Founders struggling with pipeline often try to sell their product in cold outreach, which fails. The initial goal is not conversion, but learning. Instead, sell the conversation itself by positioning yourself as an interesting person to talk to. This dramatically increases meeting rates.

On a cold call, prospects aren't ready to buy. Don't sell your product; sell the value of a future meeting. Frame the meeting as a low-stakes 'test drive' for when they might be interested later. This lowers resistance and makes it easier to get a 'yes' to the next step.

Sales reps often approach calls with the sole mindset of booking a meeting, which creates pressure and feels unnatural. Shifting the primary objective to simply opening a conversation removes this pressure. This allows for a more authentic interaction, which ironically makes it easier to secure the desired meeting.

Early-stage outbound messages shouldn't try to explain your value proposition or sell the product. The singular goal is to secure a conversation. Frame the outreach as one interesting person wanting to chat with another. If the prospect has pre-existing demand, they will turn the conversation into a sales call themselves.

In your opening script, explicitly state you're calling to see if it’s relevant to schedule a separate, future conversation. This immediately signals you respect their time and aren't trying to force a lengthy discussion now. It reframes the interaction as a joint assessment, making prospects more open to a two-way dialogue.

Adopt the mindset that the meeting's purpose is for you to determine if the prospect qualifies to be your customer, not for you to convince them to buy. This posture shifts control, positions you as the prize, and forces the prospect to prove they are a serious potential partner.

A breakthrough for new salespeople is changing their mindset on initial calls. Instead of trying to immediately find a problem to sell against, focus on making a human connection and leading with genuine curiosity. This approach lowers pressure and fosters a more collaborative discovery process.

Begin calls by expressing uncertainty about whether you're a fit. Stating, "there's some firms where there's just not much we can do," positions you as a detached expert, not a needy salesperson. This sparks curiosity and compels the prospect to prove they are a good fit.

A cold call is not a discovery call. You haven't earned the right to ask probing questions. Your goal is to articulate a problem, pitch a solution, and ask for the meeting. Save your questions for after they object, using them to uncover the real issue.