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What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? If your answer is ‘check my social media’, then you’re not alone. Today,&nbsp; <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/">half of the world’s population</a> is active on some social media platform or the other.&nbsp;And that’s why social selling has become all the rage! Sales folks across the world have started using it as part of their regular sales strategy.&nbsp;Is it the same as social media marketing? Absolutely not, let’s get that out of the way.&nbsp;<a href="https://outplayhq.com/blog/how-to-start-social-selling-the-right-way">Social selling</a> is simply using social media platforms to engage with prospects directly. Social media marketing, on the other hand, is all about sharing content on these platforms to achieve branding and marketing goals.If you haven’t already tried it out, we’ve got some amazing social selling tips lined up for you. So, get ready to close more deals!<h1>Social Selling Tips&nbsp;</h1><h2>1. Optimize your social media profiles‍</h2><a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/sales/trends/future-of-sales">Gartner</a> predicts that by the year 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur on digital channels. But, if your social media profiles are outdated or incomplete, you’re likely to lose out on crucial social selling opportunities. Being more than just a digital resume, your profile is your professional reputation, catering to an intended audience.Like <a href="https://outplayhq.com/blog/daniel-disney-accelerate">Daniel Disney</a>, Author, The Ultimate LinkedIn Sales Guide, said, “The standards of LinkedIn profiles will continue to rise and so it's important for you to make sure the standard of your LinkedIn profile meets those standards.”What can you do? Well, you can make sure you have a high-res professional display picture, add a valuable job title that tells how and whom you can help, post recommendations for credibility, and use visual content that’ll actually help potential buyers reach you.<h2>2. Focus on personal branding</h2>Gone are the days when marketing held all power on social media. Today, social media has become all about following the right people. That’s where social selling comes in.&nbsp;All you have to do is become an internet personality, a thought leader, an influencer if you will. Consistently post quality engaging content, at least twice a week, about things that people will actually value.&nbsp;<a href="https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/social-selling/the-social-selling-index-ssi">A LinkedIn study</a> indicates, that social leaders create 45% more opportunities and are 51% more likely to reach quota than their peers who don’t take the personal brand building as seriously.&nbsp;So post about your first-hand experiences, your success stories, and other compelling content that’ll keep people hooked. This will build you up as a brand, enabling conversations around your product or service and in turn help you create more opportunities &amp; close more deals.&nbsp;<h2>3. Don’t forget social listening‍</h2>Social media marketing, social selling, and now social listening? Why are there so many terms! Believe us, we are with you. But it exists and here is what it means - identifying conversations that are happening on social media about your industry, company, product, or you.&nbsp;So, the next time a prospect has a problem, with this 360-degree view you can step in and suggest how to solve it. It’ll not only help in personalizing interactions but also in establishing and nurturing authentic relations with prospects, thereby increasing your chance of them becoming a customer.You can use several tools like Hootsuite, Mention, Keyhole, etc to track key social media conversations.<h2>‍4. Engage consistently</h2>This is one of the best social selling tips anyone can give you - keep your audience engaged. That means posting useful content consistently - at least twice a week. It is more work than you realize!We're talking about original content - insights, tips, experiences, articles, videos, etc. Anything that may be relevant to your audience and might start a conversation. Adopting this practice, will result in shorter sales cycles, deepened customer relationships, and generate higher revenue opportunities.It doesn’t end there, of course. You have to engage with people in the comments section and comment on other relevant content so that you are noticed. This builds credibility and a bigger social media network.<h2>5. Leverage social selling technology</h2>‍For the longest time, there were no tools to help with social selling. Except, for Sales Navigator, of course. The tool can help you identify leads based on certain things like their industry, location, company size, etc.But 2022 is seeing an exciting influx of tools that can give you better social selling opportunities. These include Vidyard, OneShot, Buffer, and so many more! Even Outplay’s <a href="https://outplayhq.com/features/multi-channel-sales-engagement">multi-channel outreach</a> via LinkedIn and Twitter is a great way to do selling on social.&nbsp;<h2>6. Track your social engagement</h2>We’ve established how important consistent engagement is. But this effort will be pointless unless you track your progress. So, how do you do that?&nbsp;A simple way to start would be to track engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares. Basis these numbers you can determine if your content is resonating with the audience or not. If it is, you can continue following what works, but if it doesn’t you must then curate content that can get you high traction.Additionally, there are other platforms such as Google Analytics and LinkedIn Navigator that indicates help measure the effectiveness of your branding efforts.<h1>Parting thoughts</h1>It’s going to get bigger in the sales world, so if you haven’t already, this is the best time to try it out. After all, <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/social-selling-stats?__hstc=210964170.f5f46136cc7dbd73dd07a54c85a079ac.1659411957580.1672831462520.1672839194707.180&amp;__hssc=210964170.3.1672839194707&amp;__hsfp=3331667812">92%</a> of B2B buyers say they’ll engage with sales reps who have positioned themselves as an industry thought leader.So, what are you waiting for? Start your social selling journey today.

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How To Up Your Social Selling Game: 6 Pro-Tips Just For You

Did you know Mark Cuban spends at least three hours reading daily? In fact, he attributes his early success to reading. Bill Gates is also a big reader, while Warren Buffet spends almost whole days being a bookworm.&nbsp;So, it’s safe to say that reading is a successful habit, at least for your career. Tom Corley, Author, Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, found that people making more than $160,000 annually read <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rich-people-read-self-improvement-books-2014-6">for self-improvement, education, and success</a>. Others who earn $35,000 or less every year read primarily for entertainment.&nbsp;The same goes for sales leaders too! Sales books can keep you updated about the happenings in your industry and helps you grow. So, here’s a list of the best sales books that you can add to your collection! Let’s get started, shall we?<h2>Selling to Big Companies, Jill Konrath‍</h2>When it comes to sales books, this one is right at the top for closing deals with bigger accounts. Even seasoned salespeople have to rethink their strategy and approach for the big players. That’s what Konrath covers in this book! He talks about how to sell and target the right accounts, engage executives who have no time whatsoever to listen to anyone, and create effective all-rounder campaigns.&nbsp;<h2>Sales Management. Simplified, Mike Weinberg</h2>‍This is one of the best sales books out there to understand where the management might be falling short. But more importantly, it offers you resolutions for your issues. Weinberg gives it straight - even well-intentioned sales managers end up making costly mistakes. But the right guidance can transform your results! So, this is the perfect read and tool to learn how to lead your team to succession.<h2>‍Emotional Intelligence for Sales Leadership, Colleen Stanley</h2>‍Even the best sales books often forget to mention anything on emotional intelligence, something that is extremely crucial for improving productivity and strengthening relationships. In this sales book, Stanley talks about how important it is for sales leaders to cultivate a sales culture that embraces emotional intelligence and the need for feedback, especially in the hiring process.<h2>‍The Expansion Sale, Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer</h2>‍This is one of the top sales books when it comes to learning about how to maintain a balance between acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones. Organizations often end up focusing all their efforts on either one of these. The Expansion Sale looks at everything one needs for a competitive advantage in the customer success space, including how to adapt strategies for each selective group.‍<h2>Leading From Your Best Self, Rob Salafia</h2>‍The best sales books of all time talk about how selling is all about making the right connections. But this requires your team to be the best versions of themselves, so that they don’t sell robotically from a script. In this book, Salafia uses his theater background to deliver certain exercises and techniques that can help with building confidence, getting rid of stage fear (talking to new people), and forming authentic human connections with people.&nbsp;<h2>‍Coaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions, Keith Rosen</h2>‍Many sales managers struggle to have a defined process in place that helps their team move forward. This award-winning sales book will teach you how to do just that! You can learn the difference between training and coaching, specific methods to coach your best salespeople, and also how to make coaching a cultural norm in your organization. You don’t want to miss this! &nbsp;Of course, there are a countless number of amazing sales books that you can read on sales management, but these are the favorite picks for this summer! If you have other amazing books that we should be on this list, write to <a href="mailto:deepika.singhania@outplayhq.com">deepika.singhania@outplayhq.com</a> and let me know!

6 Best Sales Books All the Leaders are Reading This Summer

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It’s that time of the year again when you spend time with loved ones and bond over fireworks that light up the night sky. Yes, the 4th of July is just around the corner! But why are we talking about celebrating the US Independence on a B2B sales platform? Well, because it’s time we took a page out of the B2C sales-marketing book and started holiday selling with full force! It’s a challenge, no doubt. It’s usually a slump time as most teams are on leave. But there are ways to make this work! You’ve just got to keep a few things in mind to make the most of the holiday season. Let’s get started!<h2>‍Discount Discount Discount‍</h2>You already knew this was going to be on the list. It has to be! Most holidays like the 4th of July are B2C focused because people love spending around this time. Be it travel, food, gifts, clothes, or whatnot - the wallet stays open. It’s all about the amazing discounts, really. I mean, isn’t that why we all shop during the holidays. Companies go ALL OUT! Have you not seen how crazy Walmart gets with their marketing around the holidays?So, you just have to apply the same logic to B2B sales too! Offer them a discount that they just can’t refuse. You may not win over everyone but there are definitely companies with flexible budgets and startups that’ll want to take advantage of a good holiday deal. So, it’s a win-win situation for everyone!<h2>‍Promotion Game On</h2>‍More like get your holiday sales game on! Hit your 4th of July prospects from all sides with a splash of red and white - emailers, social selling, and even calls! If you have a holiday offer going on, they should know. Make sure that they get the message whenever they come across any communication from your organization. This will make sure that they remember you.Plus, there are fewer distractions around the holidays, so chances are that they’ll respond to your messages and calls. You need to consider personalized outreach at this point because many business owners and decision-makers like sales managers end up working during holidays like the 4th of July. You can try out Outplay’s multi-channel outreach here too. Why waste the opportunity!<h2>‍Content for Everyone</h2>‍The gap between sales and marketing has closed - neither can run without the other. That’s why it’s essential that you have engaging holiday-themed content available on all offline and online channels that your prospects can access. We’re talking free content targeted at the right audience. Something like this article - relevant for the 4th of July, interesting, and useful (at least, I hope).It’s bound to grab attention and help them connect to you. It might lead them to your promotional material or website, and just like that, you’ll have a new customer. If nothing, a little more brand awareness won’t harm anyone.<h2>‍Timing Matters‍</h2>You can have all amazing discounts, promotions, and content for your prospects, but none of it will matter if you don’t reach out to them on time. Plan out your offers in advance. Once you do that, you can plan a whole holiday marketing-sales campaign around it. Timely calls and emails will make your offer irresistible.It can’t be too soon nor can it be too close to the actual holiday. For example, your 4th of July emails have to start at least sometime during mid-June. There’s no ideal time but depending on how big the holiday is, you can look at 2-3 weeks before the actual holiday.Think about it! Holiday selling is difficult but possible with the right outreach and marketing. So, keep trying and celebrating. Happy 4th of July to you!

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How to Drive Sales With Holiday Marketing

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No, we’re not talking about making a diversity hire for its sake. Simply because progression for the sake of progression doesn’t help anyone. This is more than just diversity being a compliance initiative or about ticking that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) box.It’s about how building a diverse sales team can significantly impact your company’s revenue. In the grand scheme of things, it really comes down to the numbers. So, here’s some data for why you should have a diverse sales team. You'll want to read this if you’re a sales leader or a hiring manager.<h1>Higher Sales Success</h1>In a 2021 DEI <a href="https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/amp/sales-solutions/pdf/forrester-diversity-report-2021.pdf">study</a> conducted by Forrester and commissioned by LinkedIn, Diversity Drives Success in Sales, it was found that sales teams with leading DEI practices have an average lead-to-opportunity conversion rate of 54 percent, while those lagging DEI practices are at just 26 percent. It also shed light on sales attainment rates - sales teams with leading DEI practices reached 43 percent sales attainment in comparison to the 31 percent that sales teams with lagging DEI practices reached.In another 2019 report by McKinsey &amp; Company - <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters">Diversity Wins</a> - more than 1000 large companies were examined across industries in over 15 countries. The results state that “companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25 percent more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile.” In the case of cultural and ethnic diversity, the top-quartile companies financially outperformed those in the fourth by 36 percent in profitability.The numbers are clearly saying the same thing: more diverse sales teams perform better. Companies with the highest levels of diversity brought in 10-15 times as much revenue, have a better market share, and happier customers.<h1>How to Improve Diversity in Your Sales Team‍</h1>What does a sales team do? They’re the middle people that bridge the gap between business and its consumers. That means a large portion of their work involves connecting with people.&nbsp;It is no secret that the buyer population has diversified over time. And in today’s buyer-first world, a diverse sales team can relate better to ensure a good selling experience. So, what can you do to make sure that your sales team is diverse enough?&nbsp;Here are three things to keep in mind:<h2>Awareness</h2>‍If you don’t know about it, how will you act upon it? That’s why the first order of business should be to acknowledge that there’s an issue. Teams need to go above and beyond the initial hire instead of playing need for speed and trying to win the race. The need of the hour is hiring talented and driven individuals irrespective of their skin color, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldckelly/">Donald C Kelly</a>, Founder of The Sales Evangelist said,

<h2>Assessment‍</h2>This simply means that you need to figure out how to solve this. The answer to this is to keep it inclusive. Take time to understand your hiring priorities, get salespeople onboard from all backgrounds, and engage in proactive pipelining efforts with under-represented communities. For example, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hangwithhang/">Hang Black</a>, VP of Revenue Enablement at Juniper Networks, has a 20/20 rule that ensures 20 percent of the recruiting pipeline consists of under-represented minorities, but also that they represent 20 percent of the interviewing committee.&nbsp;<h2>Education‍</h2>There are a plethora of resources on diversity recruitment available to help you evolve and communicate better on sensitive issues and create a more inclusive and safe space for your sales team. It isn’t about just adding a simple policy and calling it a day. It’ll take dedicated time and effort to build a diverse and balanced sales team. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherilynn-castleman/?trk=lss-blog-sales-diversity-hiring">Cherilynn Castleman</a>, Managing Partner, CGI Executive Coaching

It’ll all pay off in the end - both financially and figuratively.

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Why a Diverse Sales Team Closes More Deals

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? If your answer is ‘check my social media’, then you’re not alone. Today, most of the world is active on some social media platform or the other. And that’s why social selling has become all the rage!&nbsp;Sales folks across the world have started to add social selling strategy as part of their regular sales strategy. Is it the same as social media marketing? Absolutely not, let’s get that out of the way. Social selling is simply using social media platforms to engage with prospects directly. Social media marketing, on the other hand, is all about sharing content on these platforms to achieve branding and marketing goals.If you haven’t already tried it out, we’ve got some amazing social selling tips lined up for you. So, get ready to close more deals!<h2>1. Personal Brand‍</h2>Gone are the days when marketing held all power on social media. Today, social media has become all about following the right people. That’s where social selling comes in. All you have to do is become an internet personality, an influencer, if you will. Post consistently, at least twice a week, about things that people will actually value. We’re talking about your first-hand experiences, your success stories, and other compelling content that’ll keep people hooked. This will build you up as a brand and allow people to get to know you. So, the next time you pitch to someone, you’ll have your personal value as an added trustworthy factor.<h2>2. Social Listening‍</h2>Social media marketing, social selling, and now social listening? Why are there so many terms! Believe us, we are with you. But it exists and here is what it means - identifying conversations that are happening on social media about your industry, company, product, or you. So, the next time a prospect has a problem, you can step in and suggest how to solve it. It’ll put you on their radar, thereby increasing your chance of them becoming a client. You can use several tools like Hootsuite, Mention, Keyhole, etc to track conversations.<h2>3. Optimized Profiles‍</h2>Raise the standards of your social media profiles. If your profile is outdated or incomplete, you’re likely to lose out on social selling opportunities. You have to understand that it is more than just a digital resume. Your profile is your professional reputation, catering to an intended audience.Like <a href="https://outplayhq.com/blog/daniel-disney-accelerate">Daniel Disney</a>, Author, The Ultimate LinkedIn Sales Guide, said, “The standards of LinkedIn profiles will continue to rise and so it's important for you to make sure the standard of your LinkedIn profile meets those standards.”What can you do? Well, you can make sure you have a high-res professional display picture, add a valuable job title that tells how and whom you can help, post recommendations for credibility, and use visual content that’ll actually help potential buyers.<h2>‍4. Quality Engagement‍</h2>This is one of the best social selling tips anyone can give you - keep your audience engaged. That means posting useful content consistently - at least twice a week. It is more work than you realize! We're talking about original content - insights, tips, experiences, articles, videos, etc. Anything that may be relevant to your audience and might start a conversation. It doesn’t end there, of course. You have to engage with people in the comments section and comment on other relevant content so that you are noticed. This builds credibility and a bigger social media network.<h2>5. Social Selling Technology</h2>‍For the longest time, there were no tools to help with social selling. Except Sales Navigator, of course. The tool can help you identify leads based on certain things like their industry, location, the company size, etc. But 2022 is seeing an exciting influx of tools that can give you better social selling opportunities. These include Vidyard, OneShot, Buffer, and so many more! Even Outplay’s multi-channel outreach via LinkedIn and Twitter is a great way to create social selling opportunities.&nbsp;If you’d like a better understanding on social selling, you can read more here. It’s going to get bigger in the sales world, so if you haven’t already, this is the best to try it out. Let us know what you think!

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How To Up Your Social Selling Game

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Cold calling isn’t dead.If you’re here reading this, you already know that. But it’s still a tough gig. Cold callers have gained a bad reputation over the years, which makes it even more important to know what works! You can’t randomly call anyone and sell your product or service to them anymore.Today, you look at data, choose prospects accordingly, and call them at a decent hour. But in spite of all the research, people still won’t answer calls, decline meetings, or even hang up on you. So, what makes for a great cold call? It’s those first 20-30 seconds. If you get their attention then, they might stay and listen to you for longer or at least agree to a meeting for later.&nbsp;You also have to keep in mind that yours is not the first cold call they’ve attended. Take a look at the following example of a cold call opening line script. Cold Caller: “Hi, is this Antony?”Prospect: “Yes, this is Antony. How may I help you?” Cold Caller: “Hi Antony, this is Taylor from XXX company. We’re a software company that aims to work with companies like yours to streamline their sales. So far, our customers have achieved a 30 percent success in their outbound sales. Would you be willing to answer a few questions on your current outbound sales numbers and your process in general? I guarantee you that I will provide you an affordable solution… ” Prospect: **Hangs up!**<figure class="image"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_2_2462e2dd06.gif" alt="Image 2.gif"></figure>‍Why did that happen? Simply because the cold caller had no empathy whatsoever. Imagine someone just randomly calls you and goes on and on about some company you’ve never even heard of before. You’d want to just say ‘bye’ immediately!&nbsp;The best cold calling methods include establishing a connection with your prospect, showing empathy that they might be busy, asking them for permission to continue with the call, and then starting your pitch.

Sign up to Outplay and put your calling skills to test with all these call openers. 

This is where the need for a good cold call opening lines arises. And that’s why you’re here! So let’s get started. In this article, we’ll be talking about some of the best cold call opening lines you can use with your prospects. We’ll also be covering openers that you should stay away from so that you don’t scare your prospects away.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_3_0d2e53382a.gif" alt="Image 3.gif"></figure>

<h2>1. “I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time!”‍</h2>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:83.14%;"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_4_065b6ecccb.gif" alt="Image 4.gif"></figure>This is one of the best cold call opening lines that SDRs swear by. You can use variations of it too - “I hope I’m catching you at a good time!”. The idea is to keep it positive and get a conversation with them! If you do, you’re one of the lucky few. Once you get the green light, the ball’s in your court. And they won’t be able to bail out even if they don’t want to listen to you.But chances are that they’re busy or just getting into a meeting, because let’s face it, they usually are! So, how do you continue the conversation if they’re in a hurry to hang up the phone? Take a look at the cold call script below. Cold Caller: “Hey Catherine, this is Nick calling from ABC Company. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time!” Prospect: “Hey Nick! Actually, I was just about to get into a meeting. Could we talk later?” Cold Caller: “Absolutely. But I just need 30 seconds to tell you all about how (value proposition pitch about what they need). Is that something you’ll be interested in?” And then a brief conversation ensues. Of course, even the best cold calling tips might not get you a meeting, but this one’s a hit with most SDRs and sales folks, so it should be on your list!<h2>‍Avoid saying:‍</h2>“Hey Catherine, this is Nick calling from ABC Company. Do you have a minute?” It’s time you accept that they’re never going to have time for you. So, don’t use a line that gives them an opening to say no to you. Plus, it’s always more than a minute, isn’t it? Unless you’re one of those super humans who’ve nailed their pitch to 30 seconds.

I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time!

<h2>2. “I’m sure you’re in the middle of something.”</h2>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:84.92%;"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_5_0abf307a61.gif" alt="Image 5.gif"></figure>When you cold call a prospect, you’re a stranger who is interrupting their day. That’s not news to you, right? But that’s why this makes a great cold call opener! When you start with this, not only do you show that you’re considerate, you also acknowledge that they’re busy.&nbsp; It’s all about empathy. You’re not barging in!&nbsp;Here’s how this cold call might go:Cold Caller: “Hey Paul! It’s Ankit from ABC Company. I’m sure you’re in the middle of something.” **Pause** Prospect: “Well, yes. I have a meeting in about 5 minutes from now.” Cold Caller: “Got it! I just need half a minute to talk about….” You see that pause? That’s very important when it comes to cold calling. It gives the prospect time to ease down and respond to you. Cold calling is all about how you say it.&nbsp;<h2>Avoid saying: ‍</h2>“Hey Paul! It’s Ankit from ABC Company. I’m sorry if I’m catching you out of the blue here. I just need a minute.”What’s wrong here? Apologizing. Doing that right at the beginning of a cold call makes you sound unimportant. Your time is as important as theirs. Instead use this variation, “Hey Paul! It’s Ankit from ABC Company. I know I’m catching you out of the blue. But I just need a minute!”. That has a better ring to it, don’t you think?

I’m sure you’re in the middle of something

<h2>3. “I was hoping you could help me for a moment?”</h2>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:86.68%;"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_6_a29c329a5e.gif" alt="Image 6.gif"></figure>‍Getting people’s time is more difficult than receiving help from them. When you ask your prospect to help, they’ll most likely say yes. At least most <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01human.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0">humans have a biological urge </a>to do so. Why? Well, because it makes them feel good about themselves! And that’s why this is one of the best cold call opening lines. The psychology behind this really works! Take a look at how you can use this line: Cold Caller: “Hi Anita. This is Anna from ABC Company. I was hoping you could help me for a moment?” At this point, they’re curious about who you are and what you have to say. That’s why they’re most likely to say, “Yes, sure. Tell me!”. And that’s your in! They’re all ready to listen to you. So, your next move is to thank them and explain the reason for your cold call. Here is how that’ll go. Cold Caller: “Thank you! I really appreciate this. **Pause** Yeah, so listen. The reason I’m calling is…” Why the ‘so listen’? The best cold calling tips will tell you to use words that are subtle commands. This will clear their head and make them hear you out.<h2>‍Avoid saying:</h2>‍“Hi Anita. This is Anna from ABC Company. Do you think you can help me with XYZ?” Now, this leaves them with an opening to say no because you’ve already explained why you’re calling. That’s why, if you look at some of the best cold call opening lines, they’ll have shorter sentences and pauses at the right places. Instead, you can say what Morgan J Ingram, Director of Sales Execution and Evolution, JBarrows Sales Training, says - “Hi Anita. This is Morgan from JBarrows. Thank you for taking my call.”. And then you pause!

I was hoping you could help me for a moment?

<h2>4. “Hey, how are you?"</h2>‍<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.24%;"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_7_6f64455d66.gif" alt="Image 7.gif"></figure>What makes a great cold call? A warm and considerate greeting. This has been used by sales people all over! It brings a sense of familiarity to your conversation and makes the prospect feel at ease. Plus most people are likely to listen to your pitch when they know you. This is the first step towards that.It also establishes you in charge of the phone conversation. Here is what the cold call can go like: Cold Caller: “Hi Jennifer. I’m Rohit calling from ABC company. How are you?” **Pause** Prospect: “I’m good. Having a long day! How are you?” Cold Caller: “Same here! I’m good too. So listen, I’m calling to…” And then you dive right into it. You can use so many other variations for this cold call opener. “How are you doing?”, “How have you been?”, “How is it going?”, and more. Anything that’ll warm up your cold call!<h2>‍Avoid saying:</h2>‍“Hi Jennifer. I’m Rohit calling from ABC company. Hope you’re having a great week!”Everyone has long working days. This won’t go down well as a cold call opening line with someone who’s having a bad day. Stick to using the earlier mentioned variations because it’s more considerate. This gives your prospect the space they need to respond to you, so they won’t be hostile.

<h2>5. “Hi, we’ve never spoken before."</h2>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.86%;"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_8_a95b610110.gif" alt="Image 8.gif"></figure>‍Really? This cold call line works? Well, yes! It may seem like an unconventional way to start a conversation, but this really is one of the best cold call opening lines. But why would a prospect respond to someone they’ve never spoken to before? Simply because they’re curious! Wouldn’t you be too? Many sales folks swear by this because it gets people to talk. Here’s what this conversation would sound like: Cold Caller: “Hi Amy. This is Jonathan from ABC Company. We’ve never spoken before.” **Pause** Prospect: “Hey Jonathan, tell me?” Cold Caller: “So listen, the reason I’m calling… Is this something you’d be interested in?” It’s unusual and unexpected but it gets you the response you’re looking for and that’s what counts! The pause here makes them think and ask you why you’re calling. That’s all you need to make your pitch because now they’re invested in this.<h2>‍Avoid saying:</h2>‍“Hi Amy. This is Jonathan from ABC Company. We’ve never spoken before but I want to tell you about our product...”Why not? Well for one, because you didn’t ask them for permission to talk about it. And two, you don’t leave them with any time to process that they’ve just gotten a call from a random stranger. It’s just not considerate enough and they might hang up on you! You can try this instead as another variation:“Hi, Amy. This is Jonathan from ABC Company. We don’t know each other.” This should get you a similar response from the prospect. After all, we humans are a cautious kind.

<h2>Best Practices for Cold Call Opening Lines</h2>‍The best cold call opening lines are simple and considerate. But it definitely isn’t enough. Cold calling is more than just what you say. What do you do if someone says ‘no, thanks’ in the first five seconds of the conversation? We don’t want that to happen now, do we? That’s why knowing how to begin your cold call is very crucial. And here we’re talking about the tone, the time, and the research! These are what keeps your prospect on the other end of the line. Read on to know more about the best cold calling practices you should use!&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_9_64ad76626a.gif" alt="Image 9.gif"></figure>1. Names hold powerFirst names have a way of making conversations friendly. When you use your entire name or just your last name, it makes the conversation formal.&nbsp;You lose out on a sense of personalization and familiarity. Introduce yourself with your first name, which is usually easier to pronounce and remember. They’ll want to discuss further simply because they’ll feel like they know you. At the same time, using the prospect’s first name grabs their attention, so they’ll listen to you. Bonus tip - Practice the right pronunciation of your prospect’s name. You really don’t want to get that wrong. If you’re unsure, ask them ‘Am I saying it right?’, so that they don’t take offense. Always better to be sure!2. Tonality is keySometimes even the best cold call opening lines won’t give you a positive response, so the best you can do is have a better second line and a brief pitch to pique their interest. You also have to keep in mind your tonality!&nbsp;Talk to your prospect like you might talk to a new friend you made at a party. If you sound like you’re reading a script, they’re very likely to hang up on you. Focus on being empathetic and approachable.3. International calls get picked‍Here’s something you can do even before making that cold call - get an international number. If you get a call right now from an unknown number from abroad, chances are that you’ll actually pick up. Simply because you’re curious! They will be too. So, get an international number now!4. The shorter, the better‍This goes without saying, no? Most human beings can instantly recognize cold calls. The first response is to hang up in a hurry or say, “I’m not interested.” That’s why keeping it brief is one of the best cold-calling techniques.&nbsp;Make your pitch to the point, and speak calmly and clearly, before your prospect runs out of patience. Repeat after us: Keep. It. To. The. Point.5. Competition is always interesting‍No, we’re not telling you to take advantage of your prospect’s rivalry with their competition. But we kind of are! Most rival organizations face similar problems, so it’s highly likely that your prospect is having the same issue that their rival did or does. Bringing this up subtly into the conversation, especially if you’ve worked with their competition, can prove to be a game-changer! Cold Caller: “Hey Sarah, this is Aamir from ABC Company. How are you?” **Pause** Prospect: “I’m good. Having a long day! How are you?” Cold Caller: “I’m good too! I was just going through your company’s LinkedIn and was wondering if you guys are using anything to solve the XYZ problem? I bring this up because I’ve worked with ‘competitor company’, and they were facing this too till very recently…” This is bound to pique their interest immediately and they’ll want to know if you have a solution for the mentioned issue. It’s all about how subtle you can be!6. Scripts make good backups‍Some of the best cold calling scripts can fail you but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one. It’s a smart move to have one ready just in case you go blank.&nbsp;Objection handling is important so make sure you consider the rebuttals your prospect might throw at you. If they have a question, you should have an answer ready.7. Social studying is necessary‍What makes a great cold call today? Personalization. And that comes from your research on the prospect’s company, their needs, and a little bit of social media information.&nbsp;“I noticed on your LinkedIn company page that one of your big projects this year is…” That’ll get them talking immediately. So, you’re not just selling your product. You’re showing interest in what they want. That’s a win-win situation right there.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:83.67%;"><img src="https://outplayhq-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Image_10_dc6f48f977.gif" alt="Image 10.gif"></figure>

<h2>Master the Top Cold Call Opening Lines for Guaranteed Success!</h2>Of course, there are many other best cold call opening lines, but these are tried and tested! So, use them and let us know how it goes. If you have a fun cold calling story, feel free to tell us that too. We’re all ears! In the meantime, share this blog with other cold callers that you know. You never know which line might close you a deal! PS: If cold calls are your thing, check out <a href="https://library.outplayhq.com/">Call of Fame</a> by Outplay - a real-life cold call playlist that has recordings from some of the best sales folks in the SaaS industry. New episodes are released every Wednesday. Happy listening!&nbsp;

5 Best Cold Call Opening Lines That Really Work

1. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time!

2. I’m sure you’re in the middle of something

3. I was hoping you could help me for a moment?

4. Hey, how are you?

5. Hi, we’ve never spoken before.

Best Practices for Cold Call Opening Lines

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It’s time. After two long years of attending only virtual conferences on your screen, you can finally step out and attend events normally, like they are meant to be. Luckily for you, we’ve rounded up the best sales events for the coming months.&nbsp;Whether you’re just going for some swag, or a happy hour networking opportunity with like minded sellers, we have a conference for you. So, get ready to make your mark and be wowed at the most noteworthy B2B sales events of this summer! Here’s our list.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.saastreuropa2022.com/">SaaStr Europa</a> June 7-8 | Barcelona&nbsp;Join the world's largest SaaS community including executives, thought leaders, VCs, and entrepreneurs from across the world. With a spectacular speaker line-up, you'll get to meet the who's who of the sales world. And we all know what more networking means - scaling faster! It's all about growing together. So, book your tickets now. Note: 10 percent of all ticket sales goes to SaaStr's 1K Project for Ukraine.&nbsp;<a href="https://gssi.world/next-conference/">GSSI Annual Conference</a> June 8-11 | Frankfurt&nbsp;Get ready for this conference by the Global Sales Science Institute, which is being co-hosted by the University of Toledo, US, the Hof University of Applied Sciences and the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen - both from Germany. Sales leaders from across the world will get together to discuss professional selling, sales management practices, research, and education. This year’s theme is ‘Creating Value for Customers and Companies in a Changing World’. Register today!&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.b2brocks.co/event-b2brocks-montpellier-2022?">B2B Rocks</a> June 9-11 | Montpellier&nbsp;Three days with the rock stars of the SaaS world? Yes, please! B2B Rocks is a festival-style outdoor event with endless keynotes. events, networking, and fun. Listen to notable speakers, learn from amazing growth leaders, take part in the startup contest, and enjoy some world-class music while you have the best conversations with folks who love SaaS. You really don't want to miss this! Get your tickets now.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://vivatechnology.com/">VivaTech</a> June 15-18 | Paris&nbsp;Get ready for Europe's biggest startup tech event! Interact with robots and drones, discover the latest software, and connect with VCs and trailblazers. This four-day conference brings together business leaders, startups, investors, and researchers to discuss the one thing they all love - new innovations. If you're one of them, get your pass already! Register today. &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://salesenablementworld.com/">Sales Enablement Summit</a> June 23-24 | Las Vegas / September 7-8 | San Francisco&nbsp;Here’s an in-person sales summit that you don’t want to miss! Like the name says, this is for sales enablement leaders from the world’s largest organizations and exciting startups. Join in to learn from amazing success stories and experiences faced by those who drive consistent predictions across the customer journey. Grab your tickets now!&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inbound.com/">Inbound</a> September 6-9 | Boston &nbsp;Powered by Hubspot, this annual event brings together thought leaders from over 161 countries across sales, marketing, customer success, and revenue operations. Network and engage with like-minded professionals and connect with dozens of impactful speakers. You really cannot miss this one, so go on and register yourself right away. &nbsp;&nbsp;Chief Revenue Officer Summit September 7 | San Francisco&nbsp;This sales summit is dedicated to discovering sales strategies that drive cost-effective and sustainable enterprise growth. With a brilliant speaker line-up and topics that range from ‘Sales, Marketing, and CRM Ingenuity’ to ‘B2B Growth Strategies &amp; Channels’, you’ll get to network, learn, and be inspired. The Early Bird tickets are still available, so rush and register before they run out!&nbsp;SaaStr Annual 2022&nbsp; September 13-15 | San Francisco&nbsp;This event is a SaaS festival with hundreds of workshops and mentoring sessions for you to scale and sell faster. You can network with VCs, investors, leaders, and speakers while also having some fun on the side! It claims to be the largest SaaS community event on the planet, so you have to be there, right? Early Bird tickets are still available, so go grab them now!&nbsp;Outbound 2022&nbsp; September 18 - 23 | AtlantaThis sales conference is back with its exclusive focus on sales pipelines, sales prospecting, and productivity. Expect the sales profession’s most influential authors, leaders, and experts from all over the world. So, if you’re looking to upskill your sales teams, recharge them, and gain a competitive advantage, this is where you should be. Register now!

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6 Offline B2B Sales Events to Be at This Summer

Find yourself having the ‘how to increase outbound sales’ discussion with your sales team more often? Are you wondering if your outbound sales strategies aren't in line with your projections? Here’s some news for you - most B2B companies, like you, have the exact same concerns.So, is it true what they say? That outbound sales is now a thing of the past? Well, some argue that inbound strategies work better, since they involve a higher intent prospect pool than outbound sales strategies do. In fact, <a href="https://www.zendesk.com/blog/sales-statistics/#:~:text=outbound%20sales%20statistics,their%20strategies%20than%20outbound%20marketers.">59% of marketing professionals</a> believe inbound leads are of far higher quality. &nbsp;While others believe that a mix of the two is necessary for good results. Like them, we too believe that time is not yet up for outbound sales. It is still as important as ever in this fast-paced, digital age.But why are companies still not hitting their outbound sales targets? And what should they be doing to improve outbound sales success? Here are five things you should keep in mind and incorporate into your outbound sales techniques to drive up your success rates.<ol><li><a href="#Send-All-is-a-thing-of-the-past">‘Send All’ is a thing of the past</a></li><li><a href="#Personalization-is-key">Personalization is key</a></li><li><a href="#It’s-time-to-optimize">It’s time to optimize</a></li><li><a href="#Segmentation-really-works">Segmentation really works</a></li><li><a href="#Automation-is-the-future">Automation is the future</a></li></ol>

<h2>1. ‘Send All’ is a thing of the past</h2>If you’re still sending the same sales email to everyone and calling prospects outside of your ICP, you are just wasting your time. Gone are the days when you could use just one channel to communicate with buyers, and target a generic user group. Today, you have to be clear about <a href="https://accelerate.outplayhq.com/hubfs/ICP%20Questionnaire.pdf">who your prospects are</a>, <a href="https://accelerate.outplayhq.com/hubfs/prospect%20qualification%20checklist.pdf">qualify</a> them, and then engage them wherever they are. There are numerous digital channels at your disposal, so you can use a <a href="https://outplayhq.com/features/multi-channel-sales-engagement">combination of touch points</a> to connect with your sales prospects. This includes social media platforms too, especially to collect information and identify them.Tip: Try different channels and see what combination works for your sales team

<h2>2. Personalization is key</h2>Using generic messaging at scale won’t get you meetings in the SaaS world. Now, it’s all about knowing the needs of your prospect and tailoring your approach accordingly. Why, though? Simply because buyers don’t want to listen to anyone from your team talking about things that they don’t need. They want to instead engage in a meaningful conversation where you can convince them that you understand their priorities. This isn’t possible without personalizing your communication for each individual. It may be time-consuming but it really pays off. Research even shows that businesses that have mastered the art of personalization, have seen their <a href="https://www.bcg.com/capabilities/marketing-sales/personalization">growth increase by 6 - 10%</a>. But how do even begin personalizing every outreach? How do they make tailored messages a part of your personalized outreach? To be able to do this <a href="https://outplayhq.com/blog/quick-guide-to-personalization-at-scale">at scale</a>, you'll need a sales engagement platform that can automate tasks that don't need manual intervention while freeing your reps to craft perfect messages.&nbsp;Tip: Use memes and videos at at least one of the touchpoints for a personalized touch

<h2>3. It’s time to optimize</h2>A lot of companies today use Google Ads to get data that can help them optimize their targeting and messaging. It helps with increasing their ad’s performance when it’s reaching the relevant audience. Similarly, your outbound messaging should also be optimized frequently. It would have been a lot of work but thankfully there are sales engagement tools (like Outplay) available now to give your sales reps the <a href="https://outplayhq.com/features/sales-analytics">required data</a> on what’s working and what’s not.Tip: Update your outbound sequences every 4 weeks instead of after 6 months. Oh, and if you're looking for some real-life outbound sequences that worked wonders for brands like Drift, Hubspot and more, <a href="https://outplayhq.com/ebook/real-sales-sequences">check out this incredible ebook</a>.&nbsp;

<h2>4. Segmentation really works</h2>We spoke about personalization and optimization but neither can happen without a good amount of research. Market segmentation is a crucial step that your sales reps should be spending time on. Once you have your market segments in place, your team can cater specifically to their profiles. This way, your team won’t be reaching out to prospects that aren’t a good fit. This will lead to better conversations and drive your sales naturally.Tip: Use different strategies and sales cadences for each identified market segment&nbsp;

<h2>5. Automation is the future</h2>A lot of sales reps view automation as a threat. But little do they realize that embracing it will only bring them new opportunities. As a sales leader, you should make sure that your team is comfortable and well-versed with the automated processes involved. It’ll save them time otherwise spent on administrative tasks and boost productivity. But you already know this! Just make sure your sales team knows it too. Like we saw before, it's important for sales teams to automate everything possible to focus on crafting winning pitches and creating relationships. The right sales tech should be able to do that for you. Which is why choosing the right software is the biggest part of your outbound sales strategy. <a href="https://outplayhq.com/blog/how-to-decide-on-a-sales-automation-software">Here's some help</a> on making this choice.&nbsp; &nbsp;

How to Increase Outbound Sales in 5 Steps

6284b245ad99560beb1b4eHow to increase outbound sales in 5 stepsba_Five Strategies to Outbound Sales-p-1600.jpeg

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Deepika Singhania

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