Most people agree that when making outbound prospecting calls we only have a few seconds to make an impression on our prospects… and hopefully it will be a good one!
Consider the fact that, when receiving such a call, prospects quickly wonder, “Why are you calling me?”
It follows, therefore, that to maximize the effectiveness of outbound prospecting calls we should be prepared with a strong introductory statement that quickly and concisely addresses this oh-so-common question.
Common Pitfall
And along those lines, there is one oh-so-common pitfall to avoid, which is beginning these conversations with an introduction that is all about us!
Here’s a simple exercise that can help us avoid this mistake. When preparing to make a prospecting call, craft an opening statement that begins with the following ten words: “Hello, my name is ______ ________, and I’m calling because…”
Now, here’s the challenge… the next word we say 
that is, the word that will follow the word “because” can NOT be one of the following: “I,” “we,” or “our.”
While this might sound simple, in practice it is not easy. But if after the ten-word opening the next word we use is “you” or “your,” we stand a much better chance of gaining our prospect’s attention or consideration.
A Few Examples
Put yourself in the position of receiving such a phone call. Now, which approach is more appealing:
- “Hello, my name is John Doe, and I’m calling because we’re the largest supplier of widgets in North America. Might you have a few minutes to speak with me?”
- “Hello, my name is John Doe, and I’m calling because you are a frequent user of widgets; many of our customers prefer our approach to streamlining widget management. Might you have a few minutes to speak with me?”
Starting each outbound prospecting call with a statement about our prospect is one sure way of getting up to bat more often.
Of course after that, we must have a value-added message and, hopefully, a suggestion for logical next steps.