Cold Call To Listen

I was asked if this listening approach works with cold calls and door-to-door sales. Thank you for the feedback.

The short answer is: yes, the principle is still the same. You’re still going to be a listener, but the method will be different.

I’ve never tried starting a cold call with, “Tell me your story. How are you hoping we can help?” And I’m guessing it wouldn’t work.

On a cold call you need to figure out how to get from cold to “Tell me your story…”

Before I started selling in more of a corporate setting, I sold security systems door-to-door. I would rack my brain to come up with the perfect script that would take away the awkwardness of knocking on a stranger’s door. But in the end I realized that door-to-door sales would always be awkward.

So I leaned in. I tried to ask questions and talk about what I was doing. All with the vibe of “I know this is weird and you know this is weird, but hey, it’s fun to be weird.”

I’d do that until the weird started to go away, and then I’d start my listening approach.

However, even though that’s what I did, it’s really hard to give advice for cold calling. It’s like giving advice to a basketball player for the perfect shot. Or to a pitcher for the perfect pitch.

None of it matters unless they are willing to practice a thousand times.

Cold calling is high stress and you don’t always know what’s going to come out of your mouth. One of my security system salesmen accidentally introduced himself with, “Phil, my name is,” while knocking on doors.

You need enough reps to train yourself to say and do the right thing in that moment.

Be interested, not interesting. Listen to people. Then put in enough reps. Figure out what works for you. And do more and more of that.

What do you think?
Joseph