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How to Stop Cold Calls from Feeling Intrusive

Written by: Ari Galper

Article Overview: 4 key ways to be seen as helpful while cold calling

How to Stop Cold Calls from Feeling Intrusive

4 key ways to be seen as helpful while cold calling

Can’t you tell when somebody wants something from you? I certainly can. And it usually feels inconvenient and intrusive.

So you can understand, then, why potential clients will often run for cover when your cold call is only about “making the sale.”

Most people sense that cold calls are self-serving to the person calling. You can almost hear the unspoken thought, “You want something, right? Otherwise why would you be calling?” This triggers almost immediate resistance.

For cold calling to be done in a non-intrusive way, we must shift the perception away from “you want something,” into “you are being helpful.” When our cold calls do not feel intrusive, people naturally are more open to talking with us.

Shifting this perception in others is all about shifting a perspective within ourselves.

Focusing on being helpful takes us away from the traditional sales mindset. In the old mindset, we talk about ourselves and our product or service. In this new approach, we’re focusing on potential clients and what may be helpful to them.

To be perceived as helpful, we must actually be helpful. If we try to use “being seen as helpful” as just another sales technique, people will sense our hidden agenda and react with suspicion. Be sincere in your approach and desire to help the other person.

Here’s how to stop being intrusive and start being helpful:

1. Make It About Them, Not About You

We’ve all learned that when we begin a conversation with a potential client, we should talk about ourselves, our product, and our solution.

But this self-focus almost always feels intrusive to the other person and shuts down the possibility of a genuine conversation.

Instead, step directly into their world. Open the conversation with a question rather than a sales pitch. For example, “I’m just giving you a call to see if your company is grappling with unpaid invoices issues?”

Never let the person feel that your focused on your own needs, goals, or agenda. Communicate that we’re calling with 100 percent of your thoughts and energy focused on their needs.

2. Avoid the Artificial Salesperson Enthusiasm

People feel pushed along by artificial enthusiasm. This triggers rejection because it feels very intrusive to be pushed by someone they don’t know.

Artificial enthusiasm includes some expectation that our product or service is a great fit for them. Yet, we’ve never spoken with them before, much less had a full conversation with them. We can’t possibly know much about them or their needs.

And so to them, we are simply someone who wants to sell them something

It is better to modestly assume you know very little about them. Invite them to share with you some of their concerns and difficulties. And allow them to guide the conversation, even when it means getting “off track” a bit.

3. Focus on One Compelling Problem to Solve

Don’t go into a pitch the way you would if you were operating out of the traditional sales mindset. Make what you say about them, not about you. Try to keep in mind that who you are and what you have to offer are irrelevant at this moment.

The key is to identify a problem that you believe the other person might have. Depending on your business or industry, here are some examples of what you might say:

I’m just calling if you’d be open to looking at any possible hidden gaps in your business that might be causing sales losses?

I’m just calling to see if you’re grappling with problems of employee performance related to a lack of training support?

I’m just calling to see if you’re open to looking at whether any department in your company might be losing revenue due to vendor overcharges?

Address one specific, concrete problem that you know most businesses experience. Don’t make any mention of you or any solutions you have to offer. Remember, it’s always about them, not about you.

4. Consider “Where Should We Go From Here?”

Let’s say the initial call turns into a positive and friendly conversation. The other person feels you’re offering something valuable, and wants to know more. Both of you feel there may be a match.

Rather than focusing on making a sale at this point, you can simply say, “Well, where do you think we should go from here?”
This question reassures potential clients that you’re not using the conversation to fulfill your own hidden agenda.

Rather, your giving them space and time to come to their own conclusions. You’re helping them create their own path, and you will follow.

Related Articles
  How To Approach Cold Calling
  Your Customers Can Help You Make More Sales
  Cold Calls - A New Way to Open
  Cold Calling Does Work – Have You Tired It Lately?
  Make Fewer Cold Calls and Get Better Results

Article Tags: cold call, cold calling, cold calls, desire, hidden agenda, mindset, new approach, perception, perspective, resistance, sales pitch, self focus, suspicion, unpaid invoices



Related Forum Posts
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!! - Success = Thinking (Head) + Heart (Feeling / Interest) + Hand (doing/ action). Success - H3 Robert
Decide your market first - Stop for a second and decide exactly who it is that you want to sell your product to. Once you've done this you'll have a far better idea of where to find them and what it is that they're interested in Cheers
Re: Cold Calling - Cold calling is an extremely difficult job to do and unless one learns that being told no by people is not a direct refusal aimed at the cold caller but at whatever is being sold, it can be very soul destroying work to do. One needs to have absolute confidence in themselves and a pretty thick skin. MichelleJ
Other Great Books... - Feel The Fear And Do It AnyWay - Susan Jeffers How To Stop Worrying And Do It Anyway - Dale Carnegie ('What's the worst that could happen - the worst?' Then prepare yourself for that and reality is such a relief!).
Re: your personality type? - Hi Zac, If you're on the fence about 2 and 3, I'd think more about them. Big picture people tend to be oblivious to the detail of what is happening NOW -- the colors on a restaurant wall, the layout of someone's apartment, the color of people's shirts at a party, etc. They instead notice the "theme" -- an upscale restaurant (who knows what color), casual shirts at a party (not sure what style), etc. A "trendy" apartment, but who knows where the bathroom was. Gut feeling people tend to act w/o all the facts, and are comfortable following that instinct. "Thinker" people will choose something even if they HATE it, just because it "makes sense." Where as that makes no sense to a gut person. Thinkers are more "black and white" where as gut instinct feelers are more "gray area" people. But going with your selections... 1. Within 2. Big Picture 3. Gut Feeling 4. Spontaneous The Reflective Seeker of Truth. You are a passionate searcher of big-picture meaning and strive to help others with your empathetic listening skills. Socially, you are usually quiet, but can be a social butterfly when you feel like it, though it can be draining to do so for too long. You have a very silly and goofy side, enjoy people and need time to quietly reflect #1 Strength: Predicting Future Likelihoods #2 Strength: Expressing Social Feeling Predicting Future Likelihoods Predicting what is likely to happen, based on past events, themes, or what has historically been true. Deciding what will happen, based on past events. These predictions are usually spoken with con?dence and certainty. A thread or common idea is drawn from the past, and these ideas are used to decide what will happen in the future. Authorities and past situations are extremely important for deciding what will happen in the future. Expressing Social Feeling Setting an emotional tone, vibrant, energetic, or serious, etc. Concerned with the emotional environment as it?s happening -- the vibe of people at a party, the tone of a situation, other people?s responses. Setting the tone -- dramatic and serious, or lighthearted and a celebration. Emotional displays are important for knowing how others are feeling, whether bad or good. Someone talking in a monotone about feelings seems insincere. Feels should be shown, so they can be read by others. If that is your type, your #1 match would be... The Strong-Willed Go-Getter. You are a bold sculptor of the here-and-now in order to achieve immediate results following a logical system for making decisions. You add a fun, upbeat vibe to social events and are often the most gregarious person in the room. #1 Strength: Commander of Physical Space #2 Strength: Systematic/Rule Logic


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