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Break the ice!

by surreal
3 replies
Heres a simple tip for breaking the ice on a cold call -

When calling small businesses that the owner is likely to answer, call them at a later time in the evening - say 7-8 o'clock. When the owner answers, quickly apologize and let them know you did not expect anyone to answer and you thought you would receive an answer machine.

If done right, provided you get a friendly person on the phone, you both should share a good laugh and you can smooth into your pitch.
This puts the owner in a comfort zone, and does not immediately hit any defensive buttons that would cause them to disconnect. By sharing a laugh, you form a very small relationship with the owner - almost like a friendship! From there, your services will be more personable and should set you apart from most sleazy sales calls!

G'luck.
#break #ice
  • Profile picture of the author Offline kiasy
    Making him/her laugh is indeed a great way to break the ice and make him/her feel comfortable. Nice share, it might help some newbies.
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    • Profile picture of the author TheRealKG
      That's a nifty little strategy you got there. I find humor is always almost always the best "ice breaker" if done tastefully.
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  • Profile picture of the author garyfromdurham
    ha ha I like it.

    That is a very clever strategy.

    As you said, it needs to be done right and you need to be fairly confident as you have the potential to stumble across a seriously annoyed business owner being disturbed during his family dinner. I know how frustrated I get if I receive a from somebody trying to flog me double glazing or a new kitchen over the phone.

    Potentially it is a good ice-breaker though

    Gary
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