You have to be aware of not going into pithc mode, which is what traditional cold call training teaches. Try to keep in mind that who you are and what you have to offer are irrelevant at this moment.

The only thing that matters is solving the potential problems of your prospect, and keeping the door open for future interactions in case there's a fit between you and them.

You may find it difficult to visualize what this kind of call feels like until you actually try it out. But just imagine receiving such a call yourself. If you were talking about things that were important to you, you'd be curious wouldn't you? And it would be more likely that you'd continue into a more substantial conversation?

Make it Concrete

So when preparing for your cold call, focus on a problem that you believe the other person has. Solve one specific issues that you can strategically challenge them on and that you know it's common problem that many of these companies have.

The best way to come up with a compelling problem is to put yourself in the other person's shoes and think about problems that your product or service can solve for them.

For example, instead of talking about "office productivity problems," you might say, "I'm just calling to see if you're still experiencing productivity problems relating to paper-based filing procedures that slow down your employees."

A statement like this gives the other person an immediate, vivid mental image of the problem.

As you should know your products / services really well, and you offer a very real solution to a compelling problem, the prospect will start to relax and have an open conversation with you.

Compelling Examples

So, ideally, the problem you bring up in your cold call is something that prospects can relate to based on their real work life.

To come up with a compelling solution is nowhere near as hard as you think once you get the hang of it. If you've been working with your product or service for any period of time, you already have the answers. You probably already know three or four specific problems most of your prospects are experiencing. You just haven't really thought about it before.

So you could begin a conversation with a question similar to:

- "I'm just calling to see if you'd be open to looking at any possible hidden gaps in your business that might be causing sales losses?" (to a business owner)

- "I'm just calling to see if you're grappling with problems of employee performance related to a lack of training support?" (to a human resource department representative)

- "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?" (to an accounting manager)

Don't Slip Back

After this, you might be tempted to slip back into the traditional sales mindset and launch into a mini-presentation about the services you offer. That would be premature at this stage of your conversation.

You still don't have enough information about the problems of the person your talking to. Offering a solution before the other person even acknowledges having a specific problem is part of the old traditional sales mindset.

So what happens next? The two of you may start asking some questions back and forth. There'll be a natural rhythm to your dialogue. And you'll find that you're actually having a conversation without the usual instant rejection.

Basically, you're building a cold calling relationship around the other person's world. You're not sinking into the push-pull scenario of buyer and seller. Most people react warmly and unhesitatingly to a conversation that feels natural to them and revolves around their issues. So when you focus on their problems, you'll find that cold calling is much easier than you ever imagined it could be.