13 Real Alternatives to Cold Calling That Build Pipeline
Can’t stomach cold calling? Steal Jeb Blount’s 13 proven alternatives to picking up the phone that build real pipeline and actually work.
Welcome to the Sales Gravy blog, where salespeople and sales leaders get better every week. We publish new sales training articles and podcast episodes three times a week, covering prospecting, cold calling, objections, negotiation, and leadership, written by Jeb Blount and the Sales Gravy trainer team.
Can’t stomach cold calling? Steal Jeb Blount’s 13 proven alternatives to picking up the phone that build real pipeline and actually work.
The right time to hire a fractional sales leader is when your team has outgrown what you can manage on top of running the business. Here are 7 signs that tell you it’s time,
Making just three to five of proactive calls to customers in a five-minute block, breaks the reactive cycle most account managers live in and builds the relationships that drive real, predictable revenue.
Recruiting is a sales leader’s number one job, and the way to find sales candidates is the same way your reps find customers: recruit like you prospect.

Steal this trial close technique and exact scripts to motivate buyers to make decisions and act without making big price concessions.
Referral leads close at three to four times the rate of cold and self-generated leads. Once both reach a real sales conversation, referrals close at roughly 26 percent versus 9 percent for cold and

When should you ask questions on a cold call? Questions come after you’ve earned the right, when you’re gathering information and qualifying, and they lead the conversation only when the prospect contacted you first.
To prospect for new clients, stop making random touches and run a consistent five-step system. Work this system every day and you gain control of your pipeline, along with the peace of mind that
The best way to measure sales productivity is with leading indicators—the KPIs and metrics that predict future revenue and let you fix problems before sales dry up.
A good sales voicemail is short, scripted, and gives the prospect one clear reason to call you back. This guide gives you seven word-for-word sales voicemail scripts that work!
Salespeople fail at cold calling for five common reasons. Fix them and the phone starts producing appointments again.
Email response rates are collapsing because decision maker inboxes are stuffed with automated, AI-written slop. This is exactly why the phone is more powerful today than it was ten years ago.

Rejection points you in the right direction. It toughens you up and makes you stronger. It tells you when you are on to something big!

The Social Proof Heuristic is a powerful way to minimize fear. On this podcast, you’ll learn how to leverage it to make it easy for your buyer to move forward.

On this podcast episode Jeb Blount answers the number one question we get about prospecting and gives you the secret to timing your telephone prospecting calls.

One of your goals going into any sale is to deal with the potential of inaction. Risk is a big factor in sales, and there are many ways to manage, mitigate and maneuver risk.

On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Kendra Lee and Jeb Blount discuss cold email prospecting techniques. Kendra Lee is the author of The Sales Magnet and one of the top experts on

Talking comes easily for most sales reps, but getting others to listen is a bigger challenge— and a critical element to your long-term success. Many sales reps have convinced themselves (and try to convince

Want to break through the noise and get your prospect’s attention? Want to stand out? Integrate video into your sales process. Video is a powerful medium that may be integrated throughout the entire sales

There is no reason—other than laziness—to ever place a “cold” call. Cold calling. Just hearing the words causes chest-tightening, loss-of-breath anxiety for many. And it’s dumb. I suggest you never place another one. In

If their objection is truly a legitimate one, their explanation will provide you with information which will help you address it. The simplest techniques can be so effective. I heard a call where a prospect

In part two of Jeb Blount’s (Inked) conversation with Mathew Pollard (The Introvert’s Edge), the two authors discuss why it’s so important that you understand your energy rules. For introverts to be successful in

Reducing the price that a person or company pays for something is not the same thing as lowering their costs. There is this thing that you do that causes your prospective client to believe

Memorable Sales Presentations Always Win Selling is all about memorable performances – especially in person. Don’t Be Forgettable While watching an incredibly boring episode of American Idol, one of the judges critiqued another generic

Can introverts sell? Jeb Blount author of Sales EQ, and Mathew Pollard author of The Introvert’s Edge, break down the myths about introverts and selling. In part one of this series, you’ll learn why

A well-directed, thoroughly researched cold call with valuable content will always be a key component of an excellent sales kit and help your sales team to become an indispensable part of your prospect’s business.

Red herrings, managed poorly, are emotional hijackers that turn sales calls into train wrecks. On a Wednesday morning my executive team at Sales Gravy gathered in our conference room in front of a big

With all the technology and social media we have at our fingertips, it only makes sense that connecting with our customers & prospects and blowing out our numbers is a piece of cake, right?

Start by asking yourself the question: “What problem needs a solution?” What Can We Learn from the Ventures of Elon Musk? It wasn’t enough that Elon Musk founded and later sold PayPal (for $1.5

Negotiation is a fundamental part of being a sales professional. No matter who you are and what you sell, you are going to be required to negotiate with buyers. Every author of every book

Working smarter with people entails three key activities: assigning the right number of people, identifying roles and planning compensation strategically. Sure-fire Ways to Work Smarter with People Your sales force is defined by the

Data can do more than tell you facts about your own business. It also can reveal important information about what’s going on with your competitors in the marketplace. How to Be Data Savvy In