How do you overcome stalls and smokescreens in cold calling?

1. A clear introduction: Who are you,why are you calling 2. Establish Relationship: Congratulate on their Recent personal/Company-related success! Use of keywords related to the industry- show them you know the industry and its problem- be specific 3. Ask them if they are facing similar problems 4. Propose the product, focus on the Pain point it solves 5. Claim Authority with Testimonials from similar Clients 5. Offer them an Exclusive free demo or freebie strategy consultation or strategy audit. Say it's your exclusive offer for a limited time Even if they hang up or feel uninterested, at least try getting their email address so that you can get the information about your product/services to them. Reiterate, revise, and Repeat.

At the end of the call, after they agree (with confidence or not), ask qualifying questions. This will help separate the wheat from the chaff and make a real lead more quality, and reveal some who is not really open to next steps.

Mastering Cold Calling: 5 Tips to Crush Stalls and Smoke Screens Cold calling doesn't have to be daunting. Here are 5 strategies to ace it: 1. **Research**: Know your prospect inside-out. Knowledge is your secret weapon. 2. **Compelling Opener**: Craft an attention-grabbing opening pitch. Make them curious. 3. **Listen Actively**: Hear their concerns, acknowledge them, and show empathy. 4. **Trust-Building**: Share success stories and mutual connections. Trust opens doors. 5. **Persistence**: Don't give up after one call. Follow up strategically. Keep these in your sales toolkit, and watch your cold calls turn into warm leads.

To overcome stalls and objections in cold-calling, learn to embrace the "No." No is the second best answer you can get next to Yes. If you aren't afraid of disqualifying prospects, then you will likely be more adept at breaking through stalls and smoke screens. Dig into the meat of the smoke screen and isolate the true objection. Welcome the opportunity that is weeding out unqualified prospects. Happy hunting!

This is always simple for me. I am open and honest about the call. I have a need for a position, I noticed on your LinkedIn or resume that you have some of the traits or skills that align with what we are looking for. Can we speak for a few minutes to see if this aligns with your career aspirations and with my company's mission, vision, and values?

You will find times where prospects throw up an objection that may or may not be real. Examples: "I'm in a meeting right now" "Send me an email" "I don't take cold calls" Be persistent but fair, push back once on each objection (as they come about). You never know what may have happened in the prospect's daily life (yelled at by a superior, family issues, broken down car on the way to work etc.) so don't take it to heart if they get angry and slam the phone. Document your findings and try a different approach in a week or so before disqualifying the prospect from your list.

The real issue is much less of a concern if you have a clearly defined objective - in my experience, if you’re able to go all the way, then go all the way. This may not be applicable to all, but is good context: A business partner and I wanted to present our network security software to an industry leader. So, instead of calling cold we showed up cold, and from their lobby, we emailed the VP of Ops and told him that we have breached their network. 5 mins later, he shows up with security. To not look like fools, we had to create a breach… We did so in the VP’s presence by calling the receptionist a few feet away as “IT”, citing the commotion in the lobby and her PC as cause, and then “I need to steer for you, what’s your PW?” And we’re In!

The key is not to be presumptuous, but genuinely interested in the prospect's current status relating to the products you are offering, ask questions, this is the knowledge you are receiving for free, and if you continue a consistent cold calling process, in a relaxed format, and be an executive advisor, you will see patterns in the responses, making you a master of understanding a buyers mindset, the code to break through the door. You want to get to the full transparency phase, understanding the mindset of the buyer. This takes time, you can suggest continuing to build the relationship, by email and sending relative information on alternative suggestions they may not have thought about. Success is generally not attained overnight.

Absolutely, identifying the real issue is like being a detective in the world of sales – you're searching for hidden clues behind those stalls and smokescreens, and the more you uncover, the closer you get to solving the mystery of your prospect's hesitation, ultimately helping you tailor your approach and provide the answers or reassurances they need to move forward confidently.

Cold calling is like a video game: Stage 1: who you are and why your calling ** Stage 2: address the concern and see how they've fixed it or if they even knew they had an issue.** Stage 3: level set they're expectations** Stage 4: get them to refer a friend whether or not they buy.** Stage 6: make sure they know everything is timing and you'll call again** (** option closing is key to move to the next stage)

What utter nonsense. Using closes from the 70’s won’t get you far. “Ma’am, you can think about this over the weekend, but the price goes up on Monday!” With today’s well educated buyers the best way to work around “call me next quarter etc” is to ask a question. “Happy to do so, Maya, but what’s going to change by next quarter?” Why is this helpful? Now we are going to learn if A) there’s real interest in a future conversation or B) this is someone being polite and wanting to avoid discomfort.

On a B2B level it can be a real challenge to create authentic urgency. Urgency, is typically felt at the individual level, and due to the nature of B2B sales and having multiple stakeholders in the decision it's difficult to create urgency across the deal. However, there are a few ways it can be done: 1. Changes in regulation and compliance law. 2. Highlight the risk/cost of inaction. 3. Highlight the positive impact to business. Now no. 1 is going to be industry specific and won't be applicable for many deal types. But arguably a combination of 2 and 3 is the only way to create true, authentic urgency in a B2B sale. Remember, people are for more likely to purchase to avoid a potential loss, than they are for an equal gain.

Creating a sense of urgency is a a myth when it comes to B2B selling. The first thing you need to recognize, is that in a business transaction, or "deal," there usually many moving parts. When it comes to cold calls, they are an effective way to uncover urgency. In this case, urgency means there is an indication of a problem, that is also a relatively high priority. The goal of cold out reach is to create a conversation, not add pressure.

Providing value is the key here, and not creating urgency. After passing through the initial objection(s) on the call, you can ask the prospect if they resonate with pain #1, or instead have issue #1 that you have helped others with similar titles/positions with. Then you can ask open-ended questions to drill down a bit further (ex. How are you currently handling problem #1 right now?) This allows the prospect to speak freely about their pain, and you to confirm it exists. Finding out more information and confirming there is a pain to solve, will lead to how impactful this pain is, which can lead to generating an idea of how urgent it is to fix. Only then can you discern the potential for the velocity this deal/opportunity might have.

For me, the next step in overcoming stalls and smokescreens is to show how valuable and urgent my offer is. I focus on demonstrating how my product or service can genuinely help solve their issues or enhance their situation. To create a sense of urgency, I highlight the benefits of acting quickly and the potential downsides of waiting. For instance, I might share a success story from another client or mention a limited-time discount. In one call, I shared a testimonial that showed how someone in a similar situation benefited from my service, which helped the prospect see the value and encouraged them to move forward.

There are effectively 4 outcomes that can happen as the result of a call. (Each of these can have more detailed reasons and factors with dispositions that are worth tracking over time.) 1. Interest & meeting booked 2. Interest but poor timing (nurture) 3. Wrong contact (gather information) 4. No interest (no problem to solve) Closing the "deal" is not one of the outcomes at this stage. Instead, we're looking to open the door.

In my experience, continually checking in throughout a customer conversation and restating their needs will help you successfully get to the confirm and closing step. If you restate something and perhaps misunderstood, you’ll be corrected immediately and can talk about. This is better than getting to the confirmation and close and realizing you presented a non-viable solution. If you are not on the same page as your client, you’ll find yourself stuck when you get here because their needs are not being met.

I haven't worked transactional positions much, but there hasn't been a time I could one-call close someone into signing a contract on a platform/service they've never seen before... do better LinkedIn. Jokes aside, address any objections the prospect may have about moving forward (booking a discovery/demo call primarily) or learning more about your platform/service via a whitepaper, case study or other marketing material. Your goal is to continually push the deal forward and not let it stall out. Try to book the second call right on the first, and confirm that prospect has received the link prior to letting them go. That way, you've ensured your job is done to highest level you control in this deal cycle.

I totally agree that the final step in overcoming stalls and smokescreens is to confirm everything and close the deal. It's important to recap the key points of our conversation and address any last concerns they might have. After that, I ask for a commitment or suggest the next steps. I might use techniques like trial closes, asking if they’re on board with my solution, or presenting them with options to choose from. For instance, I could say, “Do you prefer option A or option B?” This approach helps gauge their interest and moves them closer to making a decision.

Follow-up is key. Even if you feel you do not have any information, whatever you have is better than leaving a candidate in the dark.

Follow up, follow up, follow up. I can not tell you how many times I've told reps to work in a simple reminder to call, email, or social touch a prospect who is within their deal cycle responsiblity. If you have a prospect that said they will book, and you send over a calendar link, but they haven't by T+1 after the call? Give them another ring or send them an email asking if they ensure they could do so. Life happens, things get forgotten, and remember this tidbit, until it's on the calendar it's doesn't exist or isn't real. Always confirm appointments the day of (12-24 hours) by some manner of follow up. Calls are most effective, however SMS, email, voice notes are also effective.

Follow through is always important. If there is reason to follow up, set a task. Information requested? Send it. Referred to someone else? Call them.

Absolutely the most hidden of all skills in cold business development. The key is to get on to the next call asap. “This sounds great but I’m picking up the kids from zoo camp, can you call me back?” Politely get off the phone. Then make a note to call them back, should sound like this: “Gonzo, I called you last week on Tuesday afternoon, you were picking up your kids from zoo camp and asked me to call you back, is now a better time?” Now, we don’t sound like everyone else nor do we sound like the liars who’ve never spoken to Gonzo, but hope that he never realizes this.

It's very important to follow up and stay connected with your prospects until they’re ready to make a purchase or decide not to move forward. I make sure to keep my promises and provide great support throughout the process. For example, I often send a thank-you email after our conversation or make a reminder call to check in. In one case, I offered a free trial to a prospect who seemed interested but hesitant, which helped them see the value of my service and ultimately led to a sale.

Make sure there is time in your week to review cold call recordings with yourself, or better yet your team. Talk about what was said, how it was said, what was done right, what was done wrong, and how could you make this call better next time? Only by self-refection and being honest with yourself will allow you to improve your cold calling abilities. It's hard to listen to yourself at first but does get easier as time goes on. Remember, being honest with yourself and figuring out what you did wrong, or what you can improve on will help you be a better and more effective cold caller sooner, than someone who refuses to listen to themselves or constructively criticize their performance.

I review the questions I asked every time. Did I get the answer I was looking for? If not, do I need to re-evaluate the question, do I need to re-evaluate the sourcing, or was there some other source of miscommunication encountered- Did I explain the process completely on the front end to ensure the candidate understood what the process was and were they comfortable in the interview to feel a sense of trust with me and what I am looking to achieve? Interviews are a sales process but they are a 2-way sales process- A recruiter must sell the opportunity and company just as well as the interviewee or candidate must sell their experience and career aspirations, so a level of trust needs to be developed to overcome the stalls and smokescreens.

One of the best ways to understand stalls and smokescreens is to record your calls and listen to them. The good, the great, and the struggles. This is even more powerful if you can do this with a trusted team mate, mentor, or coach. They will pick up on things that you miss and can offer perspective to help you improve. It may turn out that you had a call that went sideways with a prospect simply due to your approach. Often times a second call to the same person at a later time will result in a positive outcome.

Listening to your call recordings is just like watching the game tape in sports. Playing recordings allows you to pick up details and perspective that often differ greatly than simply your recollection of the call. I also suggest listening to calls from your peers, practicing, and roleplaying to develop skills before trying new tactics in real calls.

keep your stats so you can see what works and what doesnt. for each smokescreen/ objection trial a number of ways to overcome it and then work out which method works best for the individual and gives the best outcome. everyone is different so there's not a one size fits all solution.

In my experience, learning from each call is crucial for improvement. I take the time to analyze how I did, recognizing both my strengths and areas where I can grow. Seeking feedback is key, whether it’s from a manager or colleagues. For example, I often listen to my call recordings to spot what worked and what didn’t. After one call where I struggled, I reached out to a coworker for tips, which really helped me refine my approach for future conversations.

Finding success on a call always feels great. Keep in mind that if you don't book a meeting, you can learn things that you can carry into future conversations. When you can do that consistently, magic starts to happen. Also, don't get so caught up in celebrating that you forget to understand why you were successful in the first place. Save these calls to reference in the future -- they're especially valuable when things aren't going great.

at the beginning the small wins count for everything - it can feel like you're not making any progress so even getting someone to agree to a callback to their planned timescale or an online demo arranged or whatever is a positive step forward and breaks up the long hours of no's.

Successful cold calling and outbound prospecting requires some lesser known and not very often shared counterintuitive advice and strategies. A focus on scheduling meetings is one of the biggest mistakes leadership can make, which leads to lackluster gains. When reps spend their time sharing ideas, sparking digital journeys and helping their "prospects" and "buyers" learn something new that helps them do their job better instead of focusing on their org, reps end up moving deals along and down the funnel at a higher volume. Skipping steps causes prospects to ask to be removed from future outreach. Slow down, introduce yourself, and focus on the person instead of their organization. Share something that will help them kick more butt.

Stalls and Objections can only be addressed by the person making them. “Balthazar, this is expensive!” “He-Man, I need to think this over!” “She-Ra, we will need to see if this will get past the procurement teams review, but I love this, can’t see why it won’t be perfect.” All of these are STATEMENTS, not objections. But if you “handle them” then you feel productive. But none of this should really be a factor in a cold call situation. If you’re hearing things like these, you’ve not set proper expectations and you’ve gone from an exploratory introduction to a deep dive-probably not a good idea on a first phone call. Repeat after me “sell today educate tomorrow”…

Mastering Objection Handling: When you peel back the onion, there are a limited number of objections we need to handle; Eight, Nine, maybe Ten. A great practice is to create a list of the objections you face day in and day out, and how to respond. If you do not know how to respond, ask a leader or even AI. Next step, practice on some prospects that will not make or break your year. Over time, the responses will be burnt into your memory and you can focus on closing business not just meetings! Objections are here to stay, and in my opinion successful sales representatives use this as an opportunity to build trust, earn the sale or meeting, and shine!

If the prospect shows resistance or evasiveness, don't give up immediately. Be persistent, but always maintain a polite and respectful tone. Ask if there is anything specific that concerns them or if there is any additional information you can provide. If you have testimonials, success stories, or references from satisfied customers, share them during the call. This social proof can help dispel doubts and build confidence in your product or service. Remember that each cold call is a learning opportunity, even if a sale isn't immediately made.

Get meta about the worse possible scenario. I had a situation where I called a prospect, and this individual was working from home, had the television on, a barking dog, a child pleading for something and a delivery person at their door. It was a storm of distractions. First I acknowledged and stated to the prospect that I noticed that they may be busy due to all competing requests in their household. I asked them if this was a good time to talk, which the prospect replied “yes,” and I stayed calm, spoke with volume but slowly, while giving pauses intermittently. I was able to articulately state my position and reason for calling, which allowed me to book a meeting with my sales team that was Sales Qualified.

Objections are normally just someone objecting to you calling them. Very rarely do you get someone who understands what you do, why it might be valuable, and then articulates why it is for sure NOT valuable to them, at least right now.