Cold Calling Best Practices

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.

My cold call pick-up rate is 22.2%. Here's what Jeff Bajorek and I are learning from daily cold calling: ✅ Optimize call times to maximize pick-up rates My best pick-up rate is 7:57am local time for the prospect. I catch them right before the workday starts. It's close enough to 8am that no prospect has mentioned anything. 8-9am local time for the prospect remains the highest pick-up rate window. ✅ Use multiple data sources We pull as many as 3-4 phone numbers across two data providers to get the right phone number. Then, we make sure to mark bad phone numbers so we don't call them again. Rarely is the first number the correct one. ✅ We call mobile numbers This one's obvious for many of you. But there's still reluctance, yes, in 2024—to call cell phones. You just have to do it. And deal with the OCCASIONAL angry prospect. ✅ Double & triple touches No "naked activities." We never call without emailing. We never send an email without calling. Salesloft data shows that this type of "combo prospecting" (a la Tony Hughes) increases contact rates by 3.1x. It works. My ideal workflow: → Call first. Things happen way faster on the phones. Feels like less work for me this way. → LinkedIn second. Send a blank connect request. → Email last. Send the email last. I do this all at once. Then give it two days to rest and hit with a double touch of phone + email. ✅ Prioritizing calling prospects who open emails For all the talk out there about innacurate open rating tracking—pick-up rates are much better when I prioritize prospects who open emails. We have an automated call task created after 3 email opens. ~~~ That's it. We follow fundamental sequencing best practices. How are you maximizing cold calling pick-up rates?

My take after cold calling 10 people an hour for 6 months. Getting better isn’t about finding the magic opener. It’s about fixing the reps between rep #1 and rep #100. Here’s what actually made me better (and got me more meetings PB: 21 qualified in one month as an SDR): 1. I recorded myself → Cringey at first. → Eye-opening after. → You’ll catch your filler words, weak tone, and awkward pauses immediately. 2. I optimized my first 10 seconds → “Caught you at a bad time?” = hang up. → What works: “Quick one—I saw something relevant and wanted to run it by you.” 3. I prepped 3 talk tracks—not 30 → One for finance. → One for operations. → One for “I don’t know what you do.” Master those. Forget the rest. 4. I followed up every same-day call with value → Call at 10:13 AM? Email by 11 with something relevant. → Not “just checking in.” Give them a reason to care. 5. I tracked my own data weekly → Pickup rates, objection patterns, conversion to meeting. → Patterns = power. The result? — More meetings — Better conversations — Confidence over perfection My take: You don’t get better at cold calling by thinking. You get better by fixing the 99 calls that don’t go well. What’s one change that improved your cold call game this year? #sdr #ae #coldcalling SDRs of Germany

Here is how I got an 80% Success Rate in Cold Reach-Outs (even as a student) 1. Quality over Quantity Don’t mass message. Focus on high-potential connections and personalize each message. 💡 Example: “Hi [Name], I saw your talk on [topic] and it really aligns with my work on [project].” 2. Get to the Point Fast Introduce yourself and state why you’re reaching out in the first two sentences. 💡 Example: “I’m [Your Name], working on [specific project]. I’d love to chat about [shared interest].” 3. Choose the Right Platform Some respond best to LinkedIn, others to email, X, or their website’s contact form. Find the right way to reach them. 4. Be Specific About Your Ask Clearly state what you’re asking for- advice, a call, collaboration, etc. 💡 Example: “I’d love a quick 15-minute call to discuss [topic].” 5. Showcase Credibility Include a link to your GitHub, blog, or research to build trust. 💡 Example: “Here’s my recent work on [topic]: [link].” 6. Follow Up (Respectfully) If they don’t respond, send polite follow-ups 2-3 times with a week between messages. Persistence works, but don’t spam. 7. Respect Their Time Keep your message short and to the point. Show you respect their busy schedule. 💡 Example: “I know you’re busy—just a quick 15-minute call would be great!” Try these tips to level up your cold outreach! 🚀 #NetworkingTips #AICommunity #GrowthHacks

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

This feels counterintuitive, but I don't introduce myself upfront on cold calls. Instead, I've found far more success "pattern interrupting" by making the first words I saw something I saw about THEM: "Alex, I just saw the job post for the Director of Marketing you're hiring" "Alex, I just finished reading your LinkedIn post about your new product launch" "Alex, I just saw the announcement about the new CTO you hired" Leading with something about them PROVES you're not just another crappy telemarketer blindly dialing thru the phone book. From there, you can get permission to pitch. Here's the complete script: "𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹, 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩" 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 30 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘐'𝘮 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬?" This doesn't work if the upfront thing about them you cite has absolutely nothing to do with your product. You can't say "I read your LinkedIn post" and then randomly transition to a pitch about health benefits software if you're unable to make a clear connection. When doing your cold call prep, look for conditions/attributes about the prospect that might indicate they have the problem your product solves. Ex: Product announcements Podcast/Media appearances  Job listings (there is often gold in these) Earnings reports Blog posts 

Cold calling lesson: Don’t pitch. Poke. Let’s say I’m selling software that filters out fake AI-generated job applications. I could open the call like this: “Hey, we help talent teams eliminate AI-generated applications before they hit your ATS. We use advanced detection to save hours of recruiter time. The purpose of my call is to schedule time to show you how it works.” That’s a pitch. And when people feel pitched, they brace themselves. They get quiet. Guarded. Distrustful. Now let’s try poking the bear instead: “Not sure if you’re seeing this, but a bunch of companies are getting flooded with AI-generated job apps that look totally legit. How are you spotting those before they hit your ATS?” That’s not a pitch. That’s an illumination question. It surfaces a blind spot. It creates a little tension. It invites someone to think, not defend. Here’s the psychology: When you pitch, you’re telling them what their problem is. When you poke the bear, you’re letting them recognize it for themselves. That moment of recognition is where curiosity begins. And curiosity opens the door to conversation. So next time you’re on a cold call, ditch the pitch. Poke the bear. Buyers have the answers. Sellers have the questions.

Me: Do your SDRs do any cold calling, or are they all email/social? Kevin "KD" Dorsey: My SDR's ONLY do cold calling. Me: WHAT?!? KD: If all you can do as an SDR is personalize email, I do not need you. I have tech for that. Me: So all you have SDRs doing is cold calling. Zero email or social? KD: We do all that for them. We just have them hitting the phones. Me: What’s your ACV? KD: About $10k/year. Me: And that works? With US reps? KD: The biggest thing people get wrong about cold calling is they think it’s about ACV. It’s NOT. It’s about the numbers - how many demos per month is each rep booking. Me: So your reps book enough to cover a $10k ACV? KD: 200 dials/day on a power dialer generates 25-30 demos/mo, which covers the 10k ACV. We’re growing the team. Me: I love that everything is so data driven. KD: Gut can get you to $10m, maybe $20m … Data gets you to $100m. Me (feeling stuck at $25m): I HEAR THAT. As a gut guy. What script works nowadays for cold calling?  KD: Here’s the 7 step script to book 30 demos a month: 1. The Intro Hi this is X from Y (how’s it going/been/are you) 2. The Justifier I was speaking with, spoke to, work with, sent you, looked at your LI, etc 3. Ask Permission I was hoping to ask you just a couple quick questions, see if it would even be worth having a larger conversation, would that be ok/do you got a sec? - Yes - thx. - Bucket q - No - when would there be a better time? - WDYD: Bucked Question 4. The “Bucket” Question I talk with/meet with _________ all day long, and they all seem to be struggling with _________ ,_________, or ___________, I mean does that sound like your world at all or ___________ (blow up/perfect) - Yes/Sounds right - Ah gotcha, which one is the biggest issue/top of mind, frustration, etc. - Um sure/kind of - Same as above. - No - Oh wow! That’s great, how did you solve those things?! - WDYD 5. The Enlightenment Questions - Most frustrating/top of mind? - Tell me more - What’s causing? - What’s that causing 6. The Personal Interest Questions (do 2 of them) How are you ____________, so that _____________ (doesn’t happen) 7. The Might Make Sense Ask I think this might make sense. You’re dealing with _______, causing _______ and ________. We might be able to solve that, I mean it’s at least worth having a deeper convo with ________. Let's get 30 min on the calendar next week sometime, how does ______ or ______ look? Me: That sounds straightforward. KD: It is. But that script isn’t enough. You have to have the correct TONE, or it won’t work? Me: What’s the correct tone? KD: We call it the “lost in the city” tone. You have to sound like you are walking up to someone you don’t know to ask them directions. If you sound like that, this script crushes. If you don’t, this script will do you ZERO good. Me: Really? How do you monitor for that? ***RAN OUT OF ROOM. Continued in the comments 👇

1 month as a VC, and I already received 600+ cold pitches. Only 3 were worth my time. Here’s why the rest failed - and how to ACTUALLY get a VC’s attention. 📚 Do your homework  Most founders spam every VC in sight. Mistake. VCs focus on specific industries and stages - find out who’s a match for YOUR project. Pro tip: Check their profile or website for investment focus areas like DeFi, AI, or gaming  🎯 Quality > quantity  Stop blasting the entire team at a VC firm. If you send the same message to 5 partners, you’ll look clueless. Research who’s most relevant and reach out to 1 or 2 max. 🔥 Warm intros win  Got a mutual connection? USE IT. A trusted referral completely transforms your chances of getting a response. No connections? Make them.  Focus on networking in the VC’s circles - events, groups, or mutual interests. 💌 Respect their inbox  Don’t send a random connection request on LinkedIn. Use InMail or get an intro.  Cold adding is the fastest way to get ignored. 🎤Nail your opener  Keep your intro short and to the point: - What problem is your project solving? - Why does it matter? - Why YOU are the team to do it. 3-4 sentences max. Nobody has time for your essay. 🍴Ask for a bite, not the whole meal  Don’t beg for a meeting. Ask for 15 minutes to gauge mutual interest. This makes it easy for them to say yes - and if you nail that first call, they’ll want more. 🌎 Engage in their world  Are they active in specific LinkedIn groups, Twitter Spaces, or Discords? Show up where they are and contribute value.  Being part of the conversation makes you memorable. ⏳ Play the long game  Building relationships with VCs takes time. - Show up at the events they’re attending - Engage meaningfully with their posts - Ask insightful questions If you do these things, you'll build familiarity - now you're no longer a stranger. Cold pitches fail when you treat them like a numbers game. Put in the effort to build a real relationship, and the right doors will start opening. 🔓 What’s your strategy for standing out in a crowded inbox? Drop your pitch below, and I’ll tell you if it’s VC-worthy. 👇

Before you chase leads, answer this: Not everyone who books a call is worth your time. (Yes, even if they seem interested.) We’ve learned this the hard way. Here’s our 5-step sanity check to qualify leads before we pitch: 1. Are they your ICP? If they’re not the kind of person you built your offer for—skip. 2. Do they NEED what you offer? Interest is not the same as need. Big difference. 3. Are they LOOKING for a solution? If they’re just “exploring options”... come back later. 4. Do they have the BUDGET? A broke lead is not a lead. It’s a distraction. 5. If not, walk away. Seriously. Even if your calendar feels empty. The best businesses say “no” more often than they say “yes.” Your time is not free. Question: Do you have the courage to disqualify a lead—even if they booked a call? #leadgeneration #b2bsales #qualifyleads