How to Start Sales Calls So Prospects Don't Hang Up On You

Ways to Open a Sales Call · Greet them warmly. · Mention the research you've done about their company. · Drop the name of a mutual connection. Logo-Full(Color) Skiptocontent English 日本語 Deutsch English Español Português Français ContactSales Login CustomerSupport About AboutUs Careers ContactUs InvestorRelations ManagementTeam Home Software Software TheHubSpotCRMPlatform AllofHubSpot’smarketing,salesCRM,customerservice,CMS,andoperationssoftwareononeplatform. FreeHubSpotCRM Overviewofallproducts MarketingHub Marketingautomationsoftware.Freeandpremiumplans SalesHub SalesCRMsoftware.Freeandpremiumplans ServiceHub Customerservicesoftware.Freeandpremiumplans CMSHub Contentmanagementsystemsoftware.Premiumplans OperationsHub Operationssoftware.Freeandpremiumplans AppMarketplace ConnectyourfavoriteappstoHubSpot.Seeallintegrations Pricing Resources Resources Education Blog Ebooks,Guides&More FreeCourses&Certifications InboundMethodology WhyHubSpot? CaseStudies WhyChooseHubSpot? 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Startfreeorgetademo Sales|5minread HowtoStartSalesCallsSoProspectsDon'tHangUpOnYou WrittenbySeanMcPheat @SeanMcPheat Usethesetensalescalltemplatestomakebettersalescalls.GetYourCopy Howdoyoufeelwhenyourphoneringsandyourealizeyou’rereceivingacallfromasalesperson? Formostbusinesspeople,it’sinterruptive,annoying,anddistracting. Butifit’syourjobtocallprospects,youdon’thavetofallintothecategoryof“peskysalesrep.” Tokickstartaproductive,professionalconversation,youneedastrongopening. Whyisasalescallopeningimportant? Thesalescallopeningisthegatewaytotherestoftheconversation.Bylearningtoopenasalescallinawaythatintriguestheprospectandgetsthemtolistenfurther,you'remaximizingyourchancesforaproductivesalesconversation. Youropeningshould: Startoffwarm,friendly,andprofessional Hookthemwithanintriguingideaorquestion Gettheprospectintoareceptiveframeofmind Encourageengagementwiththecall(becauseengagementreducesthelikelihoodofthemstoppingtheconversation) Makeiteasyforthemtomakeapositivedecision Here'showtostartthesalescallwithopenersthatengagetheprospectsotheydon’timmediatelyhangup. FeaturedResource 10FreeSalesCallTemplates Fillouttheformtomakebettersalescalls. WaystoOpenaSalesCall Greetthemwarmly. Mentiontheresearchyou'vedoneabouttheircompany. Dropthenameofamutualconnection. Referenceacompanycontact. UseinformationfromtheirLinkedInprofile. Referenceacompetitor. Bringuppainpoints. Don'tbeafraidtoengageinsmalltalk.  Referencetopicsbroughtupintheirmarketingmaterials. Dropthetacticsaltogether. Flipthescript. 1.Greetthemwarmly. Manyprospectsregardsalescallsasjustnoise,tuningoutanycalltheydon'texpect.However,ifyourgreetingiswarmenough(likeanoldfriend),youmaygetthemtopauselongenoughtoconsiderwhatyou'resaying.Youmightopenwith: "Hello[Name],howhaveyoubeen?" Openingwiththeirnameacknowledgestheprospect.We'rehard-wiredtorespondtothesoundofourname,andthisgreetingcreatesasenseoffamiliarityandrespect. "Howhaveyoubeen"issuperiorto"howareyou"becauseitactsasapattern-interrupt.Thepropsectoftenfindsthemselvesconsideringifthey'vemetyoubefore,andthismaygiveyouanopeningtocontinuetheconversation. However,keepinmindthatsomeprospectsviewsuchawarmgreetingasmisdirection,sodoyourbesttogettothepointafterthegreeting. 2.Mentiontheresearchyou'vedoneabouttheircompany. Prospectsontheotherendofyourcallarelesslikelytostopyouinyourtrackswhenthere'ssomekindofpersonalization.Tryopeninguptheconversationwithsomethinglikethis: "Myresearchshowsthatyourcompanyisintheprocessof..."  Thisshowsyouareinterestedinthemandyou’vespentsometimefindingareasonforcalling.Italsoshowsyouaren’ttryingtosellthemsomethingrightaway. 3.Dropthenameofamutualconnection. Talkingaboutamutualconnectiongivesyouinstantcredibility.Ifyou'vespokentosomeoneyouhaveincommonwiththeprospect,considersomethingalongthelinesof: "Oneofmyclients,[Name]at[Company],mentionedtomeyouare[lookingfor,mightbeagoodfitfor]..." Yourprospectwillbecurioustoknowwhyhercontactthoughtshemightneedyourproductorservice. 4.Referenceacompanycontact. Evenbetterthanamutualconnectionwouldbeacoworkeroftheirswhoyou'vehadcontactwith. "[Prospect],Iwasspeakingtooneofyourbusinessmanagersyesterday,andhesaidthatagrowingpartofyourbusinessisthrough[product,niche,market].Asthat’sthecase,Ican…" Bringingupyourprospect’scoworkertellsthemtotakeyouseriously,whilefocusingthediscussiononanemergingrevenuesourceensuresyou’retalkingaboutacompanypriority. 5.UseinformationfromtheirLinkedInprofile. Speakingofresearch,youcanfindvaluablethingstobringupfromaprospect'sLinkedIn: "IwaslookingatyourLinkedIncompanyprofileandsawthatoneofyourmajorprojectsthisyearis..."  ReferencingtheirLinkedInpageandcompanygoalsprovesyou’reinterestedindiscussingsomethingofvaluetothemratherthanjustpushingyourproductsandservices.Keepinmindthatit'simportanttohaveaplanforhowtoleadintothesalesconversationfromthere. 6.Referenceacompetitor. Name-droppingacompetitorwillmakethemcuriousifnothingelseaboutthepartnershipandresults.Trythisonforsize:  "Hi[Prospect].It’s[name]from[company]?We’vejustworkedwith[competitor]andhaveachieved[results]withthem.Haveyougotfiveminutesnoworinthefutureforustoexplorehow[company]canachievethesame?" It’simportanttoposeyourintroductionasaquestion--yourtoneofvoiceshouldimplythey’veheardofyouandyourcompanybefore.  7.Bringuppainpoints. Speakingofyourprospect'scompetitors,theylikelyexperiencesomeofthesameissuesthatyourprospectdoes.Yourprospectislikelyaware,andsolvingtheseproblemscanmakeforacompetitiveedge.Insomecases,anintroductionlikethiscanbeeffective: "We’vebeenworkingwithacoupleofsimilarlysizedcompanieswithinyourindustry,andtheyareexperiencingtwomajorproblems.Iwonderedwhethertheywerecausingyouconcernaswell…" Thispiquesyourprospect’sinterest,astheywillbewonderingwhatthoseproblemsareandwhethertheyarefacingthemtoo. 8.Don'tbeafraidtoengageinsmalltalk.  Smalltalkisonewaytohumanizeyourselfandbuildrapport,butitonlycomesacrossasauthenticifyou'vedoneyourresearch.Casuallymentionsomethingincommon,suchas:  "Inoticedyou'refromTuscon.IactuallymetmywifeattheUniversityofArizona." Iftheyarefamiliarwiththeuniversity—or,evenbetter,iftheyalsoattendedtheuniversity—youcancontinuetheconversationfromthere. Bearinmindtorespectyourprospect'stimeasmuchaspossible,though.Toomuchmeanderingwillleavethemwonderingthepurposeofthecall. 9.Referencetopicsbroughtupintheirmarketingmaterials. Readingtheirmarketingmaterialsrevealsgenuineinterestintheircompany.Italsoimpliesyourrecommendationswillbepertinentandhelpful.Youmightopenwithoneofthese: "Ireadyour[Twitter,Facebook]posttheotherdayabout..." Thisopeningtellsthebuyeryou’vedoneyourhomeworkandarecallingaboutarelevantandtimelytopic. "[Name],inreadingyourcompanyblog,Inoticedthatyou’vehadsomegoodreviewsfromcustomersonyournew[product]andIwaswondering..." Yourinterestintheirblogcanopennewdoorstodiscussresultsthatyourproductshaveachievedforotherclients. "Iseeyour[annualreport,newsletter]wasreleasedonyourwebsitelastweek,andit’slookinglikeyou’reexpandingyouroperationsin..." Thecompanylikelyputalotofeffortintotheannualreport,sodiscussingthetopiccancreateopportunityasyoulistenforpainpointsandtriggeringevents. 10.Dropthetacticsaltogether. Sometimesthebestthingyoucandoisabandontheplaybook(becausepeoplegetusedtothose)andcatchtheprospectoffguard.Forexample: "Hi[Prospect].Yes,thisisasalescall![Waitforaresponse,laughter]CanyousparemejustthreeminutessoIcantellyouabout[product]thatwillhelpyouwith[benefit]?" Sayingthisisasalescallwillstumpyourprospect.Typicallythey’llmakeajokebecausetheyareusedtotacticsandsneakytricks.Therapportyoubuildwillearnyouafewminutes. 11.Flipthescript. Manysalesscriptspositiontherepastheindividualprovidinghelp.Insomecases,though,itbenefitstofliptheroleslikeso: "Iwashopingyoucouldhelpmewithsomething." Thisappealstotheprospect'segoand/orsenseofaltruism,increasingthelikelihoodofthemrespondingfavorably. Theseopeningshighlighttheprospect’sbusinessbeforeevenmentioningwhatproductorserviceyourepresent.Simplycallingandlistingwhatyourcompanysellsisasure-firewaytogetthephoneslammeddown. Thepurposeofaconnectcallshouldalwaysbedemonstrateyourprofessionalism,credibility,andexpertise. Whenyoudothat,yougivetheprospectareasontoattheveryleastdiscussoptionswithyou,makingitlikelierthecallwillendthewayyou’dlike--withasecondcallscheduled. Editor'snote:ThispostwasoriginallypublishedinJanuary2018andhasbeenupdatedforcomprehensiveness.   OriginallypublishedJan7,20213:00:00PM,updatedJune112021 Topics: CallProspecting CallLoggingApp Don'tforgettosharethispost! RelatedArticles TheBestTime(s)ofDaytoMakeaSalesCallin2021 Sales  |4minread TheUltimateGuidetoSalesScripts(WithExamples) Sales  |9minread 15TipsforEffectiveWarmCalling Sales  |7minread ExpandOffer ctaSalesPlanTemplate Getitnow Getitnow DownloadforLater