Cold Calling Best Practices 2024: B2B Cold Call Tips

Master B2B Cold Calling in 2024 with our Best Practices Guide

In the ever-evolving landscape of B2B sales, cold calling remains a crucial tool for businesses to connect with potential clients and drive explosive revenue growth. However, trying to act like Jordan Belfort on the phone won’t get you the results you’re looking for: the effectiveness of cold calling hinges on adopting best practices that resonate with today's sophisticated buyers. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the world of B2B cold calling and explore the application of Cole Gordon's Seven Doors Theory to overcome objections and close more deals

Top 8 Best Practices for B2B Cold Calling

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1. DO Your Research

Alex Hormosi puts it best - “‘15 minutes of preparation adds 15 IQ points”. Before making a call, gather information about the prospect's business, industry trends, pain points, and potential challenges (e.g. funding rounds, open hiring recs, you name it - anything that displays potential interest in your solution). This knowledge not only demonstrates your commitment but also allows you to tailor your pitch to address specific needs. You can use Apollo.io, Hunter.io, Zoominfo, Lead411, Crunchbase, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to uncover a huge range of useful company data to bring up in conversation. 

2. DO Craft a Custom Script Tailored to the Prospect

Capturing the prospect's attention within the first few seconds is crucial. Use AI Tools like ChatGPT to craft an opening statement that is concise, engaging, and focused on value. Highlight a key pain point or challenge you found in the research that your product or service can address-  listen actively, ask relevant questions, and position yourself as a trusted advisor rather than a slimy salesperson who cares about commission over finding the right fit.. Remember, your ‘frame’ is “I’m here to help” - your prospect is the star of their own story, the more they’re talking and telling you about their challenges, the better - you’re simply there to offer a helping hand. 

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3. DON'T Dial All Day - Do Spend Less Time Dialing, More Time Selling With Autodialers!

It’s 2024 - Manually typing in calls one at a time is slow, outdated, and ruining your sales numbers: if what you want is classic, old-school and inefficient, then break out the old rotary phone and get those exhausted fingers moving.

But if you’re tired of calling all day with no results and you want to use a system that actually sells - use an Autodialer. They dial multiple prospects seamlessly while integrating with your CRM, and then connect your salesperson to a live prospect immediately.

4. DO Address B2B Objections with Cole Gordon's Seven Doors Theory

Almost all objections on a B2B sales call come down to seven categories: 

Pain: “Do you actually understand my pain, and have you given me the chance to articulate it?” Understand the prospect's pain points and demonstrate how your solution alleviates that deep pain - keep in mind this can be more than just money: do you save them time, headache, drudgery etc.?

Doubt: “Can you actually help me?” Address any skepticism by providing case studies, testimonials, or relevant data that showcase your product's success.

Cost: “Is it worth the price?” Clearly articulate the value of your offering, both financially and in terms of solved pain, and how it outweighs the cost. Highlight ROI and direct benefits to the prospect, both professionally and on a human level.. 

Desire: “Can you give me something I deeply want?” Appeal to the prospect's aspirations and goals - revenue, prestige, whatever gets them up in the morning: demonstrate how your brand and solution aligns with their vision of success.

Money: “Can you give me more than I give you?” Deal with issues of liquidity, showcase the financial feasibility of your product, emphasizing cost savings and potential revenue generation, and how they can “‘spend X to get Y”’.

Support: “Do you have my back?” Be the helping hand and their partner- assure the prospect of ongoing support and personalized assistance, offer direct contact information, and showcase your commitment to their success: “‘you’re ‘my’ client!”’.

Trust: Reinforce trust by highlighting your company's track record, industry expertise, and satisfied client base.

5. DO Record your Calls with an Integrated Notetaker & Salesfloor

Recording your calls is critical - both for your own review to recall key points and improve your sales game, but also for using AI to automatically generate summaries and key points covered in the meeting, which can contextualize the conversation automatically for both you and your prospect in an email follow up. 

6. DON'T Do Area Code Matching

This trick was a great hack back in 2011 - but it belongs in the dustbin of history along with that edgy graphic T-shirt you bought from Hot Topic: modern day gatekeepers and decision makers know to ignore calls that area-code match: with the proliferation of cell phones, most prospects have area codes now that are wildly different than where they actually physically are. so it’s a dead giveaway that a random call is sales-related.

7. DON'T Ask ‘Is This a Good Time to Talk?’

C-Suite is busy, and they have a million things pulling on their attention: there is never a ‘good time’ to entertain some cold-call offer. Instead, come out the gate with a strong value proposition and good opening lines to grab their attention immediately: “Hey Brian, I saw that you run a sales team, would you be interested in a database of hot leads looking for your services?...Hi Brian I saw you were looking for help with your development team, I’d love to help - what’s been your pain point…etc. etc.”  Remember your goal is to ‘earn’ the time for a dedicated discovery call later that week - B2B sales don’t close instantly in the same way a B2C call would. 

8. DO Follow-Up Strategically

Effective follow-up is often the key to converting a cold call into a successful sale. Always, always book a followup call, especially if their objection is ‘let me check with the team…’: sooner is better, but one week is a good ‘default’. Develop a follow-up strategy that includes personalized emails in a drip series that you have in your CRM, which offer free value, additional resources, and more case studies featuring the value your product provides. Repeat this until you get a response, one way or the other. 

Conclusion

Mastering B2B cold calling requires a combination of strategic planning, effective communication, and the ability to navigate objections seamlessly. By incorporating autodialers, a recording salesfloor, Cole Gordon's Seven Doors Theory into your approach, and positioning yourself as a genuine helping hand, you can address objections with precision and close more deals than you ever have before - remember, successful B2B cold calling is not just about making a sale; it's about building lasting relationships and becoming a trusted partner in your client's business.