Cold Calling is NOT Dead—But Your Sales Script Might Be

Friday, March 14, 2025

Cold Calling: Why Most Salespeople Sound Like a Bad Infomercial (And How to Fix It)

When I was at EquiFirst, I sat in this endless sea of cubicles in Charlotte, North Carolina. Right in front of me sat a guy who was the walking definition of a bad salesperson. If you’ve ever read Sales Dogs by Robert Kiyosaki, this guy was the pit bull—the type that barks, bites, and never lets go, even when it’s painfully obvious he should.

I was fascinated, but not because he was good. More like the way you can’t look away when someone tries to parallel park for five straight minutes and still gets it wrong. He was relentless. Not in a good way—more like a door-to-door vacuum salesman who thinks “no” just means “try harder.”

His go-to lines?

“Why aren’t you sending us business?”

“What’s holding you back?”

“Would you like to talk today or tomorrow?”

Every. Single. Call.

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Shockingly, it kind of worked—but just barely. He hovered around half a million to a million in sales per month, not because he was a sales genius, but because he made so many calls that eventually, someone caved just to get him off the phone. If rejection were a sport, this guy was Michael Jordan.

Meanwhile, I did the opposite. If he was a pit bull, I was a retriever—focused on actually helping people. Instead of strong-arming prospects into submission, I built relationships. I asked questions. I found out what they actually needed. And I closed more deals without making people hate me.

Here’s why I’m telling you this: Most cold callers today are still using those same outdated, high-pressure tactics. And it’s killing their results.

Why Most Cold Calls Fail in the First 7 Seconds

Your prospect picks up the phone and within seconds, their brain is making snap judgments:

- “Is this another pushy sales rep?”

- “Are they about to pitch me something I don’t need?”

- “How fast can I get off this call?”

The moment they smell sales pressure, it’s game over. They go into fight-or-flight mode and hit you with:

- “I’m busy, call back later.”

- “We already have someone for that.”

- “Not interested.”

Sound familiar? Thought so.

Here’s the kicker: Studies show that cold calls have a success rate of about 2% on average. (Trellus.ai)

Let that sink in. If 98% of what you’re doing isn’t working, maybe it’s time to stop using a strategy that makes people want to block your number.

How to Stop Sounding Like a Desperate Salesperson

Instead of going full Used Car Salesman Mode, flip the script.

Bad Cold Call Opener (What Not to Do):

“Hi, my name is [Your Name], I’m with [Company], and the reason I’m calling is…”

You just triggered their mental spam filter.

Better Cold Call Opener (Try This Instead):

“Hey [Prospect’s Name], this is [Your Name]. I was wondering if you could help me out for a moment?”

Sounds more natural, right? That’s the point. This neutral, low-pressure tone makes people more open to continuing the conversation. When they say, “Sure, how can I help?”—you move into the next step.

Use a Problem Statement, Not a Sales Pitch

Once they engage, you don’t start pitching. Instead, you make them curious by pointing out a problem they might have.

Example:

“Well, I’m not quite sure if you’re the right person to talk to, but I called to see if you’d be opposed to looking at any possible hidden gaps in [specific area] that might be costing you [X outcome]?”

This works because: ✔ “I’m not quite sure” → Lowers their defenses. ✔ “Would you be opposed to…” → People hate saying “yes” to a sales pitch, but they don’t mind saying “no” to opposition. ✔ You focus on a problem, not your solution.

What Happens Next?

Most prospects will respond with:

- “Who are you with?”

- “What’s this about?”

Here’s where you disarm them:

“Oh yeah, [Prospect’s Name], I apologize, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Wait for it…

They’ll say:

“Oh, you didn’t offend me—I just wasn’t sure what this was about.”

Boom. Now, instead of pushing them into a conversation, they’re pulling you in. See the difference?

Next Step: The Personalized Introduction

Now that they’re listening, don’t launch into a 10-minute product demo. Instead, tie their problem to what you do.

“You know how a lot of businesses struggle with [common challenge, like rising ad costs, high employee turnover, etc.]? What we do is help companies like that by [briefly describing your value without pitching].”

And then—ask a question to keep the conversation going:

“Does that resonate with you, or is that something your company has experienced?”

This keeps the focus on them, not your product.

What If They Ask ‘What Are You Selling?’

Stay cool. Say this:

“Oh yeah, I apologize, I didn’t mean to offend you. And just so you’re aware, I’m not quite sure we can even help you yet. I’d have to understand a bit more about [relevant area] just to see if we’d be a good fit. Are you opposed to a brief conversation around that?”

Translation: “I’m not desperate for your sale. Let’s see if this even makes sense.”

What If They’re Rude?

Occasionally, you’ll get someone who’s just having a bad day. If they’re outright disrespectful, don’t waste time.

“Oh, okay, [Prospect’s Name], no worries. Sorry we couldn’t help you.”

Move on. Next call.

Cold Calling That Actually Works

Most salespeople fail at cold calling because they:
❌ Sound like every other pushy rep.
❌ Pitch too soon.
❌ Don’t create curiosity.

Instead, do this:
✔ Focus on their problems.
✔ Lower sales resistance.
✔ Ask curiosity-driven questions.
✔ Make it easy for them to stay in the conversation.

This approach works because it’s based on human behavior—not old-school, high-pressure sales tactics.

So, next time you pick up the phone, ditch the outdated scripts and try this instead. Your close rate will thank you.

To your success,

Keith Goeringer