Leave all trickery at the door.
This one goes without saying in enterprise sales. If anyone smells nosy salesperson, they will hang up right away.
Deeply understand the current challenges facing their industry, company, and role.
Much easier said than done, this is the true differentiator between a sales rep and a trusted advisor.
Selling something you don't understand, to help people you don't understand, is not a recipe for success. Spending time obsessing over the roles and industries you sell to will pay off in droves when you're having a conversation.
Start beneath the surface.
Don't stop doing prospect research at the company website. Dive deep into their blog to understand why the company exists, and start from there. Dig into Gartner and Forrester reports about their market, the technologies they use, and the trends determining the future of their industry and jobs.
The smarter you are about your prospects' job, the more they'll trust you. And there will never be a 'transition' from focusing on their work to thinking about what you're bringing to the table. Always position your solution in the context of their work. The more specific and simple you can be, the better.
Sound bored as hell.
Animals smell fear, prospects smell desperation. If you're selling any business solution, chances are it's not actually very exciting, it's just some work stuff. Sounding super excited in the first 2 minutes of the call, especially when both of you are working from home, is weird and not a part of a months-long deal cycle.
Always mirror the energy of your prospect: be bored, annoyed, and wanting-to-get-off-the-call-soon. This is how most internal meetings are, right? Low-energy and focused.
STFU.
Of all the sales acronyms, this one should be the daily mantra of cold callers. Listen. Listen. Listen. Any word they speak is a gift that might help your company close a deal. Ask questions before you even think about pitching, and then shut the fuck up.
Salespeople have to be super disciplined about this one: a lot of us just like to hear ourselves talk.
Focus on the what you can do for them.
At the end of the day, getting a cold call is like a hot shower suddenly turning cold. It can be shocking, unpleasant, and is usually something to avoid. But as smart salespeople, we can employ various techniques to warm up our water to be the same temperature as theirs and ensure a natural transition into a good conversation. Support, don't interrupt their work.
