OPERATIONS DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

Completely eliminating assumptions and high enthusiasm in your cold calling will help people relate to you as a real person instead of a negative-type "pushy" salesperson. And you’ll find that they’ll usually respond much more warmly and naturally.

Before you make a cold call, do you "gear up" first? Do you get excited about your product or service, and try to anticipate making the sale?

Well, if you’re following the old traditional cold calling mindset, that’s probably what you’ve been trained to do. But what you don’t know is that enthusiasm and confidence usually backfire on you.

1. Why? Because you’re talking with someone who doesn’t know you. Think about how you’d feel if someone you don’t know approaches you with a lot of zest and enthusiasm.

2. You’ll probably take a step back. You’re a little suspicious and somewhat on the defensive in the face of all that enthusiasm.

   It’s the same when you make cold calls. People don’t like the feeling of being pressured, and that’s usually what gets triggered when you approach someone with too much confidence. It’s called "positive thinking" in the old sales training strategies, but really, it’s overconfidence.

Here are two things for you to consider the next time you start to dial the phone:

1. Artificial sales enthusiasm is – artificial

When I’m coaching someone, many times I like to ask them to role-play with me. And often, just as soon as they move into their cold call presentation, everything changes.

Their natural voice tone shifts, and they sound like a totally different person from the one who called and talked so naturally with me about their sales issues.