Looking for a cold call framework to use so you can book more meetings with top prospects? Look no more! In this article, we’ll outline a simple and easy-to-use framework that anybody can use to start cold calling and set more meetings with prospects.

In this framework, we’ll break the cold call down into 4 main parts: Opener, illuminating question, objection handling, and the close.

Let’s start with the opener:

Opener

How to open a cold call is one of the most controversial topics in sales. No matter which opener you choose, somebody will tell you that you should be using a different one. The key is to find out what works for you and then to stick with it. Here are two examples of openers:

“Hi Emily, it’s James from Company X. How’ve you been?”

“Hi Emily, it’s James from Company X. I know I’m calling you out of the blue here, can I take 30 seconds to tell you why I’m calling? I promise I’ll be brief”

Test a few out and find the one that works best for you.

Illuminating Question

The illuminating question’s goal on a cold call is to enlighten the prospect about a problem they might not be thinking about. This is the question that will spark the discussion and move the cold call forward.

An easy method to create an illumination problem is to frame your prospect’s problem in the context of their role, and then ask about what happens if that problem isn’t solved. Here’s an example:

“For other sales organizations, the average rep spends 15% of their day doing admin work. What steps are you taking to make sure that your sales reps aren’t wasting time on non-selling activities and instead are on the phones filling their pipelines?”

In this example, we frame the problem by providing a statistic, and then spark a discussion by asking an open-ended and thought-provoking question. Try to come up with one for your company.

Objection Handling

Once you’ve made it past the illumination question, the rest of the cold call is simply objection handling and then closing.

Objection handling is going to differ quite a bit from company to company, so it’s important to set up an objection handling guide for your specific company.

Create a document that has a list of all of the common objections and how you plan to overcome those objections.

For non-product related objections, feel free to check out the Common Objections section of this article for inspiration to help overcome non-product objections.

The Close

Once you’ve sparked interest from the prospect, it’s time to ask for the meeting. Here are a few tips when asking for the meeting:

  • Highlight the problem that you could help them solve before you ask for the meeting
    • “It sounds like we might be able to help you solve (insert prospect’s pain point)”
  • Ask for the meeting with a low-pressure call to action
    • “Would you be opposed to setting aside a few minutes later this week to learn more about how we’re helping other companies solve (prospect’s pain point)?”
  • Try to send the meeting invite and have them accept while you’re still on the phone with them. Send a barebones invite and update the information at a later date.
    • “And just to confirm I have the correct email can you accept it when you get it?”

Repeat this process and set more meetings!

Conclusion

When we bring all of these steps together in this cold calling framework, here’s how it looks

You: “Hi Emily, it’s James from Company X. I know I’m calling you out of the blue here, can I take 30 seconds to tell you why I’m calling? I promise I’ll be brief”

Prospect: “Sure”

You: “For other sales organizations, the average rep spends 15% of their day doing admin work. What steps are you taking to make sure that your sales reps aren’t wasting time on non-selling activities and instead are on the phones filling their pipelines?”

[objection handling]

You: “It sounds like we might be able to help you solve (insert prospect’s pain point). Would you be opposed to setting aside a few minutes later this week to learn more about how we’re helping other companies solve (prospect’s pain point)?”

 

Use this cold calling framework in your next cold call session and book more meetings!

 

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