''I am So Happy That you Called!'' The Prospect Said on a Cold Call

‘’Yes!’’ She sounded excited! ‘’I am so happy that you called!’’ This is what the prospect said on a cold call. Word for word, no exaggeration.

A few months ago, I witnessed one of the best sales calls I'd seen for ages. I was coaching a Business Development Manager from a large disability employment provider. 

My job was to do some phone coaching with him. We spent 30 whole minutes preparing for one phone call. 

Scenario: The BDM, let’s call him David,* wanted to contact a huge multinational about potentially placing several people with disabilities into their organisation. 

He already had a lead through a cold call he had made previously. He had struck up a conversation with a staff member in the company he was targeting. David was able to gather 3 facts about the decision-maker.

1. Her name: Debbie Smith*

2. Job title: Diversity and inclusion manager

3. Debbie was new and wanted to make an impact. ( A very important piece of information)

But he needed more in order to make the call work.

At the beginning of the sales call coaching session, David had told me that he didn’t know what to say. He also had trouble reaching this decision-maker on the phone.

So, this is how I helped him prepare, and the steps that he took in order to make it a successful sales call. 

The Steps:

Gathered Intelligence:

1.   We looked her up on LinkedIn and had a look at her activity. Debbie had been posting about disability, diversity, and inclusion. 

2.   We used my Lusha account (a contact sourcing software) to get her mobile phone number. (Gatekeeper problem solved.)

 Preparation and personalisation:

3.   We spent some time writing and personalising a brief opening. 

4.   I got David to rehearse his opening so he could sound natural, clear, and concise. It was also important to eliminate filler words which he used a lot.

5.   He spent some time thinking about 2 – 3 questions that may be important for someone in her role.  

Outreach and discovery:

6.   David rang her mobile and Debbie answered. David briefly introduced himself and explained that his reason for the call was that he was given her name by a staff member at her organisation. David explained that he had also been recently following her on LinkedIn, was impressed by her posts on Disability and how he could help her make an impact. (All this was said in less than 15 seconds.)

7.   David then asked her one specific question about how important disability employment was to her.

What happened next?

Well, something happened that you only see on calls that are well prepared and targeted. Debbie was excited to talk to him and tell him everything.

‘’I am so happy that you called! I’ve been thinking about how to diversify our workforce. When people think of diversity, I think disability needs to be included. And I was thinking that…………………………………………..’’ She spoke and spoke, and David did not try and cut her off or solve any of her issues. 

By the end of the call, Debbie was asking David when they could meet. ‘’When do you think you can make it down to Melbourne? I would love to meet you?’’ David is from Sydney. 

She was closing and arranging the next steps!

Anyway, it sounds simple, and it really is. Making a sales call needs simple preparation and common sense. It should be more about quality than quantity, especially in a B2B scenario. 

How do you usually prepare for your sales calls? Tell us your tips in the comments. 

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