For too many entrepreneurs, two words strike fear like few others: cold calls.

Calling a prospective customer or client for the first time can be incredibly nerve-wracking. Even among sales pros, cold calling is the activity that two-thirds say they dread more than any other part of their job.

And yet, cold calling is a fundamental skill that all successful entrepreneurs and sales professionals need to master. Once mastered, cold calling brings you limitless income potential.

What makes for effective cold calling? It’s not just a numbers game. Without the proper techniques, your closing rate will disappoint you.

If you don’t have these strategies, cold calling prospects and “warming” them into potential customers or clients can be difficult and downright frustrating. It could lead to you getting discouraged and giving up on one of the greatest sales tools in your toolbelt.

In my 40 years of direct sales, team-building and business development, I’ve called on innumerable prospects. I’ve learned what works — and what doesn’t. So today, I’m going to share the techniques I’ve found work best to not only close more cold calls, but also feel more confident doing so.

Implement these 5 cold calling strategies to help close more prospects:

1. Take a Client-Centered Approach to Cold Calling.

Many entrepreneurs make a critical mistake while prospecting. They believe that to make the sale, they need to speak at great length about who they are and what they do. But it’s crucial to keep in mind — this is about them, not you.

Sales is about demonstrating to prospects how you can solve their problems or meet their needs. And you can’t do that without learning about your prospect!

Ask thoughtful, strategic questions designed to show what key benefit will make them want to purchase your product or service. Also, ask questions that will shed light on the fears and doubts that may be holding them back from making a purchase.

Listen carefully to their answers rather than trying to speak over them or dominate the conversation.

2. Prepare Your Questions Ahead of Time.

In order to master the client-centered approach to sales, you need to come prepared. Wear your detective hat and come into the call with a list of questions that will guide your client to share what they want and need.

The more quality information you can obtain from your prospect during the cold call, the better able you will be to qualify the prospect and – ultimately – make the sale. It will also shed light on who doesn’t qualify as a warm lead.

It’s important to plan your questions and put them into a logical sequence in advance. Begin by asking general questions and then follow up with more specific questions.

3. Avoid Generic Cold-Calling Scripts!

After you’ve obtained a positive answer from your prospect to your first question, the door is open to ask more qualifying questions. Don’t pull questions from a generic cold-calling script.

The more personalized your questions, the more engaged your prospect will be – which means they will be more willing to open up and provide valuable information. The key is to ask tailored questions designed to gather information that will help you show the right prospects that you have the solution to their problems.

4. Know When NOT to Sell.

The chief objective of an initial “cold call” is information gathering!

Your goal on this first call is not to make a sale. If the prospect gets the sense that you’re trying to make the sale, they’ll often put their guard up and be reluctant to answer your questions openly.

Stay focused on asking your prospect thoughtful qualifying questions and listen carefully to their responses. Be sure to take notes that you can review after the call is complete. At the end of the call, if the prospect has qualified as a lead, set up a follow up meeting or let them know when and how you will be in touch next.

If they do not qualify as a warm lead, keep the door open. You never know when you’ll have another opportunity that will be perfect for them.

5. Keep Your Prospect Relaxed.

We’ve all been on the receiving end of a forceful cold call. When someone tries to aggressively sell us right off the bat, we close off and start searching for ways to end the call.

It’s important to keep your prospect relaxed so that you can gather the information you need to know if they are a warm lead worth pursuing. Put your prospect at ease by being amiable, asking meaningful questions, and demonstrating genuine interest in what they have to say.

By taking a non-sales approach in your first call, you begin to build a relationship and come across as friendly, genuine, and non-threatening. This is critical, because as prospects relax, it becomes easier to calm their fears and doubts about investing in the product or service you offer.

Don’t let your fear of cold calling hold you back from achieving the success – and sales – you’re capable of.

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I teach entrepreneurs fundamental strategies proven to help produce more effective leads and close more sales. If you know you are capable of doubling last year’s income but you don’t know how to make it happen in the last 5 months of 2021, contact me today to turn your cold-calling cold feet into confidence and cash-flow.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus^TM” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I work with each client to implement the strategies they’ve been missing that will enable them to break through barriers preventing them from the success they know they are capable of. Contact me today to find your future clients who just don’t know what they’re missing.