However, learning a little about them can be an effective way to get them to listen. This technique lends itself particularly well to B2B sales, especially to people in some position of seniority. That’s because they’re the ones who are likely to have written or been quoted in trade press articles, been on a panel at a business seminar or guested on a podcast relevant to your niche.
When you get in touch with them, whether by phone, email or web conferencing, you can open with a note of appreciation. Pick out a specific aspect of their article or commentary you enjoyed and say why you liked it.
Everyone likes to feel appreciated. But more importantly, doing this will let your prospective customer know that you are well-informed. It makes it much more likely that they will give you a fair hearing and maybe even become one of your most positive customer review examples.
3) Acknowledge the Interruption
Also known as “get your excuses in first”. One of the biggest cold calling mistakes is to choose a closed question like “do you have time to talk right now?” It nearly always results in refusal and a quick end to the conversation. Choosing an open-ended question instead can open up the conversation.
Instead, you can use a pattern interrupt based on blocking. You explain upfront that you know you’re taking up their precious time, but in a specific way:
“Can I steal 27 seconds of your time?”
You’re not asking for ten minutes or even one minute. With luck, the irregularity of the number blocks the kneejerk “no” response and you have a way in.
