When others feel a relaxed mindset from you during your cold call, they are much more likely to welcome you into their day. But if you rigidly follow a script or launch into a mini-presentation, then your cold call is immediately pegged as something initiated primarily for your own gain. And that puts most people into resistance.

Here are 8 keys to building relationships in cold calling:

1. Focus on the other person’s needs rather than on securing a sale

2. Surrender to the outcome of your sales call so you can connect with your potential client at a human level

3. View the human connection as an exciting journey in which you encounter new and interesting people

4. Speak graciously and naturally as you would with any new acquaintance

5. Remember it’s about how you come across, not about how many people you call

6. Allow the conversation to evolve naturally

7. Invite both of you to decide together whether it’s worth your time to pursue the conversation further

8. Use phrases that are non-aggressive yet very effective

So try this. Practice shifting your mental focus from salesmanship into a place of relationship. You’ll find that your genuine enjoyment of the conversation rubs off on the other person. They’ll be less defensive and more likely to share with you truthfully. When you do this, you’ll experience so much success and satisfaction that it will really change the way you do business. It will bring sales success beyond your imagination.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

If you’ve been trained in the old traditional cold calling approach, you’re hoping to make a sale whenever you dial the telephone. The problem is that the people you call somehow almost immediately notice your mindset. They sense that you’re only focused on your own goals and interests, and this short-circuits the whole process of communication and trust building.

So try this. Practice shifting your mental focus into thinking, “When I make this call, first I’m going to build a conversation.”

When you build a conversation and exchange information instead of persuading or pressuring someone to buy, then the other person can feel much more relaxed. And “The Wall” won’t be triggered.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

Most of us enjoy meeting new people. So when we’re cold calling, why not be ourselves in this place? It’s perfectly appropriate to be interested, cordial, warm, and respectful of potential clients when calling them.

When we’re being ourselves in this way, the other person usually can sense our sincerity. How tiresome it must be to receive canned and robot-like presentations day after day. And how refreshing for them to talk with a real person who’s relating to them in a natural, cordial fashion.

In sales calling, we’re wanting to discover the needs of the other person, and if we might help them. We aren’t focused on the outcome, but are enjoying the process of conversation and discovery.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

Here’s a hard one to avoid if you’re using scripts or cold calling strategies. Taking charge of a conversation almost always feels like manipulation to the other person. And that’s pressure. So again, “The Wall” goes up.

I’m not suggesting that you don’t prepare and plan for your cold calls. There are some really good ways to begin cold calls that you’ll want to use over and over.

What you want to avoid, however, is trying to control a cold calling conversation. This almost always happens with scripts and old-style sales strategies. Prospects feel this pressure and respond negatively. So it’s best to avoid rigidly following any pre-planned strategy, and instead let the conversation unfold much more naturally.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

The problem with high enthusiasm in cold calling is that the other person has to make a decision whether to “buy into” your perspective, or to reject it. They feel pressure to be carried along by your enthusiasm. This usually means they’ll put on the brakes, whether gently or abruptly.

So instead it’s best to talk normally and naturally, as if you were talking to a friend. Others won’t feel the pressure of your expectations, and can choose to respond to you in a more open, relaxed way.

Completely eliminating all sales pressure from your cold calling conversations helps people feel more comfortable carrying on a conversation with you. And this means you’ll be invited more often to explore the truth of whether your product is a fit for them.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

If you’re like most people who make cold calls, you’re hoping to make a sale – or at least an appointment – before you even pick up the phone. The problem is that this mindset short-circuits the whole process of relaxed conversation. Whenever there’s a goal, there’s also an underlying “win or lose” tension that your prospects experience as sales pressure.

But when you’re focused on building a conversation, there’s no tension. You’re simply exploring whether you can provide a solution to someone’s problem. This provides a stress-free environment for a productive, mutual exploration.

So when your focus shifts from “making the sale” into “building a conversation,” you’re not introducing sales pressure. Tension evaporates. And now you’re free to enjoy the interaction. And as long as you’re sincere, others are more likely to enjoy it too.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

In the old traditional sales training, you usually start cold calls by talking about yourself and what you have to offer. But that’s an approach that quickly introduces sales pressure into the conversation. Why? Because whenever someone hears your mini-pitch, it’s clear that you want to make a sale. And now they have to respond to that expectation, which means there’s a push-pull feel to the interaction.

So instead, try starting your conversation by focusing on a need or issue you know the other person is likely facing. Step into their world and invite them to share whether they’re open to exploring possible solutions with you.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

Start thinking about language that will engage people rather than language that will trigger rejection. If you can start a conversation that triggers a “What do you mean?” from the other person, you’ll find you can explain yourself in a natural way. And it also creates a two-way dialogue, which lets you flow with the conversation without feeling you’re getting off-track.

Developing a problem statement makes this whole process much easier. Find out what issue or problem your potential client is likely to be experiencing, and build an open-ended conversation around that.

Here are three basic steps to opening up a dialogue and having a real conversation with your cold calls:

1. Begin with the question, “Maybe you can help me out for a moment?” The reply is almost always something like, “Sure, how can I help you?”

2. Continue with something like, “I’m just calling to see if your company is still having issues with unpaid invoices.” And the response probably will be, “Well, yeah, we are. Who’s this?”

3. You can then respond in a very relaxed tone, “This is John. I’m with XYZ Collection Agency. I’m just calling to see if you’d be open to some new ideas on how to better solve that problem.” This makes it easy for the other person to reply, “What do you mean?” or “Tell me more.” And after that, the possibilities of your conversation are endless.

Try these new cold calling ideas, you’ll be amazed at how much value you receive, both personally and professionally.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

In the old traditional sales approach, you’ve been told to take charge of your cold calling conversations. But it’s important to recognize that whenever you do this, the other person almost always feels managed or maneuvered. And that’s subtle pressure.

You see, if you’re not letting the other person fully involved in the interaction, then you’re using pressure to try to control the outcome. This is a subtle but very powerful form of control that creates tension for both of you.

So instead, invite mutual participation and allow the conversation to flow. You’ll be surprised how relaxed and effective this can be.

Completely eliminating all pressure from your cold calling conversations will open up a much more natural and effective way of interacting with your prospects. The less pressure you project, the more successful you’ll likely be.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

Have you ever heard yourself calling a potential client and reading your script? Probably not. That’s why most people who use scripts think they sound natural. They’ve never heard themselves. But if you do this simple exercise, you’ll hear the same kinds of differences I hear when people role-play with me.

In our day-to-day relationships, we simply want to get to know and communicate with others. But when we go into cold calling using scripts, we have an agenda, which is to make the sale. People sense this immediately and put up their guard. Between our hidden agenda and their reaction, there’s no chance to build trust through communication.

Until next time,

Keep calling and keep it conversational…

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com