Cold Calling for B2B Sales: How to Overcome Call Reluctance

We’ve been there. 

You stare at the list of cold prospects in front of you and simply can’t bring yourself to pick the phone.

A wave of anxiety washes over you as your mind plays out different rejection scenarios. 

The intensity is so gripping that you turn your focus to other (menial) tasks rather than make the calls.

Another day goes by, no cold calls made, no meetings set up, no targets met. Performance declines, numbers drop, and management notices.

Call reluctance is real and no amount of threats or fear-mongering from management can magically turn it around.

How do you overcome it?  

We share tips to help you conquer call reluctance along with several other digital marketing strategies teams use to improve sales numbers.

Conquering Call Reluctance to Make Cold Calls

For a strategy that’s been around for decades, you would think cold calling would be a walk in the park by now. 

Only it isn’t.

Every day, salespeople around the globe deal with call reluctance.

You know you should make cold calls, but overwhelming anxiety sets in and it’s game over. 

It’s not just the numbers that fall, the company could drop you too.

So before things take a turn for the worse, let’s look at possible solutions for overcoming call reluctance.

• Keep in mind that you’re a solutions provider and partner. The term salesperson conjures images of nagging and manipulative characters out to make a quick buck. Replace that mindset with “you’re a problem-solver and trustworthy partner for your customers.”
• Pre-qualify prospects. Do the people on your list need what you’re selling? Can they afford it? Can I offer options? Are they the decision-makers? Who’s my competition? The answers will go a long way in bolstering your confidence as you make the calls.
• Have in-depth knowledge of your solutions. With a thorough understanding of your solutions, you’ll be able to identify the problems you can solve and help your customers succeed.
• Clear your workspace of things that don’t relate to cold calling. This helps reduce external stimuli that encourage procrastination or contribute negatively to an already stressful situation.
• Track your progress. Did you meet your goal? What about the call went well? If you could go back, what would you do differently? Doing this will help correct weaknesses, improve your skill and make cold calling feel less intimidating.

LinkedIn Marketing

Thanks to its formal image, LinkedIn is a popular social channel for professionals across all industries. 

With more than 750 million members, four out of five people on LinkedIn drive business decisions. 

And rightly so, since 63 million members are decision-makers, 10 million are C-level executives, and 180 million are senior-level influencers. 

You’re literally coming face to face with audiences that influence purchase decisions. 

Do you need more reasons why you should expend some effort on LinkedIn marketing? Here you go:

• With LinkedIn you have context. Most social media users look for entertainment, pics of loved ones, or want to connect with old friends. Compare that to LinkedIn where users search for business solutions, industry news, or expert advice. Posting content or ads on LinkedIn will probably receive better viewership than on other channels.
• Precise targeting. The platform sources data directly from its users, which makes its targeting options highly refined. You can leverage the precise, first-person data to get your offerings in front of ideal audiences.
• Employees can help amplify your message. Encourage employees to share your post within the first hour of posting. Doing so amplify’s your post’s organic reach, causing it to appear in more feeds.

Email Marketing

Approximately 306.4 billion emails were exchanged in 2020 and that number is expected to rise to over 376.4 billion in 2025.

So even as marketers explore other communication channels (like social media) to reach potential customers, emails and by extension email marketing still carry weight.

Email marketing creates an effective channel for speaking directly to your audience.

You provide information that creates pain point awareness and then carry your audience through the buyer’s journey.

Here are tips for putting together a useful email marketing strategy:

• Define your email marketing objectives. Do you want to increase sales, boost awareness, educate your audience, or generate leads? Your objective will guide the message you put out.
• Build your list. Develop your email list as compared to buying a ready list. People who opt-in have given their consent and are interested in what you’re saying. They are unlikely to label you as spam.
• Segment your subscribers depending on their interests, demographics, and needs. You can then target these segments with relevant content, special offers, or event announcements.
• Create an RSS-to-email feed to ensure new content pieces and email newsletters reach all your subscribers the moment you generate them.

Social Media Marketing

Social media provides an informal way for you to communicate with customers—potential or existing. You get to promote your brand, the solutions you offer, and keep in touch with customers.

Customers, on the other hand, can view your content or check out your offerings without feeling pressured to make a purchase.

Here are some considerations:

• Have an engaged online presence. Share interesting blogs, articles, infographics, and videos. You can also host Q&A sessions to educate, share industry trends, and show off your expertise.
• Avoid sharing self-promoting topics all the time. Create a healthy mix of customer success stories with industry trends and fun facts to keep audiences interested.
• Spy on your competitors. Track their activities across social platforms to determine which strategies work and which ones don’t. Look at posts that audiences best resonate with, post length, and sharing time.
• Join and participate in social groups and communities relevant to your business. Here, you can share your expertise and learn from others. Plus, you’ll gain insights into the challenges brands are facing and come up with relevant solutions.

Video Marketing

Here are a couple of cool facts about the video.

84 percent of audiences who watch brand videos end up buying products/services. A further 96 percent turn to explainer videos to know more about products/services.

Videos are immersive, juicy, and far more user-friendly compared to most content formats. 

So it goes without saying that video marketing is central to digital marketing. It boosts brand awareness, educates audiences, and encourages people to buy. 

The facts are right there.

Here’s how to use video to build relationships and create excitement around your solutions:

• Create brand videos that share thoughtful narratives of your brand story, mission, vision, and capabilities. Brand videos build awareness and demonstrate your ambition and abilities.
• Tell customer success stories through video testimonials. Testimonials are powerful ways to reassure potential customers of your capabilities.
• Use educational videos. Instructional videos allow you to share your expertise on subject matters and demonstrate optimal solutions. You can also create how-to videos to show audiences how to use your products/services.
• Host live webinars. Live webinars create opportunities for audiences to watch and interact with you. You get to demonstrate your expertise, share your perspective on industry trends, host industry experts and take questions from live audiences.