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

Get rid of old beliefs and outdated sales techniques. The new economy demands a new approach and philosophy in sales. The self-help gurus are the best at teaching, “You are what you believe. Your

In the context of selling, a blind spot is something you commonly do within your sales interactions that potentially threatens your success. And here comes the kicker… you’re not aware of it. I’m a

Successful salespeople craft a sales strategy and then periodically pause and reassess – modifying as need be. Recently I was talking with a sales manager who shared an interesting story about sales strategy reviews.

What one reads is different than the words written. Quite often the message we wish to send people isn’t actually the message that is received. What was meant to come across as good sometimes

All companies want to thrive. No company just wants to just “exist”. It’s “business nature” to want to grow, to become better…..to thrive. We wrote about Rising channels (see the previous blog) and discussed

This year, the company I had been using for the last several years was unresponsive when I tried to schedule service. Coincidentally, I received an email from one of their competitors offering the same

Why do sales professionals who become aware of their sales approach not working continue to plunge ahead? An unfounded “expectation of success” appears to play a significant role in such cases. Recently, I finished

Simplicity equates to clarity.Simple will always beat out complicated. Have you ever researched a new purchase only to find that there are too many options? What did you do? Sometimes people delay the purchase

Baseball players and sales professionals don’t have much in common. However, Elite athletes and Ultra-High Performing sales professionals know their numbers because that’s where the MONEY is. In this video, Jeb Blount addresses the

Giving critical feedback to your salespeople is a key element of coaching and improving sales behaviors. It’s also challenging for sales leaders to do it the right way. Giving salespeople feedback is hard to

Are You Facing Sales Fatigue? These team building techniques will ensure that your organization will exceed your goals this year and create a culture of high performance. Holding frequent success meetings and instilling passion

There are Two Fundamental Classifications of Salesperson The difference between Sales Pros and Sales Reps is important for business owners, executives, and sales managers who want to accelerate revenue growth by acquiring new accounts.

On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast Jeb Blount (People Follow You) and Kristie Jones discuss the trials and tribulations of building and sustaining a sales accountability culture. You’ll learn that without accountability

The Case for Virtual Training Virtual Instructor-Led training blends the social benefits of classroom training with the speed, agility, and cost effectiveness of e-learning. These are the seven ways that virtual training has become

Keep Burnout At Bay Especially now, burnout threatens the best of sales teams. Fight it by focusing on recovery, not on hours worked. How can team leaders keep burnout from closing in? Of all

Don’t Just Coach the Numbers When coaching your sales team, always put the focus on what your team members did to achieve great sales results, rather than purely on the numbers. Are You Guilty

Great Ideas for Sales Contests It is a sales leader’s objective to make sales contests a fun experience. Creating fun in your sales culture with different types of contests will help you achieve different

Delivering An Excellent Customer Experience Many elements make up an effective customer service training program. Here are seven secrets we use as a base to introduce customer service reps to the fundamentals of delivering