Hi All! I am totally freaked out. I have to cold-call. Need help. Yeah. I have read tons of articles about overcoming one’s fear blah blah blah. Guess what? It doesn’t help. I am still sitting w/ sweaty palms. Advice is needed. Urgently.
What sort of business is it, and are you cold-calling a list of people likely to want the product or is it just random people in the phone book?
I am working for a local telco company; I have a list of clients (no phone nr, nothing) that use other telcos (obviously,) and I am desperately trying to arrange a meeting w/ IT guy or preferably CEO… C’mon… This is driving me mad… I am looking for info in the net, I dig whatever I can about a potential client; my problem is that I often hit the wall of “sending whatever you have by e-mail” which is considered a no-no thing for me. Only a meet, yeah. Often the problem is a secretary I can’t “overcome.” Even if I am lucky and I somehow get to CEO, my voice/confidence etc leaves me and I am still unable to arrange a meeting. I have a script that was written by my boss, I mean, he knows/hears my issues, but he is no babysitter to sit through the calls and hold my hand. I really have no idea how should I proceed b/c I have to arrange a lot of meetings. There is a list of “very rich/important” potential clients, and I am scared to death to call them. BTW, I have to call them starting from tomorrow. God (and other Holy Entities) help me. I have not been trained; I have never done this before.
IMPORTANT P.S. I am calling only businesses; so those are not “ordinary” people I am talking to.
Is this temporary or more long term gig?
If it is not temporary then my advice, for what it is worth, is don’t do it. Dig ditches or anything else but do this. Cold calling saps the soul. Unless you are a nicely commissioned sales person, don’t do it.
However, if it is a temporary gig then it might do you good because it will get you used to talking with unfriendly people and rejection. This is not bad as it will help overcome your fear.
Cold calling sucks. I did it breifly for an HVAC company. They assured me it the position was sales and no cold calling. The people I was calling, though, had put their names in a raffle with the fine print on the ticket saying they agreed to be contacted regarding products.
So, while it was exacly cold calling…it was. I could pit that POS company further, but shall refrain.
Once I figured that little ploy out, I spent most of the time I was supposed to be calling staring at the list of contacts with a dreadful feeling of wanting to die rather than call.
Being scared and uncomfortable doesn’t kill you. No ones going to murder you through the phone - at worst they tell you off rudely, but, WTF do you care? You’re sitting with sweaty palms, I get it. So? Just pick up the phone and the sooner you do it, the sooner its done. I hate cold calls myself and get that adrenalin fight or flight feeling. There is no advice. Just experience the fear and do what you have to do.
No easy way around this - but if you are talking to businesses, pretend they are “friends of a friend”. In other words, be very polite and direct - let them know off the bat why you are calling and what you want. Don’t beat around the bush and just start off with “My name is [first name] and I am calling to find out if you would be interested in…”.
This way, the person on the other line can say no and that is the end.
If they say yes, you can go from there - but at least the original calls should be brief and less painful.
Expect lots of abrupt “no’s” and hang ups. But if you are short and sweet and to the point, the calls will also be short and sweet and over soon - unless someone is interested and then you can put on that charm of calling a “friend of a friend” and go from there.
Good luck. Sucky job.
I had a job cold calling and we also had a script. It was terrible. I know what you’re going through.
What are you most nervous about? Objections? Rejections? Talking to strangers?
My advice: Plan for everything. The more prepared you are, the better you will feel. The script is a good start. You should also be working on any responses to common objections and be able to answer any questions the client might have.
Trust in yourself. It’s not unlike anything else. If you want to accomplish something you have to believe you can do it first. When I have issues with uncertainty, I use affirmations. I just tell myself “I’m smart, strong, good-looking, and easy-going. Nothing can phase me.” Or “calm down. I can do this. Just stay cool, calm, and collected.” Like just literally reminding yourself so as not to let the nerves run wild.
Be loud and be friendly. It conveys confidence and will loosen you up pretty quickly. Also, you want to try to establish a friendly type relationship before you start business even if it only is established with a few short sentences. So, in other words, be human before just getting down to business.
Don’t worry. You got this. 
I am the secretary you have to over-come. It’s not personal. I don’t hate you for calling, and while you have mildly disturbed me, and there is perhaps a trace of annoyance in my voice, it is also my job to answer the phone and deflect the calls that I know the people I take calls for do not want to have to deal with.
Again, it’s not personal. The calls are your job to make, and my job, most of the time, to make go away. Even if I did connect you to someone here, it wouldn’t get you anywhere, certain decisions are made by our head office and we have no control over them.
I do try to be as polite and friendly as I can and not be too rude or abrupt, but that somewhat depends on how pushy or aggressive the caller is. It also depends on how many sales calls I’ve had that day, and how many scammers have hung up in my ear when I question their legitimacy.
I can see it being a soul-sucking and demoralizing job. Try not to let it get to you. I suspect that you will hear at least a hundred no’s for every yes.
The classic ploy is to call during lunchtime when someone else is covering the phones for the secretary. Say that the CEO (or whoever) is expecting your call. The person filling in for the secretary won’t want to make any mistakes and will likely put you through.
I don’t have any good advice but maybe this will make you feel a little better:
Back during the 2008 elections, Obama’s team was trying to get people to make calls for donations. They found the best way to do this was to get people to pledge to make five calls. This number was low enough that most people could say “Fine, I’ll do five calls” but also apparently crossed a psychological barrier between “This is horrible” and “Eh, I survived.” After making five calls, a lot of people stayed on because they had gotten over the hump and were no longer intimidated by the very notion of cold calling.
Doesn’t mean they enjoyed it from then on, but the psychological boogeyman was gone.
I’ve cold called in the past, and still do some (warm calling) today. I’m also on the receiving end of a lot of cold calls, so I can see both sides.
Do you have confidence in your product/service? Hope so, because it makes it a helluva lot easier to sound convincing.
A couple of recommendations that worked for me:
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Always refer to them in the formal (Mr. Smith, Ms. Jones, etc.) until given permission to use their first name.
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Ask if they have a few minutes to talk to you. If they say they don’t, ask when you can call back, or if you can set up a meeting with them. Nothing worse than starting on your two-minute script while they’re walking into a meeting or worse, the chicken curry they had for lunch is causing some distress. A personal pet peeve of mine is when a caller says to me, “Listen Mr. Sandwich, I know you’re busy, but…” Ah, so you KNOW I’m busy, you just don’t care.
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Ask targeted questions about their current product/service, and explain how you think you can help them. It’s usually going to be a savings of cost or features (which usually leads to increased efficiency, which is a cost benefit, etc.).
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When talking to the receptionist, don’t ask for “the CEO” or “the IT Manager.” Ask for the person by name.
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When the receptionist answers the phone, if she offers her name, use it. “Thank you for calling ACME Company, this is Julie, how can I help you?” “Hi, Julie this is JustHer calling from XYZ Corp, may I please speak with Mr. Jones?”
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Be friendly and confident, but don’t be “salesy.” No one likes being sold to. But if your product or service addresses a common problem that these companies may have, you’re actually helping them.
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CEOs are people too. They watch reality TV. They eat chicken wings. The drink beer. It just might be a on a bigger TV, the chicken wings might be hand massaged with garlic butter and white wine by Wolfgang Puck, and the beer might be flown in every day from Belgium, but they’re still just people. Just because you’re taking to a CEO (or some other C-level person) don’t think they’re all Trumps. Some are just worried about how to keep the doors open and keep their staff employed.
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Failing to set up a meeting, or even talking to someone is not a failed call. Now you have a reason to call them back and a talking point: “Hey Julie, I’ve been trying to reach Mr. Jones for the past few days, is he in?” Or, “Mr. Jones, I called the other day and left a voice mail. Did you happen to get that?”
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LinkedIn. I kinda hate to even bring this up, because it can get abused so much. But I’ve had success in the past by reaching out to one of my contacts on LinkedIn who has a link to the potential client I’m trying to contact.
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Do a little research on every company you’re calling. Even a two minute internet search to get an understanding of their product and services.
Lastly, and this is just my opinion, but if the products you’re company is selling is primarily a cost benefit (your circuit costs or lower than your competitors) instead of a technology or feature benefit (IP PBX vs. standard PBX, UAC, etc.), the CEO and IT Manager are not the guys you want to connect with. You want to talk to the CFO, and explain how your products/services can improve their balance sheet.
Hope that helps; YMMV. Good luck. Cold calling can suck, just try to make the best of it.
Slam the phone down hard on your genitals five or six times. After that, just being hung up on will seem trivial.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL for your support!!
This day has finally ended, which is good. I was able to arrange a meeting w/ one weirdo, but he is no longer my problem… Quite frankly, I talked him into it, and I feel a bit remorseful. The salesperson who is going to meet him isn’t particularly fond of meeting this guy, but hey, he was on the list. Not my fault.
I guess it’s a long-term thing; at least until I am sacked (nobody wants a salesperson who doesn’t sell a thing, right?)
Guys, I was able to finally speak with my own voice (not all the time obviously, but I am progressing. Slowly.) I have listened to several recordings of my conversations; my boss has corrected me a few times; has updated the script (which is good.)
As to linkedin, I am somewhat scared to use it because business people might find it intimidaing that I have searched specifically for somebody. Maybe it’s wrong, but had I been a businesswoman, I would have never put any info on my company on such web-pages. It becomes too personal.
BTW, I am not allowed to mention our current clients to potential ones; so whenever there is a question of “who ARE you” there isn’t much I can say. I think it’s a flaw, but I guess we have to respect the way things are…
I have no idea why I stay here and do what I do. I was employed during my job interview (yeah, I was lucky enough to shake hands w/ my employer after my speech on how and why I quit my previous job.)
I have come to conclusion that there is no universal recipe for this sort of thing. I have to be as creative as I possibly can. Well, my painting skills suck; singing too. I guess the only thing I have left is my imagination, and I have to use it as much as possible to show that HELL YES I am different from all the other cold-callers. Man, it’s tough.
JustHer, it is very tough. But I’d say it’s worthwhile. Look at it this way. You’re going to make a paycheck and you will learn a lot.
Everyone is just a person. Don’t be intimidated just because they sit behind a desk at a corporation. Everyone likes a little humor and everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time.
The best way to overcome fear is to just keep doing it. You will realize the worst that can happen is they get annoyed and get off the phone. Big deal, that’s part of the gig. Go fast and make a lot of calls, you will feel more and more comfortable the more people you talk to. The more you THINK about a call and get worked up and worried before you make it, the worse it goes. You know what you are doing, just wing it and keep going and you will keep getting better at it.
Good luck!
**Pannacione, **I am definitely not earning lots of $ by cold-calling; I can tell you as much… C, I always try to find additional motive for whatever I do, apart from the obvious. I just don’t seem to comprehend why I am doing this and where it leaves me. Damn, I am >20y.o., I can’t spend my whole life doing this… It may seem odd for a person w/ MA degree to be doing… this sort of thing. Oh, whatever. Sometimes I think that my life is a waste… Or not. Again, whatever.
**Sterling, ** I know feel much confident than before; I guess you’re right. After a hundred calls or so there just isn’t an answer that can surprise me. Yeah, my clients are predictable. Very. **Shark Sandwich ** has made a point about building a rapport between me and whoever I am talking to; BTW, answering to the question about features my company is advertising, well… It’s actually IP PBX, and yes, I am supposed to explain in a few words how/why it improves potential client’s management of THEIR clients. I DO learn a lot (since I have to actually understand and appreciate the technology I am supposed to force upon unsuspecting victims.)
It’s merely an observation, but the less I think about the rejection, the better I feel after the call. As someone has stated, the more calls you make, the more confident you feel. Yes, I was never excellent in public speaking; I was too afraid to speak up. Maybe after a few months this working experience will bring what all the lectures have failed - confidence in my voice and posture (yeah, head up, shoulders back, not vice versa.)
The battle (and the debates) w/my uncertainty has begun. Guess who wins? 
If you are worried about your voice quivering or butterflies in your stomach or whatever, you can always get your doctor to prescribe you some beta-blockers. They are a life-saver if you are prone to physical symptoms from anxiety.
Thanks for the advice, but I’d like to overcome my fear (which I do, gradually) on my own… With the help of great folks who give lots of additional info on how to cope efficiently w/ my doubts about the job you are doing
I have read tons of advices by now; however, I am not certain how to approach the “be interested in clients’ needs” thing. The point is that I have tried to make respondents open up to me and explain what challenges they face and why they are reluctant to change anything in the way their business operates. Most CEOs not to mention “IT guys” are not willing to share bits of their corporate identity w/ some stranger on the phone, hence not knowing what actually they are dealing with, I have no “universal” treat for them -> they are NOT INTERESTED. Sometimes I really feel disappoined b/c somehow I feel as if I have failed somebody (most of all, my potential clients) and yeah, I am willing to help people to make the right choice and move forward from PBX to low-cost IP PBX. I just have no idea how to approach this subject BEFORE they say “no,” and after that whatever I say just doesn’t hit them. I really wanna know how and what to say b/c everyday I speak to so many people that I am too afraid to make incorrect conclusion about their needs. Hell, it sounds rubbish but this is what I do every day. Sometimes I just feel that this job is totally not for my personality, I tend to analyze so much info before the call that I feel disappointed that I couldn’t show my knowledge about company’s branches (locations, specifics for telco etc) during the call. I feel bad when I can’t get info either. The only logical conclusion that I have come up with is that I have to gather as much info I can b/c u never know when it comes in handy. I just wanna forget all the clients that said “no” and remember “the good” ones… Sometimes I feel that I have to let it go, my working hours are over, but just for today, tomorrow starts all over again but… Just tomorrow. I wish somebody would guide me through this all… Or maybe not. Yeah, I was never trained to do sth like that, so I am a bit shaky… Have you ever come across a person that has constant doubts about pretty much everything, including herself? Well, here I am… I have no idea why I feel so scared about everything… I guess it’s just… Me. Yeah. This is who I am. If my employers have sth against me, it’s their problem. I do what I have to do. Good or bad, but I do my best. All the time.