10 Refresher Lessons About Cold Calling From a Month of Phone Banking

(This is NOT a political post). On October 11th, I turned 45. It was also the first time I ever phone banked. As our fellow Americans are glued to their phones watching election results trickle in, I'm channeling my anxiety into a moment of reflection... on how much you can learn about being an effective SDR and leading an SDR team by logging a few hours of phone banking.

How did I manage to make it to 45 without phone banking after getting my first GAP sales job at 16, a customer service job at AMEX during college and 20+ years as SDR, rep, sales leader and long time fan of cold calling? Donating money always seemed good enough to influence the result. This year, I wanted to be actively involved in the result and of my various capabilities, calling and influencing people seemed most aligned with how I could help.

I made 100s of calls, most of which went to voicemail. But I did manage to connect with a few voters who I helped find their polling location or where to drop off a ballot, and hopefully a couple of folks picked up voicemails from me that reminded them of their right and privilege to vote. But my phone banking experience also reminded me some best practices I learned as an SDR, and some new ones I learned along the way. Other than that EVERY sales person, marketer and sales leader should cold call for themselves at least one day a year to stay humble and understand how their craft and audience has changed, here were my top takeaways:

1. Calling still works! Shocking right? People actually do ANSWER the phone (and they aren't all over 70, which was my hypothesis). It's true. Which is why it's still a key strategy for organizations whether for-profit or activist. But it is a volume game. You have to figure out how many targets you need, and work relentlessly to catch them. Demand Gen, ABM, all critical, but at the end of the day, you also still need someone picking up the phone and that live connection can make the difference.
2. The first few calls are always rough. It's like the first mile of a run. It just always sucks, but if you stick with it, it will become easier. I started to find my voice or message and started to live for the adrenaline rush of getting someone to pick up. Set clear, realistic goals, and remind yourself you have to get through the nos to get to the "yesses". At one point during phone banking, I got a note from the leader saying that in a 3-hour shift, the goal was 50 calls to "complete" your shift. Until that moment, I had no idea what the expectation was before that, so I was never really sure whether I was performing at/below/above expectations. That's it, I thought? Then I could crush my number and feel good, but needed interim milestones and pacing to keep focused.
3. It's still (but not exclusively) a volume game. Most calls ring and ring, and when you get someone, you will likely get hung up on. On the rare occasion you catch someone and talk, that's when the magic happens. Be in the moment, and then let that momentum drive you. But if you're expecting more than a 5-10% connect rate, you're setting yourself up for missed expectations. So, if you want to talk with 5 people, assume you need to make at least 50 calls and roughly 60 to be safe. But if you make 50 calls and get 5 people, keep calling anyway! You're probably on a hot streak!
4. Time of day is important (and it's likely not the times you'd expect). The first time I phone banked, I spoke with 5 people in an hour. The second time I spoke with only 1. It was all about time of day. Follow the data from gong and others; they can go well beyond your "gut" or what you were taught years ago and can leverage their millions of data points on the best times and days to work smarter, not harder!
5. Competition is part of the fun. One of my co-canvassers was a delegate calling on behalf of her good friend, who was our candidate. She had 2 hours to dedicate before giving a speech in her own district. And she CRUSHED her call list. She was at 35 calls and I was at 4 due to internet issues. When I finally got my wifi back, I was lights out to catch up. The thrill of the chase made it fun (but I never caught her)!
6. You need a cheerleading section, particularly while working virtually. There is no easy way to say this: calling people can suck. People can be mean (even ones you know are likely interested in what you're selling). You need your peeps to buoy you. We had a group chat going while we were phone banking to share wins, ask questions and commiserate. The kickoff and wrap-up that we did when I scheduled were good, but the live interaction is critical too.
7. Assume they are going to answer. After about 20 calls that went to voicemail, I started to get a little more causal, would walk into another room while the dialer dialed, or check my phone. Until I was multitasking and someone picked up and I was nearly caught flat footed. I should have known better. Always assume you will actually connect with your target. Don't lose your shot!
8. Having a dialer is key. We used a tool where it gave us the number and contact name, pulled up the script, polling location data and other FAQs. I could call through my mobile phone or computer. When I clicked "dial" on my computer, I could make about 1.25x as many calls in the same time period on my phone and with fewer mistakes. The best part about the dialer software was that right there I could indicate that they "moved" or "refused call" or "wrong number" or "disconnected" or even "voted" "strong supporter, etc. SO easy to knock out calls. This is probably the very best investment decision you can make if you are investing in SDRs.
9. Use sample scripting to help you find your own voice & style. Everyone needs a safety net to find their voice. When I became an SDR I listened to someone make 5 calls then was off to the races; no script, no talking points. No one can prepare you for being in the moment, but you do need examples of what you're trying to convey to be successful and boost your confidence. Then make some calls (preferably to low risk targets) to find what works for your style. Even my bookish 15-year old used some sample scripting to stumble through a few calls, then was laughing with a voter he reached after 7-8 calls.
10. Voicemail is your friend. Most people don't answer their phones. I went from celebrating Sweet Caroline as my ringtone, to never ever wanting my phone to ring. My stats would say that approximately 10% answer. And guess what? The more numbers come through without information, the more likely someone is to click "block" on your number and definitely not answer. So I started leaving voicemails. I had a critical message, and didn't need to speak to deliver it, so I started leaving vmails. I got only a few texts and calls back, but at least I knew my message was getting through!

In spite of having sold and called prospect and customers for 20+ years, I have to say I had a decent amount of anxiety before I started making calls. I learned a lot about myself and dialing for votes. The 100s of calls I made over the past month helped re-elect the congresswoman I was supporting but also gave me a fresh perspective on the art of dialing: both what has changed and hasn't.

Like selling, I firmly believe you can't sell if you haven't sold recently. It's hard to imagine you can set goals for SDRs or coach them, without sharpening your own skills a few times a year and cold calling or warm calling leads. Whether you're passionate about a candidate, an issue or just need to keep your skills sharp, I challenge any sales leader, SDR leader or sales ops leader to spend at least 2 hours a year/quarter dialing before setting goals or presuming calling in "your day" and today are the same.

Have you phone banked? What would you add to this list of lessons? I'd love to hear about it!