09 Dec I HOPE SHE DOESN’T ANSWER MY CALL
When I was a teenager, I always hoped a young woman would answer the telephone when I rang her at home. Years later, when I made cold calls as a sales professional, I hoped for the same outcome—this time, for business reasons. I wanted the decision-maker to answer so I could introduce myself and request an in-person meeting, the objective of the call.
As every salesperson knows, this rarely happens. However, I learned something valuable: I had a higher success rate when the prospect answered the phone—even if their initial response was that they were too busy to talk.
Why? Because if the person answered live, I had a brief window (maximum of 7 seconds) to secure a future engagement. If they said they were busy, I did not ask them to suggest a time. Instead, I proposed one myself. I shifted the scheduling burden from the prospect to me, increasing the likelihood of securing a meeting.
Example:
Ring, Ring
Answer: Peter Jones here
Me: Hi, Peter. My name is Steve Weinberg. Have I called you at a good time?
If not, when shall I call you? Is Tuesday at 3 PM good for you?
If yes, Peter, we have worked with many companies in your industry to help them increase revenues by improving their grocery displays. I want to set up a call to discuss this further with you and any others you’d like to invite. Does Tuesday at 3 PM work for you?
If not, does 4 PM work better for you? Keep suggesting dates/times until you find out that is acceptable to Peter. (Follow up by sending an Outlook invitation.)
Me: Thank you for your time. (Always end with a thank you.)
Here is another example that is a little longer:
Answer: This is Mary Smith
Me: Mary, thank you for taking my call. Are you in charge of Payroll operations?
If not, please direct me to the person who handles Payroll operations.
Yes – do you process payroll in-house, or is it handled by someone else?
If in-house, have you considered outsourcing it? Are you the person responsible for deciding whether to outsource? If not, please tell me who is responsible.
If already outsourced, which payroll vendor are you using now? How can we provide better service and reporting than you are currently receiving?
Me: Let’s set up an appointment for next week to discuss this in further detail.
Y/N: Is Thursday at 10:00 AM good for you? (Keep suggesting dates/times until agreed.)
By presenting specific options rather than asking open-ended questions, I dramatically improved my chances of booking appointments. When calling back at the designated time, I constantly reinforced the commitment with:
“We agreed that I would call you today at 10:00 AM.”
I then proceeded with my short pitch.
Voicemail Strategy
Salespeople often ask whether they should leave a voicemail when a prospect does not answer, which is highly likely. Over time, I’ve gone back and forth and recently asked colleagues to test the results. The data was inconclusive.
Many people purposely do not answer their phones and use voicemail as a screening tool. For that reason, I currently recommend leaving a brief, value-driven message, such as:
“Peggy, this is Steve Weinberg of Acme Chemicals. I’m calling on Monday, the 11th, at 10:35 AM to discuss how we can help you reduce inventory without impacting manufacturing operations. Please call me at 312-XXX-XXXX.”
This message accomplishes three things:
- Identifies who I am
- Clarifies why I called
- Shows how I can help
Although a return call is unlikely, it does happen. If not, I wait 7–10 days and try again. I will call at least five more times before deprioritizing the prospect, but I do not discard them altogether. They go back to the bottom of the pipeline for future attempts.
Referrals
Often, the person who answers my call has nothing to do with the area you’re calling about. That’s perfectly acceptable and may, in fact, be preferable. Ask whether they can direct you to the person responsible.
When you reach that person, use the referral as a credibility marker:
“I was referred to you by John Smith, whom I recently spoke with.”
The use of a referral establishes legitimacy and increases receptivity.
Scripting
I recommend using a well-prepared short script when prospecting, not to sound robotic, but to ensure you follow a clear, optimized structure. Many organizations provide scripts, but I prefer to customize the wording to make it more comfortable to me. It should include your 10-second “elevator pitch,” a super-short, impactful summary of what you do, who you help, and the unique value you offer, designed to spark interest for a longer chat, focusing on a core problem and your simple, jargon-free solution.
Why? A personalized script sounds more authentic and lets me keep the interruption short, relevant, and professional. Give them a reason to speak with you!
Summary
If you can’t reach someone live by phone, or they don’t have time to talk right then, don’t view it as a setback. Instead, consider it an opportunity to schedule a meeting at another time for a more valuable conversation.
Successful cold calling hinges on optimizing the brief window of attention that you have.
Key strategies include:
- Proposing specific times instead of asking the prospect to decide
• Reconfirming commitments when following up (send an Outlook or Google invitation)
• Leaving short, value-driven voicemails
• Asking for referrals when you reach the wrong person
• Using well-crafted, authentic scripts to guide the conversation
While cold calling is always challenging, a disciplined approach and respectful persistence increase the likelihood of meaningful dialogue and scheduled appointments.