Find clients
Cold calling without reciting a script.
The phone is still the fastest way to find out whether a prospect is worth your time. You just have to survive the first twenty seconds.
In short
A prospecting call is decided in the first twenty seconds: say who you are, why you are calling this company in particular, and ask an open question. The script is for preparation, not recitation. The real driver is volume: calls are made in runs, in a dedicated slot, from a list prepared in advance.
The first twenty seconds
Your contact decides very quickly whether this is a standard sales call. What makes the difference is not the energy in your voice, it is showing that you know who you are speaking to: their trade, their size, something verifiable about what they do.
Follow with an open question rather than a pitch. You are trying to find out whether the problem you solve exists here, not to run through your catalogue. A two-minute conversation ending in a clear no beats an eight-minute monologue.
Call in runs, never one at a time
An isolated call is expensive: finding the record, remembering the context, working up to it. Twenty calls in a row cost far less than twenty times one call, because the preparation is shared and the rhythm sets in.
In practice: a list prepared the evening before, a blocked slot, and one rule during it, the inbox stays closed. The last ten calls are better than the first ten, which never happens when you call once a day.
Write the outcome during the call, not after
A call with no record is half wasted. Three things need writing down: what the person said, what was decided, and the date of the next contact. The rest is comfort.
The next-contact date matters most. « Call back in September » is not a date. The 8th of September is, and it has to appear in front of you on the day without you having to reread anything.
In detail
The topic, broken into concrete questions.
Read next
- Prospecting planDecide who you are after, how many contacts you need, and at what pace.
- Where to find prospectsThe free sources, the paid ones, and what each really contains.
- Cold emailSubject line, length, follow-up sequence and the legal frame.
- Following upWhen to follow up, how often, and what to say to silence.
Frequently asked questions
How many calls a day is reasonable?
For someone who has other work, twenty to thirty calls in a two-hour slot is sustainable. Beyond that, quality drops for most people unless the role is dedicated to it.
When is the best time to call?
It depends entirely on who you are calling. A tradesperson is reachable early or late, a professional practice mid-morning. Test two slots over two weeks and compare your answer rates rather than following a general rule.
Should you leave a voicemail?
Yes, short, with a reason and your name, but do not expect a call back. The message prepares the ground for your second attempt rather than generating a reply.
Keep track of every follow-up
Lea CRM keeps your contacts, deals and reminders in one place, and shows you every morning what needs doing today.