How To Cold Call with Confidence

Sales people who master how to cold call with confidence know they have the power to command the income they desire. Success tends to breed success. Peace of mind comes after experiencing the benefits of a consistent income stream. Whether you work on commission or receive a salary plus performance bonus, cold calling is a tool that produces positive results.

Two of the most important qualities needed to cold call with confidence are:

1. The ability to listen to customer needs 

2. The ability to ask qualifying questions

Sometimes sales training covers everything about product features and benefits and fails to address the salesperson’s state of mind. If you’ve never made cold calls there’s a fair probability you could experience some form of call resistance. The old way was to ignore this very real issue and pretend the solution was to ‘power through’. Old fashioned thinking is one reason why there’s a huge turnover in the sales profession.

If you balk at the idea of making 100 calls a day, perhaps there’s an underlying issue to deal with first. Two incredibly positive techniques that will eliminate any maddening self-sabotaging actions are EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques or tapping) and ‘The Healing Codes’.

The truth is when one sits down to dial most of the people you try to reach will not answer the phone. In terms of production numbers I can tell you in recruiting, talking with 4 – 5 people an hour is a healthy target. If you call for 3 – 4 hours a day, odds are you’ll find a solid candidate. In the recruiting world, sending 4 – 5 candidates to interviews a week will equal 6 – 12 placements a month. Some industries are easier to recruit in than others however; top producers who cold call see the best results.

I’ve never met a recruiter who suggests they make cold calls eight hours a day. There’s no need. The activity generated from consistently calling three or four days a week for a few hours each time is massive. Consistency builds confidence and results create peace of mind. Early in a sales career it’s important for sales folks to understand sales calls are a necessary task.

We all have tasks. Mine include grocery shopping, picking up the dry cleaning, and a host of other not so glamorous jobs. Tasks become part of the routine and we do them without much fuss.

Calling with confidence may not come easy. If you’ve experienced call resistance then you know it’s both uncomfortable and can trigger anxious feelings that make no sense at all. Honor those feelings because they are authentic. The best solutions to call resistance I’ve come across in over twenty years of sales and having call resistance myself is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) &. ‘The Healing Codes’.

Both EFT & ‘The Healing Codes’ help the body and mind/heart release images and emotions from the past that may have wounded us in some way. They are both energy therapies. Tapping specific acupoints on the body sends vibrations throughout our system and blockages disappear creating a healthier free flow of energy. Old traumas impact our behavior today. As these dissolve through DIY energy therapies, we can re-pattern our brains and hearts for conditions we face today.

Consider this: If our parents advised us not to talk to strangers to keep us safe when we were small, we have that message within us 30 years later. If we internalized a message, “Talking to strangers is dangerous” that message remains within us. While it does not apply to our sales position the feeling lives on. Try a few solutions to dissolve inhibiting feelings. Emotional freedom is liberating.

One does not need to connect a cause to the feeling in order for it to dissolve. Both processes can be tailored to your needs.

If it’s important to your career to know how to cold call with confidence here are two solutions. As consistency increases, peace of mind follows. My personal transformation was subtle but my confidence (and sales) soared. Those receiving your calls will feel the power of conviction in your voice. When call reluctance dissolves you will truly be in command of your sales future.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, Author