You don’t lose a cold call on the call. You lose it before the person even picks up.
Before the first ring, before the opener, before you even hit “dial.” That’s where most reps blow it; in the prep, not the pitch.
Because cold calling isn’t a performance problem. It’s a precision problem.
If you want to book more meetings, stop obsessing over tone, scripts, or luck. Fix these two things first… and watch everything change.
1. Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) isn’t defined but diluted.
“SMBs in tech” isn’t an audience. It’s noise.
A sharp ICP makes every call feel relevant from the first second.
Here’s what clarity looks like:
HR leaders at 100–500 employee SaaS companies expanding into Europe, struggling with payroll compliance across multiple countries.
💡 Quick exercise:
Write your ICP in this exact format before your next call block: Role / Company Size / Industry / Trigger / Pain / Tech Stack. If you can’t fill it out fully — you’re calling blind.
2. You don’t have a call structure… you’re improvising.
Winging it isn’t charisma. It’s chaos.
A solid structure gives rhythm and confidence:
Opener (10–20s): Earn permission.
“Hey [Name], I’ll be brief… noticed you’re expanding your HR ops in Europe…”
Problem Pitch (20s): Lead with the pain.
“Most HR teams hit compliance snags once they start hiring cross-border.”
Discovery (1–2 mins): Ask, listen, qualify.
“What’s been the toughest part about managing payroll across regions?”
Objection Handling:
“Totally fair, others felt the same until they saw how automation simplified it.”
Close (15s): Own the next step.
“Let’s lock 15 minutes tomorrow. I’ll show you how others solved this fast.”
Think of this as sheet music. You bring the energy, but the framework keeps you in tune.
BEFORE YOU CLOSE THIS TAB
Every rep wants the magic line; the opener that cracks through the noise. But the truth? The real edge isn’t in your words. It’s in your alignment.
When your target is precise and your structure disciplined, you stop sounding like everyone else shouting into the void, and start speaking directly to someone’s reality. That’s the difference between noise and resonance.
And yet… there’s one last trap almost every rep still falls into: thinking personalization equals connection.
Next week, we’ll talk about why dropping a prospect’s favorite sports team or hometown doesn’t move the needle anymore, and how the smartest reps are shifting from personalization to relevance.
Because the person on the other end doesn’t care what you know about them. They care about how you can help them win.
See you next week.
Cheers
— The Sheriff in Town
