matter how cheesy it may seem. Use the mirror
to study your posture and tone and if you can get an audience to hear you out, then even better.
Follow through: Use the speed and efficiency of an email to follow up your sales pitch.
Remember to keep it short and sweet as many executives read their communication off their
blackberry. Convey your thanks, reinforce your message and sign off with what you agreed to
(another phone call, an offer to send material across etc).
There’s more to a two way conversation than to just deliver your practiced spiel. Engage your
listener in your conversation, get him interested, have him ask questions…the more involved he is
in the conversation, the greater the chances he will ask to meet with you or see your products. And
above all, never forget to ask for the deal or get a commitment as to the next steps you will
be taking.
POSTED IN: REVENUE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT / TAGGED: COLD CALLING, MARKETING & SALES
ALIGNMENT,SALES EFFECTIVENESS, SALES ENABLEMENT
A thought-leader in the technology marketing space, Julie Bevacqua is a leading expert in
business-to-business (B2B) marketing with hands-on executive experience in corporate, industry,
and product marketing; demand management; and social media. She has held executive positions
at global enterprise software companies, heading up integrated marketing strategies from brand
differentiation, demand generation, sales and marketing integration, and digital marketing
strategies to media and analyst relations and corporate social responsibility.
By taking every opportunity to extend the company’s digital footprint, Julie guides her team to
achieve online dominance within the global marketplace. A natural networker, motivator and
mentor, Julie shares her marketing and business savvy through her blog www.JulieBevacqua.com.
Business and corporate marketers and entrepreneurs gain unique insights into the latest
techniques on digital and social marketing that can be applied in any organization.
Julie lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia, a haven for technology and enterprising
upstarts, dubbed ‘Silicon North’.
Reach Julie Bevacqua at:

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