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.

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
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.
Quick Summary Cold calling anxiety is not a symptom of weakness. It’s human and natural to feel fear when you cold call. You are interrupting a stranger who was not expecting you, and everything
Fear of the phone is quietly draining sales pipelines, and the reps who win are the ones willing to stop hiding behind email and LinkedIn and simply make the call.
Salespeople seek a magic window that makes cold calling easy. When prospects answer happy, say yes without a fight, and book the meeting themselves. So, is there a best time to call?

Short Answer Yes, you can make cold calling fun, and it is worth doing, because the reps who enjoy the phone are the ones who stay on it. Fun is not a personality trait
Be Right Now When the economy turns sour, fear is palpable. In vain, amid the relentless stream of bad news, people search for certainty where there is none. All You Have Is The Present
Overcoming Sales Anxiety Post-Social Distancing is Possible As we return to normalcy post-COVID, many of us are giving a sigh of relief. Most of the ways that we lived pre-pandemic are again becoming our
7 Winning Tricks to Get More Sales Mister Rapid Fire never heard of the 80-20 rule where the prospect does 80 percent of the talking and the salesperson 20 percent. Frankly, I think the
How Would You Sell A Pencil? So, what is the most effective way to sell a pencil? Well, first let’s look at how most sales reps go about doing it. Telling Isn’t Selling If
Fairytale Customers Don’t Exist Unfortunately, only in a Disney movie does Sleeping Beauty live happily ever after. In the real world, passively waiting for clients to court you and give you business is a
Three Sales Habits That Close More Business Let’s take a look at the top three sales habits of top producers and examine the neuroscience and emotional intelligence skills behind the development of success habits.
10 Foolproof Tips For Getting Past Gatekeepers Every salesperson faces gatekeepers on prospecting calls. And every salesperson wants to get past gatekeepers. Beating Gatekeepers At Their Own Game One of the toughest prospecting challenges
Are Sales Contests Worth It? Sales contests and promotions should be conducted with one thought in mind: Changing behavior to achieve a desired result or outcome. There are a few things to keep in
Sales Skills: In Class Vs. Out In The Field One of the biggest challenges for most organizations is helping salespeople execute in the field what they’ve learned in theory in the classroom. It is

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