You might start off your cold calls with something like, “Hey, I’m with XYZ Branded Merch. I wanted to see if you have any upcoming events or merch needs?” While it’s straightforward, it’s missing a reason to continue the conversation. You don’t necessarily need to cram in more information, but you can make those first few seconds more impactful.
A blog post from LevelUp Leads says successful B2B cold calls usually contain the following: an opener, a reason for outreach, a relevance hook, a discovery question, an objection, a response and the next step. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share insight from LevelUp on the components of a strong B2B cold call.
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- Permission or transparency. The prospect should know why you’re calling and they shouldn’t feel trapped. For example, the LevelUp post recommends saying something like, “I know I’m catching you cold. Give me 20 seconds and you can tell me if this is irrelevant.”
- Problem-led reason. You should explain the business problem on the cold call. It could be, “Many companies are ordering branded merch for events but struggling to find products that people will use afterward.”
- Contextual relevance. In this part of the cold call, you should show why this account may care. For example, the LevelUp post says you could say, “Your team looks like it is hiring AEs, which usually puts more pressure on pipeline quality.”
- Diagnostic question. A cold call should also ask a question that reveals fit. Consider saying something like, “Is the bigger priority right now getting more value out of the merch you’re already buying or are you more interested in finding new products?” The goal is to get the prospect talking so you can uncover what matters most to them.
- Earned next step. Ask for a follow-up meeting only after you’ve determined relevance. You could say, “Would you like to compare notes for 15 minutes next week?” The key is to make the next step feel like a natural continuation of the conversation, not a meeting request that comes out of nowhere. If the prospect has shared a challenge you can help solve, connect the next step directly to that need.
Don’t look at cold calling as a race to the pitch. Instead, aim to make the conversation useful to everyone. Lead with a relevant problem and ask questions. Listen for a genuine opportunity to help and you’ll make the prospect want to book the next conversation.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: A blog post from LevelUp Leads, a B2B sales development and appointment-setting agency.
