The best salespeople spend hours rehearsing sales calls, because statements, and meeting pitches so they know exactly what to say when they finally get a prospect on the line. The best know that practice, practice, practice is the sure-fire way to be prepared when the line picks up at the other end of the phone. Fanatical prospectors call leads every day using language they know will work.

More practice equals better prepared. Knowing your product, honing your listening skills and going into calls confident you have the solution to a prospect’s needs takes you most of the way. There’s a noticeable benefit to knowing what you’re going to say on a call. Winging it doesn’t cut it.

But what about what not to say? Or what not to include? What about those easy pitfalls that even the best Fanatical Prospectors can fall into at times? What should you be eliminating from your vocabulary and your script?

Stop Apologizing For and Minimizing Your Interruption

Salespeople are disruptors – there’s no getting around it. Salespeople interrupt work days, days off, lunch breaks – you name it. All in the name of providing a solution, when in reality, a prospect might never have heard of you or your product.

One of the worst things you can do is apologize for the interruption. Ditch “I’m sorry” from your vocabulary. You’re not sorry you’re making this call; you’re hoping you make a sale.

And while you’re at it, get rid of ‘just’. Stop saying ‘I’m just reaching out’ or ‘I’m just following up’. Do not minimize your call; it’s an important part of your sales process and an important part of your deal.

Saying you’re sorry, labeling your necessary follow-up ‘just’ a call as if you’re ‘just’ checking in on a friend – these practices won’t get you more business. In fact, they’ll kill your calls.

Stop Using Open-Ended, Vague Asks for a Meeting

Your objective for a call is to set a meeting. Period. So stop undermining yourself with weak asks for a meeting that force the prospect to find a time they want to meet with you.

Make specific dates, times and methods of contact an integral part of your ask. Be sure you’re offering multiple avenues of getting in touch with you to overcome any objections about a call, in-person meeting or video chat. 

A Fanatical Prospector knows that being too vague in an ask for a meeting — Do you have any time next week? — can be the kiss of death for an otherwise great call. “I’ve got time free next Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Can I call or text you?” is much stronger and takes the burden of finding a time off your lead. Even better, it prevents the embarrassment of having them name a time you’re actually not available.

Stop Asking ‘Is this so-and-so on the phone”

We’ve all done it. An unfamiliar voice picks up the phone or we’re expecting a man and it’s a woman and our gutcheck response is to confirm: “Is this so-and-so?”

Stop it. Reframe your approach. Whoever picks up the phone when you call is your new prospect. Deliver your messaging with confidence — giving them no time to cut you off early if they’re not who you expected to reach. Control the call.

At worst, the person corrects your mistake and points you in the direction of who you need to speak to in the end. Think of them as an especially easy gatekeeper to get past.

Stop Stammering Your Way Through Sales Calls

Um, uh, ah, well, or worse — crickets. Fanatical Prospectors know that one of the best mindsets they can take into a call block is confidence. Confidence in yourself inspires your prospect to trust you, makes them respect your pitch, and puts you that much closer to closing the deal. To project confidence, you have to sound confident.

Every debater knows that filler words like “uh” and “um” make you sound uncertain and unprepared—two things that kill credibility in sales. Plus every second on a call is valuable, and cluttering it with nothing phrases wastes time and waters down your message.

Uhs and ums are distracting. They interrupt the flow of your message and give your prospect a chance to interrupt to say ‘No’ before you’ve finished or to find an excuse to get off the phone. Neither one is a win; neither one gets you a sale. If you must pause, give yourself a brief moment of silence to collect yourself before carrying on, but eliminate uhs, ums, ers and ahs.

Upskill Your Call Game Language

Apologies, vague meeting asks, name confirmation, filler words — eliminate them from your sales calls to sound confident, credible, and in control. 

Every second on the phone matters and these poor sales call practices will get you nowhere except wasting both your and your prospects time. Instead, own the conversation. Be direct in your asks, confident in your approach and speak with authority. Eliminate these verbal faux pas now. Remember that Fanatical Prospectors practice, practice, practice to avoid common pitfalls like these. And they always make One. More. Call.

Sales Gravy Live’s Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp teaches tactics and tricks to 5x your pipeline in 90 days. Learn more about it here.

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