Cold callers, let's get one thing straight.

It is not your job to beg, plead or convince your way into your prospects calendar.

In fact, it's the other way around.

The prospect should be convincing you why you should offer them a meeting. This single shift in mindset will change your entire sales career.

The Prospect's World, Not Yours

A prospecting call should be centred round the prospects world, their problems and the impact of said problems.

Your role is not to pitch features. Your role is to be a detective. It is your job to listen to the answers and decide if they warrant a further conversation.

You are the selector. You are the one with the valuable solution. Your time is precious. This is exactly what we teach in our SDR training program – shifting from pitch mode to qualification mode.

This is the key to working smarter, not harder, which we discussed in The 'Always On' Sales Myth: Stop Working Harder.

The One Question That Flips the Script

If you're far enough into the call and you've identified a potential challenge, the conversation needs to pivot. You need to put the responsibility of finding a solution onto the prospect.

Ask a question like this:

"How would you see this service or product fitting in with you, your team or your company?"

Then shut the front door and listen hard.

The answer you get tells you everything.

Why 'Curious' Is a Red Flag

Do not accept answers such as "I could be curious to maybe learn more."

It's wishy washy, and needs challenging. We all know what 'curious' really means. It means "I'll take your free information" or "I'm not interested enough to think about this seriously." It's a polite "no."

You need concrete answers. You need language that gives buying intent.

What Real Buying Intent Sounds Like

When you ask the right questions, a qualified prospect will sell themselves to you. You will hear answers like:

  • "I spend far too much time doing xyz and this would fix that."
  • "I don't have the expertise that you offer and we need it."
  • "My current process is costing me a fortune and this seems simpler."

When you hear this, you've struck gold.

The prospect is not only convincing you. They're convincing themselves. They are verbalizing their own pain and connecting your solution to it without you having to do any "convincing" at all.

The Payoff: Better Meetings, More Sales

This strategy is about respect. Respect for your time and the prospect's.

A prospect who has qualified themselves to you is twice as likely to show up to the next meeting.

They'll also thank you for the cold call. Why? Because you weren't a pushy salesperson. You were a professional consultant who helped them identify a problem. You didn't waste their time, and you didn't beg. You had an authoritative conversation, just like when you Aim High: Why I Call the CEO First.

And most importantly, this prospect is much more likely to buy at the end.

Happy dialling.