Funny how we were born with two ears and only one mouth. Wonder what that means in the sales profession?! It means we should be listening more and talking less. Most of our meeting with our prospect, should be us listening about 70% of the time. Our talking should be to lead the prospect through a series of information gathering questions, and clarifying their answers, so we are then able to accurately assess their needs so we can return with our suggestions and proposal for solving their problem.

Sometimes, our egos try to take over and we talk more than we should. We think this will impress our prospects-- with our knowledge and sales ability-- nothing could be farther from the truth. What will impress them the most, is being the most professional sales person you can be-- understanding their business, their current situation, and addressing their needs. This requires, honing our listening skills and truly 'hearing' what is being said.

There aren't too many sales people I know who enjoy cold calling. The reason for this is fear. We don't like the idea of calling someone we do not know, being rejected or feeling in a weak position, when we want to make a connection, and get an appointment in hopes of selling our product.
There are some things we can do, to help alleviate the feeling of NOT wanting to make the call.

First, we can prepare for the call. Stand up, take a few deep breaths and let them out slowly. Secondly, Sit up straight or stand, when you make the call. Speak as you would if you were there in person. Thirdly, Do NOT use a speaker phone. Speak directly into the receiver. Watch the tone and speed of your voice. Try to model the pattern of the person you are speaking to. People feel more comfortable doing business with people who seem to be like them.

Fourth, Do not fear hearing the word, NO. As sales people, it is better to hear no, than for prospects to waste our time, with no intention of ever buying. So, your goal should be to get a no, or an appointment. Do, however, do your best to get to the RIGHT person and convey enough information for them to let you know if there is any opportunity with their organization or not. It is also ok to ask them if they know of an organization who might have a need for your product/service, even if they don't.

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased."