12 Cringe-Inducing Mistakes Salespeople Make on Prospecting Calls (And How to Avoid Them)

Cold calling prospects is an essential part of sales, but it‘s not easy. There‘s an art to engaging a prospect over the phone, building rapport, and moving the sales process forward – and there are plenty of pitfalls to avoid along the way.

As a sales leader, I‘ve listened to countless recorded prospecting calls from reps over the years. And while some salespeople are masters at conducting prospecting calls, others make me cringe with rookie mistakes that instantly turn prospects off.

If your team‘s conversion rates on prospecting calls could use a boost, listen up. Here are the top 12 mistakes I hear salespeople make time and again on calls, along with tips for what to do instead.

1. Insincerely asking "How are you today?"

This insincere greeting comes across as a telemarketer tactic and immediately puts prospects on the defensive. After all, you‘re a stranger calling unexpectedly – of course they‘re not going to tell you how they really are.

Instead, after introducing yourself, acknowledge that you‘re interrupting their day and get straight to the point of your call in a friendly but direct way. For example:
"Hi John, this is Sarah from Company X. I know you‘re busy so I‘ll get right to why I‘m calling. Do you have a quick 2 minutes?"

2. Not doing any research beforehand

69% of buyers say they‘re more likely to engage with salespeople who demonstrate a clear understanding of their business needs. But you‘d be surprised how many reps pick up the phone without taking a few minutes to research their prospect and personalize their approach.

Before each call, take a few minutes to scope out the prospect‘s LinkedIn profile, their company website, and any recent news or press releases. Look for trigger events or things you have in common. Jot down a few tailored questions to ask. Doing your homework will help you build rapport and have a more relevant, engaging conversation.

3. Talking more than listening

Many reps make the mistake of launching straight into a pitch about their product or company without taking the time to understand the prospect‘s situation and needs. But people don‘t like to be talked at – they want to be heard and understood.

Remember, a prospecting call isn‘t about you – it‘s about the prospect. Your goal is to ask good questions, listen more than you talk, and uncover the prospect‘s challenges and objectives. Aim for the prospect to do 70% of the talking. Ask open-ended questions to encourage them to share, and practice active listening.

4. Making assumptions

You know what they say about assumptions… yet many salespeople fall into the trap of assuming they know what‘s best for a prospect before truly understanding their needs.

For example, a rep might assume a prospect‘s top priority is cutting costs, when in reality ensuring high quality and mitigating risk is more important to them. Or they may assume the person they‘re speaking to is the decision maker, when they‘re actually an influencer.

Assumptions lead to misalignment and missed opportunities. Instead of assuming, ask clarifying questions to fully understand the prospect‘s situation and decision making process. Let their answers guide your angle.

5. Not having a clear objective

Before each call, you should have a clear goal in mind, whether it‘s to schedule a demo, get the prospect to visit a specific page on your website, or connect with a higher-up decision maker.

Too often, reps pick up the phone without a plan, resulting in an aimless conversation that goes nowhere. Always have an agenda and clear next steps you want to accomplish by the end of the call. Share this upfront with the prospect so they know what to expect.

6. Relying on scripts

Scripts can be helpful training tools for new reps to learn what to say. But relying too heavily on scripts will make you sound robotic and inauthentic. Every prospect is unique, so you need to be able to adapt your approach on the fly.

Instead of scripts, prepare a conversational outline with key points you want to hit and questions you want to ask. But don‘t write out every word – allow room for flexibility based on where the conversation goes. Focus on sounding natural, like you‘re having a genuine conversation.

7. Focusing on features, not value

Many salespeople get so caught up pitching their product‘s features that they forget to focus on the value and benefits to the prospect. But prospects don‘t care about your product‘s bells and whistles – they care about how it will solve their problems.

Always tie product capabilities back to real business outcomes the prospect cares about. For instance, instead of saying "Our platform has X, Y and Z features," say something like: "Our platform can help you accomplish [prospect‘s goal] by providing the capabilities to do X, Y and Z. Many of our customers have seen results like [statistic or example]."

8. Being too aggressive

Pushy tactics like talking over the prospect, arguing, or trying to force a commitment will only breed resentment. Remember, the goal of a prospecting call is simply to have an exploratory conversation and determine if there‘s a potential fit – not to close the deal on the spot.

Focus on building trust and credibility through your helpful, consultative approach. Aim to pique their curiosity and get them wanting to learn more. If they‘re not ready to buy, simply move on graciously to other opportunities.

9. Mishandling objections

Objections are a normal part of the sales process – it means the prospect is engaged and considering your solution. But too many reps mishandle objections by getting defensive, brushing past them, or worst of all, agreeing with the prospect.

Instead, acknowledge and validate the prospect‘s concern, and then reframe it. For example:
Prospect: "We don‘t have budget for this right now."
Rep: "I completely understand. Many of our clients are in the same boat with limited resources. They‘ve found that by investing in a solution like ours, they‘re able to [value prop], which saves them money in the long run. How are you currently dealing with [challenge]?"

10. Failing to build rapport

At the end of the day, people buy from people they like and trust. But many reps overlook the importance of building rapport and forging a human connection on calls.

Focus on building rapport in the first few minutes of the call before jumping into business talk. If you share a mutual connection, went to the same college, or have another commonality, mention it. If you‘re a fan of the same sports team they have displayed on their LinkedIn, bring it up. A little friendly small talk can go a long way in making the prospect feel more comfortable with you.

11. Lacking confidence and passion

Prospects can sense your energy level and confidence (or lack thereof) over the phone. If you sound bored, timid or unsure of yourself, you‘ll have trouble capturing their interest and trust.

Successful prospectors are confident and passionate about how they can help their customers. Embrace an attitude of genuine curiosity and enthusiasm. Smile as you dial. Stand up and walk around to boost your energy. And if you truly believe in what you sell, let that conviction shine through.

12. Leaving the ball in their court

Never end a prospecting call without clearly defining next steps and asking for a commitment. Too many reps make the mistake of leaving things open-ended with something like "I‘ll send over some info and let‘s touch base later."

Always end with a clear call-to-action, such as inviting them to a demo, scheduling a follow-up call with a decision maker, or at the very least, getting their opt-in to receive further communication from you. If they‘re not ready to commit to anything, set the expectation that you‘ll follow up again at a later date. Always maintain control of the next steps.

Conclusion

Prospecting is hard, but hopefully seeing these common mistakes can help you sharpen your approach and engage prospects more effectively. It really boils down to adopting a customer-centric mindset – doing your research, asking good questions, listening, and always keeping the focus on the value you can provide.

If you can master the skills to conduct a thoughtful, tailored, professional prospecting call, you‘ll stand out from the dozens of other reps fighting for your prospects‘ attention. Put these tips into practice and watch your conversion rates soar.

Happy prospecting!