With all the technology out there, some people like to say that cold calling and prospecting is dead. But ask account managers and in-house sales managers if they still have to prospect and cold call to develop leads and they will absolutely tell you. So what’s up?

The truth is this: while technology has changed the way companies and sales reps get leads and gives them a tremendous amount of information that they can use to make cold calling a little warmer, by end, you still have to pick up the phone. Although technology can make calls for you, eliminating the need to dial in some cases, finding new customers is still a crucial component of selling. Whether you do it after using a tech solution to select via social media and offer the best prospects to call, or if you check social media yourself, you will eventually have to talk to someone you don’t know. And in that sense, it’s still a cold call.

The real question is: how do you improve prospecting with people you don’t know, and how do you do it effectively? The good news is that by avoiding 3 common prospecting mistakes, you can eliminate the “cold” from cold calling. By following the 3 tips below, you can start building a better relationship with all the sales leads you took the time to learn more about.

Cold call error n. # 1: Don’t shoot the goalie. A big mistake many sales reps (both new and senior) make is to immediately start pitching the doorman in the hopes that once they understand how great your product or service is, they will put you in touch with the decision maker. . Could not be farther from the truth.

For starters, the doorman doesn’t want to hear your speech. Your job is simply to find out your name and your company name, and perhaps the reason for your call, and then turn it in so you can get back to doing your job. They don’t care who you are or what you’re selling. So, stop throwing them.

Also, the moment you throw them, you just annoy them and then they want to get rid of you. Also, when you launch, you identify yourself as a seller, and that causes a reaction to exclude you. So do not do it.

Instead, let them know your full name, your business name, and then ask to speak to the person on their list. And use “please”.

Cold call error n. # 2: Don’t offer to your prospect just yet. The second biggest mistake sales reps make when prospecting is to immediately pitch an offer on someone as soon as they pick up the phone. Or when they tell you they’re fine and ask how you’re doing.

The reason for this should be pretty clear: no one likes it to be done. Instead, your first goal is to try to make a connection with the person you are talking to and generate some report. Ask them how they are and listen to what they say. Acknowledge it if they ask how you are (“I’m fine, thank you very much for asking!”)

And then quickly ask a question at the beginning (“I understand you run the XYZ, don’t you?) And allow your prospect to interact with you. Absolutely resist the urge to give them a two-paragraph dump on what does, why you are so cool, and what you can do for them.

Cold call error n. 3: stop improvising. I know you think you sound much better when you improvise and let yourself go, but you don’t. And if you don’t believe me, listen to his last ten calls.

Here’s the deal: even if you wouldn’t be caught dead using a “script,” you already are. When you listen to those last ten calls, aren’t you saying the same thing over and over again? That is your script.

Instead, do what all the top professionals do when prospecting or cold calling: write a best practice approach, fill in rebuttals to common comments you get all the time (like “Email me something”), and then start practicing and using better focus. Remember, practice doesn’t make it perfect, it just makes it permanent. Stop practicing bad sales skills and start getting better with every call.

If you learn to avoid the three mistakes above, cold calling or prospecting, or whatever you want to call it these days, it will be a lot easier for you and your team.