Cold Calling Mastery

Most AEs fail on the phone for one simple reason: They’re cold calling people who’ve never heard of them. In 2025, that’s just lazy. Here’s how I would book executive meetings without sounding like a desperate sales rep: I used to teach cold calling techniques. Tonality. Pacing. Objection handling. And while that still matters... It’s not the reason I consistently get meetings with C-level buyers. The secret? I never cold call anymore. I warm call. Here’s how I do it: Step 1: Start with a personalized, relevant email. Do some quick research. Make it about them. For example, if I’m reaching out to a CRO, I’ll highlight a drop in quota attainment from RepVue and explain how I can help upskill their team in tough times. Step 2: That same day—a few hours later—I call their cell phone. (ZoomInfo or LinkedIn can get you that. No excuses.) DO NOT call the office. DO NOT waste time dialing assistants. If you can’t get a cell, send a LinkedIn connection request with a DM or video message. Step 3: When I call, I say: “Hi, this is Ian Koniak—did you happen to see the email I sent this morning?” If they say no: “No problem. I sent it because I saw your team’s quota attainment is down since 2022. I think I can help based on what I’ve done with other clients. Do you have a couple minutes now, or should we find time to connect on Zoom?” It’s not a pitch. It’s a reference to something you already sent that’s about them. That’s what makes it warm. Step 4: If they don’t respond, wait 2–3 days. Then reply to the original thread with more context: – Mention the training or workshops you offer – Share real results (e.g., 20% increase in quota attainment) – Ask: “Is this something you’d be open to learning more about?” Always lead with interest, not a hard ask for time. Step 5+: Stack 6–8 touchpoints total. Each one builds on the last—adding more insight, examples, testimonials. Mix in: – LinkedIn videos – Client stories – Relevant frameworks Each message = more value. That’s how you break through. It can take 8-12 touchpoints to get a meeting. Most reps quit after 1-3 touchpoints. Or worse—just send the same “following up” message. No value. No relevance. No shot. This process works. It’s not magic. It’s just real sales effort with a real strategy.

I’ve been cold calling for 9 years. Here’s everything I know about it: (this is a longer post so bear with me) 𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: People don’t hang up because it’s a cold call. They hang up because you sound unsure, scripted, or boring. - Be calm. - Be confident. - Be clear. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸: Don’t ask “𝘏𝘰𝘸’𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨?” Don’t ask “𝘐𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦?” Just try: “𝘏𝘦𝘺 (𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦), 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧.” That opener alone will double your talk time. 𝟯. 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁: No one cares that you’re the “𝘯𝘰.1 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘟.” Tell them what pain you solve, fast. 𝟰. 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: “I’m not interested” just means they don’t understand you yet. Use the FFF method: Feel - Felt - Found. “𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦… 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 (𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵).” 𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: If they’re talking, you’re winning. If they’re curious, you’re in. If you book the meeting, that’s the win. 𝟲. 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: You could have the best pitch in the world… But if you don’t make the dials, you won’t get the meetings. Consistency > perfection. 𝟳. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲: Don’t waste time trying to convince people who don’t have the problem you solve. Laser focus on your ICP, the ones who feel the pain. 𝟴. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆: Your tone > your script. People say yes to people who sound like they believe in what they’re saying. 𝟵. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁: Most meetings I book happen after the call. Send a short LinkedIn DM or a value-driven email right after. 𝟭𝟬. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁: They have a framework. They prep. They reflect after each call. And they improve daily. Cold calling still works if you do it right. Now let's book some meetings!!!! P.S. I've created a free cold calling cheat sheet where I share all of my do's & don'ts. You can access it for free here: https://lnkd.in/g9BrrDA6

Key lessons I learnt as a founder cold-calling... Yes, even as a founder with a kick-ass sales team behind you it's important you are still on the frontline So here's what I learnt last week from doing 1 hour of cold calls every day... 1. I listened back (painful, but priceless) Day 1, I cringed. By day 3, I was catching tone shifts, nervous pacing, and moments where I lost control of the call. 2. I worked the intro, not the script People decide in 5 seconds if they’ll hang up. Polished openers didn’t work. A short, relevant hook did. 3. I stopped over-engineering talk tracks I only needed a few solid angles for different personas. The rest was wasted brain space. 4. I treated follow-ups like an extension of the call Not “just checking in.” I sent something useful within the same morning or afternoon. It showed I was listening. 5. I owned my own data No CRM report was going to save me. I tracked my pickup rates, objections, and conversions in a google sheet 6. I learned to embrace silence At first, I rushed to fill every pause. But silence makes prospects talk. That’s where the real intel drops; objections, priorities, and even buying signals. 7. I built a mini-ritual before calling Instead of jumping straight in, I gave myself a 2-minute reset: deep breath, quick glance at notes, one clear outcome in mind. Those small resets made the next 10 calls sharper than bulldozing through 100 on autopilot. The result wasn’t perfection. It was steady progress → more conversations, more meetings, more confidence. My lesson: you don’t master cold calls by waiting for the “perfect line.” Like anything in life, you master them by showing up, call after call, and fixing the misses. What are you cold-calling tips and founders, are you still on the phones?

In 2022, I tried cold calling like it was 2010. Result? 0 meetings booked. Why? Buyers are smarter, busier, and less patient. But here’s the thing: Cold calling works—if you adapt. Here’s how I turned it around and booked 60 meetings in 20 days becoming a Top Sales Performer in a Startup Unicorn: 1️⃣ Do Your Homework No more blind dialing. Research your prospect: → Recent news about their company → Their pain points based on their industry → Key decision-makers (know their names!) My mistake: I used to pitch without knowing their challenges. My fix: I spent 5 minutes researching before every call. 2️⃣ Open Strong Don’t waste 15 seconds introducing yourself. Hook them right away: “Hi [Name], I noticed [specific insight about their company], and I think we might be able to help you solve [key challenge]. Do you have 2 minutes?” My mistake: I started with, “Hi, I’m Carlos from Sales Titans.” My fix: I led with value and got their attention in 10 seconds. 3️⃣ Focus on THEM, Not You Cold calls flop when you start with “We do this…” Instead, ask questions: → “What’s your biggest challenge with [their area of interest]?” → “How are you currently solving [specific problem]?” My mistake: I talked about my services before understanding their needs. My fix: I flipped the script and made it about them. 4️⃣ Have an Objection-Handling Plan 90% of first objections are smokescreens. When you hear “I’m not interested,” ask: “Totally understand. Before I go, let me ask: are you seeing [specific industry trend]? That’s something we help companies navigate.” My mistake: I took objections at face value. My fix: I used objections as opportunities to educate. 5️⃣ Book, Don’t Sell Your goal isn’t to close the deal—it’s to schedule the next meeting. “Why don’t we hop on a quick call next week to dive into this further? How’s Tuesday at 10?” My mistake: I tried to close on the first call. My fix: I focused on booking the next step. 🎯 The Cold Calling Rules for 2025 → Be prepared. → Focus on adding value, not pitching. → Always aim to move the conversation forward. Cold calling is still a skill, and those who master it are thriving.

1 habit that still moves my pipeline every week as an AE: cold calling (and how I fit it into my day) Cold calling didn’t disappear when I became an AE. It just became… harder to prioritize. Deals. Demos. Forecasts. Slack. Internal meetings. There’s always something “more important.” For a while, cold calling was the first thing to slip. My pipeline felt it. Here’s how I now build cold calling into my day - without burning out or blocking half my calendar: 𝟏. 𝐈 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞-𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t happen. What I do: - I block one short, protected window (30 minutes). - No internal calls. No “just one more email.” - Cold calling isn’t something I fit in. It’s something I show up for. 𝟐. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 - 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝟏 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 Random dials = low energy, low returns. What I do: Before the block, I prep 5-10 accounts that actually matter: - Right industry - Right size - Real potential Fewer calls. Better conversations. 𝟑. 𝐈 𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 Never dial “just to pitch.” What I do: - Every call answers one question: - “Why would this matter to them right now?” If I can’t answer that in one sentence, I don’t call. 𝟒. 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 Don’t try to be impressive. I try to be useful. What I do: - Open with curiosity, not a script. - Ask one sharp question early. Then listen. Confidence comes from understanding - not talking. 𝟓. 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 The call isn’t the win. The follow-up is where deals start. What I do: - Same day: - Recap in their words - One relevant insight or example - Clear next step No “just checking in.” The result? - Warmer conversations - More control over my pipeline - Less stress waiting for inbound My take: Cold calling as an AE isn’t about volume. It’s about consistency, focus, and intention. You don’t need hours. You need one protected block - every day. 𝐏𝐒. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰?

Richard & I didn’t post for 7 weeks. Instead, we generated $1.3M pipeline by making 11,354 cold calls. Here’s what we learned 👇 Stats: • Calls = 11,354 • Connects = 529 • Pitches (1min) = 242 • Conversation (2.5min) = 152 • Meetings = 54 Why do this? • Wanted to see what happens when 100% of focus is on 1 channel • Wanted to refine our product (AI list builder) • Wanted to refine our craft Tech stack: • List Builder = Ciro • Data Enrichment = Ciro • Dialer = Trellus (YC W22) • SEP = Google Sheet (Trellus integration is fire) • CRM = Attio What we learned: 1/ Your list >>>>> everything else. We ran a test where Richard had a “lazy list”, and I had a “great” list. I made 3x less calls, and still booked more demos. Wassup!! The quality of your list matters more than quantity of calls. 2/ Your tone > what you say. I used the same script on 99% of calls. On my worst calls, I was rushing & lacked confidence. On my best calls, I was genuine, confident, and concise. Demos followed my best calls. 3/ Keep the call short - ask for the meeting early. If a call went longer than 5 minutes, my meeting booking rate dropped significantly. Instead, I learned to ask for the meeting early. Worst case they said "no", and shared their objection. In most cases we resolved that objection and booked a meeting. 4/ There was a lot to improve in our product Nothing beats using your own product. We uncovered a ton of room for improvement. Most of those updates have been shipped. More coming soon. Disclaimers: • Richard & I do cold calls on easy mode. Both of us can say we're the CEO or President. So people typically give us 10-20 seconds. The role is a LOT harder as an SDR. • Our ICP is sales development leaders. They're very receptive to cold calls compared to other ICPs. Any cold calling best practices we missed that you'd add?

Most salespeople are terrified of cold calling right now. I get it. I've seen reps freeze at the thought of picking up the phone. Their hands shake. Their voice cracks. They'd rather send 100 emails than make 10 calls. Sound familiar? 😅 Here's what might surprise you: I'm known as "The King of Social Selling." I've built my entire brand around LinkedIn. I've helped thousands of salespeople generate leads without cold calling. And yet... I STILL teach salespeople to pick up the phone. Why? Because the best salespeople don't choose between social selling OR cold calling. They use BOTH. Here's how LinkedIn and social selling can actually make your cold calls warmer: 𝟭. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹 ↳ Check their LinkedIn profile ↳ Read their recent posts ↳ Find something personal to mention ↳ Now your "cold" call has context 𝟮. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 ↳ Engage with their content for a few days ↳ Leave a thoughtful comment ↳ Send a connection request ↳ THEN call — they'll recognise your name 𝟯. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 ↳ Sales Navigator shows direct dials ↳ Company pages list contact info ↳ Mutual connections can make introductions 𝟰. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 ↳ Connect on LinkedIn after a good conversation ↳ Share relevant content that adds value ↳ Stay visible without being pushy 𝟱. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 ↳ When they Google you, your LinkedIn shows up ↳ A strong profile builds instant credibility ↳ They're more likely to take your call The fear of cold calling doesn't disappear. But when you combine it with social selling? You're not calling strangers anymore. You're calling people who've seen your name. Who've read your content. Who already know you can help. That's the difference. So here's my challenge to you: Pick up the phone today. Just one call. Use LinkedIn to research them first. Make it personal. Add value. The worst that can happen? They say no. The best that can happen? You close a deal. Risk is always better than regret. Now go make that call.

30 days ago we started doing live Cold Calling power hours every afternoon with the full Retention.com sales team. Now it’s driving $175k in pipeline a week. Here’s how it works and 7 ways it’s helping our team: - 2-hour blocks every afternoon - 30 mins of practice with an AI bot - 75 mins of live dials. Teammates can hop in and listen real-time. - 15 mins of debrief and celebration 1. The team booked 7 new meetings last week. 4 were on Friday afternoon. While many AEs are unplugging and having a pint, the R! Team was lighting phones on fire. 2. It’s building a “remote bullpen” culture. Everyone’s cheering each other on, learning from wins and losses in real time. Just ask Dani P. - the entire team was cheering as he booked his first meeting as a newcomer. 3. The team is gaining confidence. When you make 20+ calls in a row with others watching, your nerves fade. Confidence builds. Outbound calls went from being a drag to the most exciting part of their day. 4. The pitch is improving. The team hears strong openers, great rebuttals, and tight value props - then borrows and adapts them immediately. 5. Reps are getting sharper, faster. Nothing accelerates learning like live reps. Hearing objections in real-time and watching teammates handle them builds confidence and improves messaging. 6. It’s making the team more resilient. When you’re cold calling together, rejection doesn’t sting as much. 7. We’re learning what actually works. You can A/B test subject lines forever, but the real gold is in hearing live reactions to your opener, your pitch, and your close. We’re constantly refining our approach based on real-world feedback. Email is safe. LinkedIn is comfortable. And neither are working as well as they used to. Nothing builds sales muscle faster than picking up the phone. Especially when your full team is listening. Our new Sales Manager (Dani) calls it the Banter Room.  Proud of Ben Dexter Walker Stroud David Cimaglia for showing up and showing out. Do you do Power Hours? How are you building an outbound culture?

Tens of thousands of cold calls taught me this… Most reps are doing it completely wrong. They make 2-3 calls between Slack messages. Check email. Do some research. Make a few more calls. Wonder why their calendar stays empty. Meanwhile, top performers follow specific systems that consistently fill their pipelines. After years of testing what works (and what doesn't), here are the fundamentals that separate successful cold callers from everyone else: 1️⃣Time blocking beats scattered calling every time. Shut down Slack, close email, put your phone on do not disturb. One hour of focused calling outperforms eight hours of distracted attempts. 2️⃣Setup determines success. Clean desk the night before. Browser tabs closed except your CRM. Contact list ready to go. Remove every possible friction point so you can start calling immediately. 3️⃣Energy management isn't optional. Proper sleep and clean eating directly impact call performance. Hard to believe until you try calling after a night of poor sleep versus eight hours of quality rest. 4️⃣Warm up like an athlete. Run through your first 5-10 calls out loud before dialing. Practice handling objections. Get your brain and voice ready before real prospects answer. 5️⃣Frameworks beat winging it. You don't need to sound robotic, but you need structure. Permission, problem, cost of inaction. Simple formula that works consistently. 6️⃣Write it down and make it visible. Brain fog hits everyone mid-call. Having your framework printed in large font saves you from fumbling when prospects ask unexpected questions. 7️⃣Prepare for predictable objections. Same 4-8 objections come up 95% of the time. Uncover, overcome, ask. Have responses ready instead of stammering through them. 8️⃣Record everything and listen back. Elite athletes watch game film. Sales reps should listen to call recordings. Your tonality, word choice, and objection handling become obvious when you hear yourself. 9️⃣Call when others don't. Friday afternoons worked best for me. Fewer competing calls, backup receptionists, tired decision makers with weekend plans. Blue ocean strategy applied to cold calling. 🔟Consistency trumps intensity. One focused hour daily beats sporadic marathon sessions. Pipeline problems show up weeks later when prospecting stops today. The difference between struggling reps and quota crushers isn't talent. It's system execution. Most reps treat cold calling like a necessary evil. Top performers treat it like a craft worth mastering. — Sales reps! Check out more secrets to master cold calls: https://lnkd.in/g7MBsEcR Sales Leaders! Want to install winning systems into your teams? Go here: https://lnkd.in/ghh8VCaf

Saad khaja has a 50% conversion rate on cold sales calls. And it’s not luck. It’s a system. After watching his masterclass, I realised I don’t need better sales scripts. I need better sales habits. Here are 6 tactics from Saad’s playbook worth stealing: 1. The “10 NOs” Drill Before teaching sales, Saad trains you to stop fearing rejection. He makes his team aim for 10 consecutive NOs. When a ‘no’ stops rattling you, your tone shifts - you sound calm. That’s when people start saying yes. 2. The 25/75 Rule If you're talking more than 25% of the call, you've already lost. Let them talk. They'll convince themselves faster than you ever could. Sales isn't pitching. It's listening. 3. Know your conversion math Great sellers track their numbers % of people who show up to calls, who are genuinely interested, who ghost after hearing the price. You can fix leaks instead of guessing what went wrong. 4. Never sell on the first call The only job on a cold call is to get one of four things: A meeting. A reference. Permission to send info on WhatsApp. And a callback in 6 months The close comes later. 5. Always end with a question “Hey, this is Saad from HOS - is this a good time?” Questions keep you in control; statements end the conversation. Every line should invite a reply. 6. Challenge them politely Prospect: "We already have an in-house team." Me: "Great. How's that working out for you?" Not rude. Just real. These tactics are stupidly simple. But almost no one uses them consistently. I've closed multiple 5-figure deals at Praper using this framework. What is one best tactic that you use on sales calls? #sales #strategies #calls #success