Cold calling can be inherently stressful. Even if you’ve worked in sales for years, it’s tough when you don’t know how the other person will respond – or if you can even get them on the phone. This uncertainty, coupled with the necessity to build rapport quickly and handle objections confidently, can lead to high stress levels.

Fortunately, there are many ways leaders can equip their sales reps to succeed at cold calling. Richard Smith, the VP of sales at Allego, says that when leaders use the right coaching tactics, they can transform their sales reps into prospecting powerhouses.

In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we discuss Smith’s ideas on how to help sales reps overcome cold-calling anxiety and achieve success with their efforts.

  1. Talk about mindset. Sales reps often feel nervous about cold calling because they fear getting rejected. That’s why leaders should discuss the importance of having the right mindset. Cold calling is hard, Smith says, and you should acknowledge this reality. Then, discuss some strategies on how to deal with rejection ahead of time. Getting into the right mindset can take some of the stress out of it.

  2. Have a whiteboard session. Get your sales reps into a room for an interactive discussion. Drawing out a process on a whiteboard can help visual learners and is more engaging than running through a slide deck, Smith says.

  3. Role play rapid-fire objection handling. Try drawing out sales objections on the whiteboard and then get sales reps to practice their responses. Smith recommends doing this in a team environment so reps get the added benefit of “selling” in front of their peers.

  4. Listen to call recordings. Listening to recordings of real sales calls is one of the best exercises to help reps learn more about cold calling. Not only can they hear best practices that end in meetings, but they can also hear what doesn’t go so well.

  5. Set scenario challenges and practice value propositions. How well do sales reps know your company’s value proposition? This is a crucial part of every sales call, but Smith says many sales professionals struggle with it. The only way to get better is to practice. She suggests giving video-based scenario challenges and getting reps to practice delivering the value proposition again and again.

  6. Listen to the “game tape.” This means spending time listening to best-in-class sales conversations to understand what good ones sound like. Smith has found that coachable sales reps truly crave and enjoy listening to these recordings.

  7. Observe call velocity through shadowing sessions. Call shadowing isn’t the most efficient way for reps to hear sales conversations, but there’s a big upside: Reps can see firsthand how they can generate quality conversations.

Sales professionals, especially those new to the field or the promo industry, may find cold calling to be the most daunting part of their job. Help them overcome their fears and build confidence by applying the guidance above.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Richard Smith is the VP of sales at Allego, a sales enablement platform and sales training platform. He’s also a sales coach and author.