Cold Calling Best Practices

My cold call pick-up rate is 22.2%. Here's what Jeff Bajorek and I are learning from daily cold calling: ✅ Optimize call times to maximize pick-up rates My best pick-up rate is 7:57am local time for the prospect. I catch them right before the workday starts. It's close enough to 8am that no prospect has mentioned anything. 8-9am local time for the prospect remains the highest pick-up rate window. ✅ Use multiple data sources We pull as many as 3-4 phone numbers across two data providers to get the right phone number. Then, we make sure to mark bad phone numbers so we don't call them again. Rarely is the first number the correct one. ✅ We call mobile numbers This one's obvious for many of you. But there's still reluctance, yes, in 2024—to call cell phones. You just have to do it. And deal with the OCCASIONAL angry prospect. ✅ Double & triple touches No "naked activities." We never call without emailing. We never send an email without calling. Salesloft data shows that this type of "combo prospecting" (a la Tony Hughes) increases contact rates by 3.1x. It works. My ideal workflow: → Call first. Things happen way faster on the phones. Feels like less work for me this way. → LinkedIn second. Send a blank connect request. → Email last. Send the email last. I do this all at once. Then give it two days to rest and hit with a double touch of phone + email. ✅ Prioritizing calling prospects who open emails For all the talk out there about innacurate open rating tracking—pick-up rates are much better when I prioritize prospects who open emails. We have an automated call task created after 3 email opens. ~~~ That's it. We follow fundamental sequencing best practices. How are you maximizing cold calling pick-up rates?

I would NEVER ask sales to use a script written by marketing I mean - who do I even think I am? This was my thought process for a really long time: Marketing provides training on messaging, at a high level. But sales does the talking. No scripts. Then something funny happened... Carl Ferreira started asking for them! "Hey can you just give me a talk track for this slide?" And he helped me realize something: It's not an ego thing. It's just that when you deliver the same message a lot, it is worth being *really* thoughtful about it. Marketers tend to be good at this (in part because they spend more time on it) As a result, you can come up with a talk track that's harder to poke holes in That's the value. Here's the trap: It HAS to be conversational. Otherwise it's impossible to use. I now write scripts for sales sometimes, and here's how I do it: First, I pull up the slide (if there is one), and I talk through it myself. I do it out loud, which is awkward but necessary. I put a timer on so it doesn't run too long. I repeat this several times until I like the talk track. Then I write down what I just said from memory. I read it out loud again to fine tune, then I ship it to sales. If it sounds smart, they use it. If it works the first few times, they keep using it. And that is how I overcame sales script imposter syndrome. #b2bmarketing

In 27 months, we grew Retention.com from $1M-$13M ARR with only 1 salesperson (me) doing 1,000's of sales calls. Here are my 10 biggest pieces of advice for any startup who wants to book and close more sales calls: 1. Ask for 15 mins, but book 30 When booking a meeting outbound, you have a better shot at getting a meeting by asking for 15 mins than 30. You may have piqued their interest but with a busy schedule, they are going to weigh learning about your business vs their time. Ask for 15 but send a meeting invite for 30.  If they can’t do the full 30, they will let you know, but from my experience, this rarely happens. 2. Tell your story People remember a story more than a product  Figure out your short story that you can tell prior to getting into the product pitch. How does your story connect to your business / product? 3. 5X5 Pitch Keep your product deck for your initial call to 5 slides / 5 minutes and make sure you answer any of the common questions you get from prospects. You can always book a follow up call to share more detail once you hook their interest. 4. Always Be Pitching Take control of the call and the sales cycle. You will only learn what does and doesn’t work by actually pitching.  5. Tell a customer story Again, people remember stories more than they do stats. Tell a story of a customer before implementing your product and the business outcome after implementing it. Don’t just talk numbers. Talk about how people felt, what they said, etc. 6. Create Urgency Attach an incentive if the deal is done by the end of the week or month.  (Example: 20% more credits or a 15% discount)  This also sets you up well for follow up as it now makes them feel like you are on their team to try and help them get the deal in for their benefit. 7. Land and expand We all want to close the big ACV deals, but the truth is most buyers don’t want to make a big commitment without seeing how your product works. Find a way to get them on for a small $ amount, with the plan to expand if the product meets their expectations. 8. Opt-Out Period Reduce buyer friction by offering a 90 day opt out period if you are trying to close 12 month agreements. It shows confidence that your product will drive the results you say it will. 9. Deck Recap Create a 1-2 pager highlighting the most important parts of your sales deck that you can send via email after every call (even if they don’t ask for it). The prospect won’t remember all details from the call, so this gives them something to look back on and will help sell internally if other stakeholders are involved. 10. Video for FAQs Create short form talking head video answering all FAQs. This will add value in your follow up, show you listened to the questions they had and that you care about making sure they understand the answers. It also helps internally as others will likely have the same questions as the person on the phone. Have questions about how to book/close more calls? AMA anything 👇

I took a pretty different approach to cold calling. 😲 My goal was to get the prospect to give me an elevator pitch. I found that the sooner I stopped talking, the better the conversations went. This went against the training I’d received that encouraged me to get to my 30 second pitch as early and often as possible. I’d get through my cheeky opener – “This is a cold call. Want to hang up, or want to roll the dice?” – and then ask this question: 👀 “How much do you already know about Clari?” Three main buckets of responses: 1) Never heard of you; 2) Know what we do; 3) Wrong idea of what we do. If they’d never heard of us, I pivoted to asking about the systems or tech they use to solve the use cases we solve. Then go into some value props / differentiation. If they had a high level understanding, I tried to understand how (ex-customer, evaluated us at some point, spent time on our site, etc). Then go into some value props / differentiation, focused on what’s changed since they last had a look. If they had a wrong idea, I tried to understand why (mixing us up with another company, unclear messaging, etc). Then go into some value props / differentiation to set the record straight. One simple question led to countless great conversations. Give it a try! Or... let me know what your favorite cold call question is. #revenue #sales #sdr

Here is how I got an 80% Success Rate in Cold Reach-Outs (even as a student) 1. Quality over Quantity Don’t mass message. Focus on high-potential connections and personalize each message. 💡 Example: “Hi [Name], I saw your talk on [topic] and it really aligns with my work on [project].” 2. Get to the Point Fast Introduce yourself and state why you’re reaching out in the first two sentences. 💡 Example: “I’m [Your Name], working on [specific project]. I’d love to chat about [shared interest].” 3. Choose the Right Platform Some respond best to LinkedIn, others to email, X, or their website’s contact form. Find the right way to reach them. 4. Be Specific About Your Ask Clearly state what you’re asking for- advice, a call, collaboration, etc. 💡 Example: “I’d love a quick 15-minute call to discuss [topic].” 5. Showcase Credibility Include a link to your GitHub, blog, or research to build trust. 💡 Example: “Here’s my recent work on [topic]: [link].” 6. Follow Up (Respectfully) If they don’t respond, send polite follow-ups 2-3 times with a week between messages. Persistence works, but don’t spam. 7. Respect Their Time Keep your message short and to the point. Show you respect their busy schedule. 💡 Example: “I know you’re busy—just a quick 15-minute call would be great!” Try these tips to level up your cold outreach! 🚀 #NetworkingTips #AICommunity #GrowthHacks

6 cold calling tips that work like a charm in 2025 (and why): 1. Say your full name (without being asked) "Hi this is Chris Orlob calling from pclub..." You might think 'no one cares who you are!' Wrong. People who command respect and attention state their full name when they introduce themselves. You want a (subtle) aura of authority. 2. State your company name (without being asked. Why? If you don't, they'll ask. If they ask, they're in control of the conversation. You're back-pedaling now. 3. State the reason for the call. Same logic as above. "Hi this is Chris Orlob with pclub. Reason I'm calling is..." You're in control (without being 'controlling' - big difference). 4. Describe their problem better than they can. Life tip: If you can describe your customer's problem better than they can themselves.... They'll automatically assume you have the best solution. This should feel like you're peering into their soul a little bit. Or reading a page from their journal. "One of the challenges I hear from VPs of Sales in this climate is despite the fact that they're hyperfocused on growing revenue *efficiently*... most are struggling to do that. This new environment has surface selling skill gaps reps simply didn't need to close two years ago, and now only a third of reps make quota. Curious how that's showing up in your world?" 5. Sell the meeting. Not the product. Your job is to sell time at this point. Not your product. "If we meet, I'm happy to share how other Series B VPs of Sales in a similar spot are handling this. At best, we continue pursuing something together. At worst, you hear a few peer best practices." 6. Assume the close. Assumptive selling doesn't work on big ticket items. But you're not selling a big ticket item (yet). You're just selling the meeting. End your talk track and ask with "Got your calendar handy?" Give these a try. What cold calling tips would you add?

Cold calling lesson: Don’t pitch. Poke. Let’s say I’m selling software that filters out fake AI-generated job applications. I could open the call like this: “Hey, we help talent teams eliminate AI-generated applications before they hit your ATS. We use advanced detection to save hours of recruiter time. The purpose of my call is to schedule time to show you how it works.” That’s a pitch. And when people feel pitched, they brace themselves. They get quiet. Guarded. Distrustful. Now let’s try poking the bear instead: “Not sure if you’re seeing this, but a bunch of companies are getting flooded with AI-generated job apps that look totally legit. How are you spotting those before they hit your ATS?” That’s not a pitch. That’s an illumination question. It surfaces a blind spot. It creates a little tension. It invites someone to think, not defend. Here’s the psychology: When you pitch, you’re telling them what their problem is. When you poke the bear, you’re letting them recognize it for themselves. That moment of recognition is where curiosity begins. And curiosity opens the door to conversation. So next time you’re on a cold call, ditch the pitch. Poke the bear. Buyers have the answers. Sellers have the questions.

I spoke with an SDR who was struggling the other day. He was opening his cold calls with the below statement. Can you spot where he's going wrong? 👨🦱New BDR: "Arthur, thank you for taking my call today. The reason for my call is that I sent you an email last week regarding....." ___ Spot the problem? The reason for your cold call is NOT that you sent them an email previously. The reason for your call is NOT that you tried calling them last week. The reason for your call has NOTHING to do with your previous communication attempts. The reason for you call IS that you suspect the person you are calling is struggling with a problem that you can solve. You're calling to determine if that suspicion is correct AND if the other party has any interest in making that problem go away. Instead, try: "Armand, thanks for taking my call today. The reason for my call is that oftentimes, when I speak with law firm CFOs, they tell me they are frustrated with [insert problem you solve here] ___ Focus all your energy on the PROBLEM. Highlighting past attempts at communication only diminishes your credibility.

If you’re in B2B sales and struggling to book meetings, this post will show you exactly why—and how to fix it. In the next 90 seconds, you’ll learn: ✅ Why your outreach is being ignored ✅ The cold call script that worked—until it didn’t ✅ One rule that flipped my results and rebuilt my pipeline ✅ How to trade value for access and stop sounding like every other rep This is field-tested and Fortune 500-proven. No fluff. Just what works. Let’s be honest: most salespeople are asking for time like amateurs. They’re dialing, interrupting, and begging—without offering anything worth trading for the meeting. I used to say: “Hi, this is Anthony Iannarino with [Company]. I’d like to introduce myself and my company. Would 11:30 Tuesday work for you?” That line booked hundreds of meetings. Until it didn’t. Because once every salesperson starts saying the same thing, it becomes noise. Then I made a shift.I stopped asking for time. I started trading value. I created something I called an executive briefing—a strategic, high-level conversation offering insight on market trends, industry risks, and the shifts leaders needed to prepare for. I wasn’t pitching. I was delivering perspective. That single shift changed everything. Executives started saying yes again. Not because I asked better—because I offered better. I call this the Trading Value Rule: Never ask for a meeting without offering something worth more than the time you're requesting. It flips the script. You go from salesperson to strategic partner—before the meeting even happens. This isn’t just how I prospect. It’s how I sell. It’s why The Lost Art of Closing works. If your meetings are down, your value isn’t visible. Fix the offer—and the doors open. Want the cold call script I used? Drop a in the comments and I’ll DM it to you. #B2BSales #ColdCalling #SalesStrategy #ValueBasedSelling

Tens of thousands of cold calls taught me this… Most reps are doing it completely wrong. They make 2-3 calls between Slack messages. Check email. Do some research. Make a few more calls. Wonder why their calendar stays empty. Meanwhile, top performers follow specific systems that consistently fill their pipelines. After years of testing what works (and what doesn't), here are the fundamentals that separate successful cold callers from everyone else: 1️⃣Time blocking beats scattered calling every time. Shut down Slack, close email, put your phone on do not disturb. One hour of focused calling outperforms eight hours of distracted attempts. 2️⃣Setup determines success. Clean desk the night before. Browser tabs closed except your CRM. Contact list ready to go. Remove every possible friction point so you can start calling immediately. 3️⃣Energy management isn't optional. Proper sleep and clean eating directly impact call performance. Hard to believe until you try calling after a night of poor sleep versus eight hours of quality rest. 4️⃣Warm up like an athlete. Run through your first 5-10 calls out loud before dialing. Practice handling objections. Get your brain and voice ready before real prospects answer. 5️⃣Frameworks beat winging it. You don't need to sound robotic, but you need structure. Permission, problem, cost of inaction. Simple formula that works consistently. 6️⃣Write it down and make it visible. Brain fog hits everyone mid-call. Having your framework printed in large font saves you from fumbling when prospects ask unexpected questions. 7️⃣Prepare for predictable objections. Same 4-8 objections come up 95% of the time. Uncover, overcome, ask. Have responses ready instead of stammering through them. 8️⃣Record everything and listen back. Elite athletes watch game film. Sales reps should listen to call recordings. Your tonality, word choice, and objection handling become obvious when you hear yourself. 9️⃣Call when others don't. Friday afternoons worked best for me. Fewer competing calls, backup receptionists, tired decision makers with weekend plans. Blue ocean strategy applied to cold calling. 🔟Consistency trumps intensity. One focused hour daily beats sporadic marathon sessions. Pipeline problems show up weeks later when prospecting stops today. The difference between struggling reps and quota crushers isn't talent. It's system execution. Most reps treat cold calling like a necessary evil. Top performers treat it like a craft worth mastering. — Sales reps! Check out more secrets to master cold calls: https://lnkd.in/g7MBsEcR Sales Leaders! Want to install winning systems into your teams? Go here: https://lnkd.in/ghh8VCaf