Reach Out and Cold Call Someone!

Ty Webb: Just be the ball, be the ball, be the ball. You're not being the ball Danny.

Getting pumped to go make 30 Triples (call, email and vmail combo) is a matter of mindset. I love that scene in Caddy Shack where Chevy Chase is getting into the zone by "being the ball..."

Let's get very clear here. The order of magnitude of fear is death 3rd, public speaking 2nd, and cold calling 1st. In this photo Chevy looks pretty psyched to talk to this girl. Nice shiny tie!

I don't care if you research them, make a script, do calisthenics, Bikram yoga or get a referral. You're still reaching out and touching someone and you're wired at the reptilian brain level to abhor rejection.

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson

So how can you buck the trend, becoming antifragile? This is the idea that the more hits you take, the more fired up you get. It reminds me of an MMA fighter taking blows and just smiling and begging for more, dancing around the ring trash talking. The best fighters know they're going to take a few hits on the chin so they're mentally prepared.

Remaining calm, and "being real" are critical components of successful cold calling psychology. Speaking from the heart, being honest and not having the Movie Phone voice are crucial. You're better off dialing through 10 or 20 numbers and just having conversations than overthinking it.

The number one rule of prospecting by phone is "make it a game and have fun!"

"But Tony, I fear it worse than death and dismemberment!"

I know... what's wild about cold calling is how long it can take to make 50 dials if you don't time block. It's crucial to shut everything off, keep a manual log and keep your triples short. Lock yourself in a room and throw away the key! You should be able to bang out 30 to 50 calls and send immediate email follow-ups in under 2 hours if you follow these tips.

• Decide you're going to enjoy getting a "no." Every one of them takes you closer to a "yes" and every one of them stops you wasting any more time or energy with someone who will not buy form you.
• When you connect, calmly explain the reason why you are calling as if you were calling a friend or relative with good advice. Exert positive control. "I am calling because..." Then focus on the business value you offer rather than droning on about your company and products. Explain why they should talk with you... what's in it for them?
• Make sure you have a preset list of direct dials or switchboard numbers and the "who's who in the zoo" you're going to reach out to beforehand. (DiscoverOrg, Data.com, ZoomInfo, RainKing) HUGE SECRET: I like to call directly out of my LinkedIn Sales Navigator feed so if you're sharing a ton (a la "look at me" or cry for help), then you're getting some personal outreach from yours truly, today!
• Use a clear phone line, not a scratchy cell phone in a back boiler room. Some people like a land line and some use headsets but the risk here is the headset can be scratchy because it's Bluetooth. Test your signal by calling a friend or loved one. Never make calls using a hands-free phone!

When you call into organizations, call the top dog first. Call the Very Important Top Officer (VITO) first. This is the C-Level executive. The CFO will refer you to the CIO and the CIO can't refuse the CFO keeping him/her in check. There's a pecking order, we all know this.

The Board Member regulates the CEO because that leader has to answer to the Board's whimsy. The first biggest mistake is trying to "groundswell" bottom up. Call in high, ask the executive assistant, "What if I really did want to speak to Chuck or Dana? No, what if I actually wanted to get an appointment." "Oh, just send me an email and I'll forward it." Kiss of death! Repeat it, "What if I actually wanted to get some time in their calendar?" You'll be amazed what happens if you push through their trigger response to get your "capabilities deck" filed away in the circular email file and actually get a candid avenue for booking time.

Leverage FEAR to your advantage. If you're not scared about who you're about to call first in that account, you're calling too low. Without butterflies like just before you asked your significant other to marry you, you're not reaching your full potential at cold calling. Face the fear and do it anyway. Discomfort is the price of success.

You've got to stay psyched throughout the calling block because you're going to have streaks where all you're getting are sterile machines. If you follow the COMBO core method of Call, Immediate vmail, Immediate email - aka the TRIPLE - you will start to get some immediate email pingbacks. So have faith and don't lose heart!

Call 3-5 contacts per account with a very similar message. This message is always driving X value for Y similar company or sharing "some ideas" to help them make or save revenue. You've gotta be able to pitch your technology in a way that a 2-year-old could understand it. Practice with your spouse who is already putting up with your sales mumbo jumbo!

At the end of the day all prospects care about is making or saving money, I hate to break it to you.

The Art of Confusion and Waterfall Effect explain how data travels in highly matrixed organizations. It's all about CYA down the chain of command. Everyone is trying to get your email out of their inbox, your request off their desk and push it up down and sideways around the organizational chart ad infinitum. Your emails and VMails are going to get forwarded all around in a massive game of telephone until you get the lantern fish to come forward.

There's a concept and I'm paraphrasing the late, great David Sandler. You can't derive your satisfaction from selling. You can't define your self-worth or happiness by whether or not you succeed or fail on the phone that day. You've gotta be bigger than that and take the high road. Keep yourself whole inside and be the prime mover unmoved; don't get shaken by any feedback. Keep pushing through the morass that is the slog of outbound prospecting. You've gotta build a tremendous daily cadence and be rigorous. Massive discipline is how you hit that same list day, after day, after day. After awhile, opportunities unlock like a series of gates in the Panama Canal. I recently had a seller I coached unlock opportunities with 10% of his 200 named accounts.

Positive mental attitude is everything. PMA. You've got to be curious, get a kick out of making the dials and enjoy hearing the voice come on the phone. Directly address the prospect by name and super briefly explain why you're calling. Don't ask, "Is this a good time?" Don't ask, "How are you?"

• Just go right into the reason you're calling and the way you help a similar company quantifiably. Selling is the transference of belief so show you believe you can help them. Confidence is King!
• Sell the appointment, not the product. Brian Tracy is a huge proponent of this. Sometimes disarming them with blatant appointment setting makes them say, "You've got 3 minutes right now - shoot."
• Be blunt. Outright ask for a meeting, no circumlocution, talking in maths or beating around the bush. Be honest about your motives to set an appointment and ask, "What's the best way to find a time?"

After making ten thousand hours of cold calls, I've found a bizarre inertia concept in play. When I resist making the calls, it feels like a Sisyphean task to get back on the horn. When I start pounding away with wreckless abandon it gets easier and easier and hark! I connect. That's the beauty of a focused two hours of phone prospecting, it pays dividends.

While you're calling, visualize connecting with key prospects. Set an intention to make contact at the highest level and you'll be surprised how often you get someone amazingly high up the food chain you never believed you could talk to. I have a million more thoughts on setting meetings with impossible to reach prospects that will be going into a new book but that's all for now. What are your tips and advice for getting psyched to cold call and keep your attitude switched on all the while?

BONUS TIPS from the Great Steve Hall:

1. Spend a lot of time on a generic message then tailor it to every individual to hit their hot spots. [Caveat from Tony: sometimes there is a Relevance Paradox where too much tailoring could look needy, it's a fine line.]

2. Treat the EA as a Tour Guide, not a gatekeeper (thanks to Mike Scher for that one)

3. Be prepared. You will be asked to send emails, you'll get voice mail, you'll get EAs and very occasionally you'll get the CEO. Have a plan prepared for each eventuality.

4. In your message, use curiosity and tell them as little as possible commensurate with getting a meeting. Your value proposition isn't about why they should buy from you, it's about why they should talk to you.

5. As you say, be confident.

6. Develop rapport with the EA and remember everything they say to you - you can use it next time (because often you'll have to make multiple calls) to build familiarity.

If you valued this article, please hit the ‘like' button and also share via your Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook social media platforms. I encourage you to join the conversation or ask questions so feel free to add a comment on this post. Please follow my LinkedIn post page for all my articles and visit me at www.tonyhughes.com.au if you are looking for a keynote speaker. Go to www.RSVPselling.com for sales methodologies that generate pipeline and manage complex opportunities. Flickr: Chevy Chase: Alan Light, Mike Tyson: Abelito Roldan, Head Blow: andriuXphoto, Proposal: Beth, Happy Dog: Britt Selvitelle