7 Cold Calling Mistakes to Avoid for Successful Sales Pitch

Despite the emergence of new selling strategies like email campaigns, social media selling, etc., cold calling is still effective in closing a deal and making a good sale. 

Especially since the onset of the pandemic leading to remote working environments, ‘cold calling ‘ has become a preferred choice for sales reps.

‘Cold calling’ helps you reach new potential clients, practice your sales pitch, and enhance your knowledge through client interaction. However, in today’s fast-paced world, an unsolicited call is the last thing your client expects in today's fast-paced world. 

The result could be a cold and unwelcoming response that could demoralise the salesperson affecting the sales.

But, does that mean cold calling is ineffective? 

No. 

It means you’ll have to do it more effectively. 

You must know the cold calling mistakes to avoid making the most out of the cold calling method in sales. But before that, let’s take a quick look into what ‘cold calling in sales’ means.

What does ‘cold calling’ mean in sales?

Cold calling means connecting with potential customers over the phone and pitching them for sale. In this method, salespeople approach clients or businesses that have not shown any interest in the product previously. This is not done face-to-face but via a phone call.

Okay, I get it, but does ‘cold calling’ work?

According to a collated report by Crunchbase, a business and tech information platform:

• Around 57% of C-level buyers prefer to be contacted via phone 
• 69% of buyers have accepted cold calls from new providers
• Organisations that don’t cold call experienced 42% less growth than those who used the tactic

Cold calling can be an efficient method to close deals, but only if done strategically. To ensure your sales pitch gets the right results, you can avoid some cold calling mistakes.

7 Cold Calling Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some cold calling mistakes to avoid: 

1. Taking rejection too seriously 

Cold calling can be emotionally taxing for the sales reps. It is as annoying for a customer to get an unsolicited phone call as it is for a sales rep to handle the rejection. 

Most of the time, ‘cold calling’ involves rejection and even personal attacks by potential clients, demoralising even the toughest salespeople. 

According to Selling Signals’ 2022 sales stats, 44% of sales representatives stop sales after receiving negative feedback on the first call made. Therefore, the key to being a successful salesperson is not to take rejections seriously.

2. Not doing homework correctly

A sales rep must be prepared with sales enablement resources like call scripts and pre-call checklists. Also, they must have done proper homework about the product and the client. 

According to Hubspot’s Global Sales Enablement Survey, 59% of organisations have a dedicated sales enablement team or person. These organisations prioritise and believe in investing in creating call scripts and pre-call checklists.

3. Being either too formal or informal

Another mistake sales reps make while making a cold call: sounding like a robot or being too casual. Instead, your call script should be tailored to the company you are approaching. 

Using the same approach with everyone won’t work. Also, using universal call scripts will sound very robotic. Therefore, it is essential to use some level of personal touch. 

However, the sales rep must also not sound too friendly or be over-talkative. Ratting off facts without letting the other speak sounds disrespectful, and it will be a huge risk for your potential client.

4. Wasting time on the wrong people

Assessing the right people who would make your potential client is challenging. But unfortunately, many sales reps get into the trap of believing that if someone is listening, they will buy too. 

But things don’t turn this way many times. Hence it is essential to assess the person while listening and ask questions to ensure they would turn to buy. 

However, a sales rep should also not wholly strike off the person if they seem uninterested and keep following up depending on the person’s interest level.

5. Sounding desperate or too salesy

This is another mistake many salespeople make most of the time. On the other hand, a personal and humble touch when approaching leads always helps. 

Nobody wants to listen to your sales pitch but what they would benefit from it. The best way to correct this habit is by recording your calls and later listening to them to understand how you sound while making a cold call. The more normal conversation you try to do, the better your chances of closing a deal.

6. Sound underconfident

Underconfident or timid callers are easy to be turned down. But, if you are strong or confident about your chances of being listened to, you can get more deals confirmed. 

You must not sound too pushy as well. Please note that confidence and balance come with practice. So, the next time you get rejection or failure, don’t get demoralised but consider the call as a practice that would pay you off in the future.

7. Not preparing a follow-up plan

Many sales reps fail to follow up with potential clients. Remembering each of them can be difficult. Hence, you can prepare a calendar where you can maintain the date of the first call and a plan for further follow-ups. This simple step will help you organise and ease your task, and the follow-ups will surely help you close a few deals.   

The key is to be consistent and improve with practice. For instance, keep some fraction of your time daily for cold calling. According to the Keller Centre Research report, an average of 1.5 hours of cold calling every day for five days will win one referral or appointment. 

So pick up your phone and keep dialling! Be it a good or a bad call, remember to take everything in a positive stride and learn from it. If it hits, it’s time for you to celebrate, and if it doesn’t, then take it as a learning curve. In no time, you will be a pro in ‘cold calling’ and closing the deals.

Apart from your push to master cold calling, you can always take up a course or training program in ‘sales’ to upgrade your skills and learn the ‘art of selling.’ So what are you waiting for? Book a counselling session with Juno Business School to find a course in ‘sales’ to scale up your career in sales.