Cold email vs cold calls - Why the best sales reps are killer on the phone.

When I started a new sales job, my goal was to book 8 meetings a month. This might not sound like a lot, but when you are selling an expensive product, each meeting could potentially be worth 6 figures.

There were 20+ existing salespeople in the role and mostly struggling to hit 8 meetings / month. They would send hundreds of emails, some generic, some personalised.

The average response rate was poor. Yes, you COULD book a meeting by email but it was few & far between. I knew I needed to do something different.

I had experience with cold calling and decided to hit the phones. 27 meetings later, I broke a 4 year record at the company for the most meetings booked in a month.

So, why was cold calling so effective?

1. Direct line to customer.

Once the prospect answers the phone there is no confusion “did they actually read/understand…” Start the call with a strong opener and you’ll have their FULL undivided attention. This is everything.

2. Stand out from the crowd

If your prospects have a budget, you bet they are being BOMBARDED with emails from hungry vendors. People respect someone with the gumption to pick up the phone and do it well. Even if they don’t openly admit it.

3. Quickly build trust

With cold calling you can get more of your personality across. In the age of AI & natural language processing, the prospect can be assured of your biological (human) legitimacy. Remember: People do business with people!

4. Conduct micro-discovery

Ask questions and you quickly understand their problems and pain points. This means you can adapt and tailor your offer in a way that is most appealing to that specific prospect. You can also quickly disqualify to avoid chasing non-starters.

5. Handle objections in real time

In a conversation, you can ask questions and understand their hesitations. You will see the same patterns over and over. Then you can quickly put the concern to bed and book the meeting.

6. Avoid no-shows

Agree a time for the meeting and say “I’m going to send you a calendar invite now, could you accept it to let me know you received it?” If they don’t accept, call them beforehand to confirm. Drastically reduces ghosting.

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