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Three Cold Calling Opening Statement Mistakes

Let’s play a game… How many cold call mistakes can you find with this outbound opening “value” statement?

“Hello prospect, I’m from XYZ, purpose of the call is to introduce our company to you. Others have benefited by using our ABC service. I’d like to schedule a time to meet with you and explore the difference we can make for you. Are you available next Tuesday at 2 PM?”

Let’s break it down step-by-step:
Cold Calling Mistake 1: “Hello prospect, I’m from XYZ, purpose of the call is to introduce our company to you.”
They don’t give a rats you know what about your company and don’t want an introduction. You’ve already wasted precious seconds with this opening and have raised the prospects defenses.
Cold Calling Mistake 2: “Others have benefited by using our ABC service.”
Well good for them. But you haven’t said anything about why I would care or what you could do for me, specifically.
Cold Calling Mistake 3: “I’d like to schedule a time to meet with you and explore the difference we can make for you. Are you available next Tuesday at 2 PM?”
Ummm, NO. You haven’t given me any reason why I should take the time to meet with you.
When cold calling, your opening value statement’s objective is to pique interest, lower resistance and gain permission to continue the call. You can’t do that when using the same “over used / under performing” opening statement script that makes you sound like the previous 10,000 sales calls your prospect received.
If your opening statement lacks “value” and might be making some of the same mistakes as the example above, here’s a blog post that can help you build a winning opening value statement.
– Michael Pedone
Michael Pedone teaches inside sales teams how to pick up the phone and close business. He is the CEO/FOUNDER of SalesBuzz.com – An online sales training company.

LOW SALES CONFIDENCE = SMALL PAYCHECKIf you’re tired of missing sales quota because prospects aren’t taking your calls, answering your emails and they’re ignoring you on LinkedIn here’s your chance to fix that by learning directly from Michael Pedone in his Live Online Weekly Sales Workshops.

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  • Eliminate “No, Thanks”, “Not Interested” & “We’re All Set” Responses
  • Learn a step-by-step process for Cold Calling and Warm Calling
  • Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
  • Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
  • Improve your Qualifying Skills
  • Learn more effective Sales Questions to ask (and ones to avoid)
  • Give Stellar Presentations & Handle Objections
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  • How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
  • Improve Your Time Management Skills

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Presenters: Michael Pedone
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  • How to Warm Up and Close Cold Leads
  • Eliminate “No, Thanks,” “Not Interested,” & “We’re All Set” Responses
  • Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
  • Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
  • Improve your Qualifying Skills
  • Give Stellar Presentations & Handle Objections
  • Close Follow-up Calls and Get Targeted Referrals
  • How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
  • Improve Your Time Management Skills
Duration: 1 hour per week for 8 weeks Where: Online @ your desk, conference room or home Presenters: Michael Pedone