Hot for Cold Calls It's a red-hot marketing tool. But how do you get reps to warm up to picking up the phone?

What can make an otherwise winning sales pro go wobbly in theknees, croaky in the throat and flustered all over? Cold-calling, asales strategy wherein said salesperson calls another human who maybe cranky. So why cold-call at all? Why not stick to folkswho've at least expressed a scintilla of interest in yourproduct?

Bill Stinnett, a sales trainer and consultant in Wakefield,Massachusetts, says cold-calling makes sense when salespeople areresponsible for uncovering their own leads. Stinnett, president ofSalesExcellence Inc., a business solutions provider, adds thatinstead of selling in a reactive mode, cold-calling allows reps tounearth sales gems. "It's not easy," he says,"but the value is shorter sales cycles, larger deal sizes anda lot less competition."

Lack of competition is one reason Rose Mauriello is a bigproponent of the tactic. "If your competition isn'tcold-calling," the president of RRM StaffingSolutions, a Lexington, Massachusetts, sales consulting andstaffing firm says, "you'll get to uncover a salesopportunity first and limit the potential impact ofcompetitors."

So how to beat back the fear that accompanies picking up thephone? According to Mauriello, it's time for a game of"what's the worst that could happen?" This exercisehelps reps sort out the kinds of responses they can expect, fromgetting hung up on to becoming tongue-tied. Role-playing with repswill aid them in sorting through every type of circumstance andwill remove cold-call clamminess. Stinnett encourages salesmanagers to equip reps with a top 10 list of common questions orobjections, plus responses. "With practice, fear can bereduced," he says.

Research and preparation can repel dialing-for-dollars demons.Stinnett trains reps to research a company or contact personbefore the call so they can have an informed conversation.That way, the rep will be familiar with the business problems thecontact faces and can explain how the product has helped otherclients in similar situations.

Another way to allay fear is to make the call just one of themany elements used to reach a contact. Try sending an e-mail, faxor letter before or after a call. Stinnett says such an approachcan improve success rates. "This process produces confidencethat empowers sales pros to be more effective," he says. Andif a rep knows where prospects congregate, nothing beats aface-to-face introduction, followed by a call.

Even with lots of upfront legwork, cold-calling is sure to bedemoralizing now and again. Mauriello suggests sales managersencourage reps not to take rejection personally, and to take breaksafter tough calls. "Talk with a colleague or go for a shortwalk," she suggests, "and then get back on the phoneagain."

Stinnett agrees it's important for reps to emotionallydetach themselves from the call. The job of calling, he says,"should be perceived as a series of actions-dialing the phone,posing questions and proposing a prospect take action." Toassuage anxiety, reps must keep in mind that they can't controla prospect's reaction, only how well and thoughtfully the callis executed.

Kimberly L. McCall is president of McCall Media &Marketing Inc. (www.marketingangel.com), a business communicationscompany in Durham, Maine.