How to 2–3x your cold call success

Title: How to 2–3x Your Cold Call Success


Read Time: 2.5 min

Today, I’m going to discuss how to cold-call effectively. Is cold calling dead? Does it work? Can you generate consistent top-of-funnel TOFU with cold calling?

Cold calling is not dead, and yes, you can generate quite a bit of TOFU. The issue with the age-old cold-calling debate is that it works much better in certain markets than in others.

For example, cold calling is powerful in the SMB and B2C spaces and, if done right, can generate many one-call closes. It will work in B2B as well, especially with tools like Zoom Info or Apollo that give you access to direct/cell numbers.

It’s not whether or not you know how to do it correctly. Unfortunately, through my experience, most individuals have absolutely no idea what they’re doing and are petrified of picking up the phone. I get it; it can be brutal, especially if you suck. My goal for this issue is to help you not suck.

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, and others make it happen.

~ Michael Jordan

I will break down this issue into five parts that must be understood.

1. What is the goal of a cold call?

2. Your mindset on cold calling.

3. The best time to cold call.

4. How to craft your intro.

5. Universal rebuttal.
   

What is the goal of a cold call?

• The goal of a cold call is to do three things. (1) Build trust/rapport. (2) Build value and identify pain. (3) Book a demo. The cold call is essentially a condensed discovery call. You can call it a cold discovery instead of a cold call. Y’. You build trust and rapport with your opener. You identify pain by asking questions that you preface with context. If they’re a fit, you book the demo. There has to be a goal with a clear and irresistible intro.

Your mindset on cold calling 

• I’m convinced that over 90% of people don’t cold-call, not because it doesn’t work, but because they’re afraid and uncomfortable. Rejection can feel super personal. It’s not. It’s all rooted in your mindset. If you tell yourself, “This sucks,” “No one responds positively to cold calls,” or “I hate cold calling.” You’ve already lost. So much of cold calling is mental.
  
  Here’s a great hack. Don’t try to find a yes. Instead, chase the No’s. If you need 7 No’s before you get a Yes. Then go out and get 6 No’s as quickly as possible. Who cares if someone says no? It’s getting you closer to a Yes.
  
  Also, you need to role-play and master your pitch. You have to be prepared to step into the ring. If you’re on a call and someone punches you, you must know how to slip and counter (rebut); otherwise, you will get KO’d.

The best time to cold call

• I always liked to break down my calls into blocks. You want to make calls with the highest probability of connecting with the decision maker (DM).
  
  Early mornings are best before they get into the groove of their day, ideally around 8-9 a.m. or at the end of the day around 5 - 6 p.m. All you have to do is work the time zones. Calling during these times will yield much higher connection and conversation rates.
  
  The first goal is to get the right person on the phone.
  
  The second is to nail the call.

How to craft your intro

• Remember this acronym. It is critical for sales and negotiation. W.I.I.F.M. What’s In It For Me? People are always in it for what they can benefit from. Always. Anybody who tells you otherwise is not self-aware.
  
  Here’s a good exercise. Take a picture of a group of people and notice who you look for first when you see it. Haha… Gotcha. This is how we view the world. It’s inherently how we’re designed. We seek pleasure and try to avoid pain. Don’t believe me. Look at the screen time on your phone. I bet 80% is for pleasure (i.e., avoid pain). I’m guilty of it, too.
  
  The intro is the most important part of the call because to continue and get what you need, it has to be nailed. It has to be focused on WIIFM. Here’s an example of WIIFM.
  
  
  

  Hi, (prospect name)!? 

  
  Hey (prospect name), this is (your name) calling from (company name)!

  
  How’s everything going today?

  
  Great, I'll keep this super brief! The reason for my call today is that we're working with BDR teams at Brex, Divvy, and Airbase to increase their weekly BDR pipeline by 32% with our AI. 
  
  Today, I have a question to determine whether or not we can help you. 

  Can your SDR team handle a 32% increase in the number of net new contacts sequenced per week?
  
  Ok, great, we can help you.
  

Let’s break down why this works. You’re leading with WIIFM by showing your customers' results with a common use case that sales teams are trying to improve and optimize.

You then ask, “I have a question to see if we can help.” This plays into people wanting to be part of the club (social proof). Also, it would be silly to answer No to the question you’re asking. Most teams can handle an increase.

Finally, when you say, “Great, we can help you,” it opens the door. This is an example. There is a lot of nuance here, but you can use the framework and adjust it to your product.

Universal Rebuttal

• Prospects are going to throw stalls and objections at you. There is one rebuttal that will work for the majority of them. It’s what I call the universal rebuttal. It has to be conveyed with sincerity, emotion, and tone. Here it is.
  
  
  Can I say this to you, (Name)? Look, I know you probably get a lot of calls from people trying to sell you everything under the sun. I have nothing for you today. All I’m looking for is 30 seconds with an open ear to share how we provide huge value. If it makes sense, we can continue. If not, we can part ways as friends, and you can walk away with some valuable information.
  

  Is that fair?
  

Key Takeaways

• Cold calling isn’t dead; bad cold calling is.

• Your mindset determines your results before you ever pick up the phone.

• The goal of a cold call: build trust, uncover pain, book the next step.

• Call during high-probability windows in the prospect’s time zone.

• Intros must be built around WIIFM, not your product features.

• Social proof + a clear outcome + one smart question = a strong opener.

• A universal rebuttal keeps you calm when you get stalls or objections.

• Role-playing and recording 20 minutes a day for 3 weeks will change your game.

  
  

I didn’t fall in love with cold calling because it was fun. I stuck with it because it was the only way I could control my own outcomes. Every “not interested,” every awkward pause, every hang-up forced me to sharpen how I listened, how I explained value, and how I handled pressure. That’s what turned me into a better operator, not just a better salesperson.

You don’t need to be naturally charismatic to win on the phone. You need a clear goal for the call, a WIIFM-focused intro, one solid rebuttal, and the courage to practice when nobody’s watching. That’s it.

If you’re an early-stage founder, this isn’t really about “cold calling skills.” It’s about building the muscle to start hard conversations, hear the truth from your market, and keep going when it stings. Do that, role-play, record, review for 20 minutes a day, and your relationship with cold calling (and your pipeline) will look completely different a month from now.

Try it!

That’s it for today!

See you all next week.


Darren

P.S. If finding PMF and scaling to $1M in ARR through founder-led sales is on your radar, book a call with me here.

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