It’s tough enough to uncover quality prospects. It’s even more difficult to keep their attention and capture interest during a prospecting call. Sellers have mere seconds to hook the caller in and keep them on the line. 

And research shows that prospecting calls are a serious struggle. SalesFuel reports on a survey that found “approximately one-​fifth of sellers’ monthly outreach calls never turn into a sale.”

To boost the chance of each call’s success, sellers need to make the first words that they speak are impactful. 

Writing for Hubspot, Michael Pici highlights various phrases that sellers should consider adding to their prospecting talking points. He understands that time is valuable, so he shares suggestions that will quickly appeal to buyers and move things forward.

2 Phrases to Use For Prospecting Calls

One of his tips is to open with a business-​oriented proposition. While this type of opening is common for prospecting calls, he notes there is one key element. Sellers must personalize what they say so it will resonate. 

Don’t recite a list of features that the prospect might like. Instead, clearly state how your solution can directly improve their business. “By offering tangible outcomes, you make it more clear that your product or service is valuable and worth your prospect’s time,” he explains. 

Now, this will require some pre-​call research to learn just how your solution meets their needs. Make it a priority to allocate enough time before prospecting calls to learn their business and possible pain points. You’ll be prepared to wow them right away with a relevant proposition. 

Not sure where to begin? Start with their company website. “Check out the About page for information about their ideals and goals, and read their some posts on the company blog to see the latest news about the company itself,” suggests Amy Copadis in an article for Copper. 

And don’t forget to browse their social media profiles, posts and activities. 

Encourage Rapport Immediately

Another way to open a prospecting call is with a rapport-​building phrase. As Pici notes, “Building rapport is an essential part of building trust with your prospect. If a prospect doesn’t trust you, they won’t buy.”

Kicking off a call with this approach sets the tone for a non-​salesy conversation. You’re putting the focus on connecting, which can appeal to sales-​weary buyers. 

SalesFuel’s research shows that buyers want to work with sellers who care about them. And sales professional Cameron McLennan also understands the importance of showing prospects you care. 

“People do tend to buy from people they like,” he explains. “They listen to people they like. They take advice from people they like. If you're doing all the talking, you'll miss the signals that indicate what's important to the prospect and you'll miss out on an opportunity to build rapport.”

Unfortunately, your prospects likely hear from countless sellers who immediately go into a sales pitch. By bringing up a connection point, you’re putting the focus of the call on them. And, you're putting in effort to connect on a more personal level. 

Once again, you’ll need to fall back on the research you did prior to the call. Try to uncover a shared interest or experience to start the conversation. What if you can’t find any commonality? Ask questions based on a role they held or social media posts they made to start the pipeline of communication.

Then, Listen.

Once you’ve successfully caught the buyer’s attention with these phrases, it’s vital that you listen to their responses. You’ve made the initial first steps toward a dialogue, but you must keep it going. And you can only do that by keeping them the focus of the call. 

For more prospecting call tips, take a look at these helpful suggestions.

Photo by Antoni Shkraba