Cold Calling: Confidently Close Every Call: Go Beyond Busy Episode 9

Introduction
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Hi, I’m Christine Abela from Oxygen8 Consulting. I’m a business consultant with a strong tech background helping small business owners move from chaos to calm and take their business to the next level. In this podcast, I share practical ideas and simple systems to make your business easier to run, more profitable and more enjoyable to own.

Some of the content is created with the help of AI tools, but the voice you are hearing right now is mine and everything is grounded in real world experience. If you’d like to learn more, get in touch or download free notes and resources, head over to GoBeyondBusy.com.

Okay, let’s dig into this. That, um, that feeling, that nod of anxiety so many small business owners feel when you even mention cold calling. Yeah. Especially if you’re, you know, in that one to $10 million turnover bracket, you’re juggling so much already. Exactly. Adding “Master cold calling” to the job description; it feels, well, daunting. But it’s interesting, isn’t it? Even with everything digital, our really focused cold call strategy, it can still be incredibly effective for growth. And that’s what we’re really diving into today. Using these great materials from Go Beyond Busy, the “Confidently Close Every Call” set. Right. It’s a whole package: checklist, an ebook, guides, prompts.

Really comprehensive stuff designed to make it less intimidating. Mm-hmm. So our mission here is to pull out the practical, actionable bits, the stuff you can actually use to turn cold calling from something you dread into, well, a real growth tool for your business. We want you to finish this feeling ready, like genuinely confident to make those calls.

Mindset First
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So where do we start? The Go Beyond Busy stuff puts a huge emphasis on mindset first. The mindset advantage, they call it. Yeah. The ebook kicks off with this idea that success rates have actually reportedly doubled in recent times. Doubled. Wow. And they reckon a big part of that is down to getting your head right before you even pick up the phone.

Okay. So what does that look like? They break it down into four key traits. Uh, having a positive outlook, real resilience, bouncing back from rejection. Which is inevitable. Yeah, totally. Then embracing learning, seeing every call as a chance to improve and keeping that enthusiasm up. That last one. Sustained enthusiasm.

Hmm. That can be tough. Oh, for sure. But it’s less about faking happiness and more about perspective. There’s this great story in the ebook about Sarah Chen. Oh yeah, I saw that. Page 10. She started tracking rejections, not as failures, but as steps towards the “Yes”. It’s a simple reframe, but powerful. Changing the mental scoreboard.

Techniques
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And they give actual techniques, don’t they? Not just “Be positive”. Exactly. Like a morning prep ritual, visualizing good calls, reviewing past wins, even small ones to build that belief. Setting clear intentions for the day. Like prepping for a big meeting or a presentation? Kind of, yeah. And they even have this quick, like thirty second reset you can do between calls.

Oh. Tell me about that. Just simple stuff, deep breaths. Maybe a moment of gratitude, even just standing up or moving around. It helps clear your head. Break the pattern if you had a bad call. A mental palette cleanser. That makes sense. Yeah. A little reboot.

Measuringz
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And they talk about measuring this too, watching your own resilience.

Listening back to your call tone. Do you sound upbeat? Are you actually using the new techniques? And does it actually work? Is there proof? Well, they cite CMO index data suggesting that as these mindset habits stick, call outcomes genuinely improve over time. So it’s not just theory. Real world results.

And for you listening, the workbook has an exercise, exercise one. Specifically for mapping out your own daily mindset routine. Becoming practical, yeah. Okay. So mindset is sorted.

Know your prospect
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What’s next? Go Beyond Busy seems big on knowing your prospect. Absolutely fundamental. It’s shifting away from just, you know, blasting calls out there. The scatter gun approach.

Right. Towards having strategic conversations because you actually understand who you’re calling. The ebook mentions HubSpot Research. I saw that, stat-focused campaigns generating way more revenue, like potentially seven times more. Exactly. It just shows the power of knowing your audience deeply. What does that profile look like?

What do you need to know? It’s more than just company size or revenue. It’s their specific challenges, their business goals, how they usually buy things. Who actually makes the decision. Getting under the hood. Mm-hmm. Understanding the why. They give an example of a B2B software company that got real traction, focusing only on mid-level tech managers with specific automation issues. Laser focused.

Research tools
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And finding this info, they suggest tools. To speed it up. Yeah. Tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Kaspr, they help build detailed profiles efficiently. You’re not spending days just on research. Using tech smartly. Precisely. And it’s not just the company, it’s the person’s journey. Where are they in their buying process?

Right? Because they’ve often done a lot of research before you even call. Yeah, over half the decision might be made already, so you need to meet them where they are. How do you know where they are?

Look for signals
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Look for signals. Exactly. Buying signals, leadership changes, company expansions, new product launches, office moves.

These can all signal an opportunity or need. Makes sense. And watch their online activity. Content engagement, website visits, social media, downloads, press releases. It all paints a picture. So you can personalize the call. Show you’ve done your homework. That’s the key. Tailoring the message to their specific situation, their industry: it shows you actually get their world. They even suggest Google news alerts for industry context. Oh yeah. It keeps your references timely. And crucially, validate your data regularly. Nothing kills credibility, like outdated info. Good point. And again, there’s a workbook exercise for listeners to structure their daily prospecting based on this. Making it routine.

Scripts
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Okay. Mindset check. Yeah. Yeah. Prospect knowledge. Check now the big one. Yeah. What do you actually say? Let’s talk scripts. Yeah. This is where the fear often creeps in, but here’s the thing. The ebook mentions research, CloudTalk I think. Page 19. Yeah. Showing companies using optimised scripts see higher conversions, like maybe a 10% bump.

That’s significant. That is significant. But “script” sounds robotic. And that’s the key. It’s not about being robotic. It’s a flexible framework. It guides you, ensures you hit key points, but still lets you sound like, well, you. Okay, a framework. How does that work? They suggest this Triple P approach for openings: Personal, Professional, Purpose. Triple P.

Okay. So something like “Hi Prospect. It’s you from Company. I noticed something specific and personally relevant about them or their company. Professionally, we help businesses like yours achieve X and my purpose for calling is just to see if exploring that might be useful for you.” Ah, I see. Personal connection, who you are, why you’re calling. Clear and concise.

Exactly. And focusing on value propositions with results. Not, “We have great software”, but “We helped companies like yours cut cost by 15%”. Concrete stuff. Makes sense. Tangible benefits. And they suggest good conversation starters. Like “I noticed” or “I was curious about”. Shows research. And using social proof, “We worked with others in your sector who saw…”. What about when things go off script, like they say, they’re busy or skeptical. The materials advise having responses ready for those common scenarios, adapting, knowing what to say if they’re busy or asking for info. It reduces panic. Having those in your back pocket.

Yeah, and developing interchangeable message blocks for different industries you target. Saves reinventing the wheel every time. Smart. And the closing. Crucial. Recap key points, agree on clear action items. Set a timeline. They even give a sample closing script structure. And this isn’t set and forget is it?

You need to refine the script. Constantly. Track what works, what doesn’t. Test variations. They mention leveraging your CRM data for personalization and testing can really boost conversions, continuous improvement. And workbook exercise one here helps listeners build their own script framework using that Triple P method. Putting it into practice right away.

How do you nail the first 30 seconds?
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Okay. Script ready. But those first few seconds on the call. They feel make or break. How do you nail the first 30 seconds? Absolutely critical. The Guide really hammers this home. That first half minute is everything for grabbing attention. They talk about Josh Braun’s concept, The Zone of Resistance. The Zone of Resistance. Sounds ominous.

It’s just that natural initial skepticism. Why are you calling? Are you wasting my time? Haven’t I heard this pitch before? Their guard is up. Okay. Yeah, I can picture that internal monologue. So how do you get past the guard? Three pillars for a strong opening. First, clear identity, who you are. Second, a pattern interrupt.

Say something specific, relevant, not generic, that shows you did your research. Cut to the noise. Exactly. And third, a value bridge: quickly link your observation to a potential benefit for them. Got an example? Sure. Like mm-hmm. “Hi, Prospect. Your name from company. Saw your recent expansion news. Congrats. We’ve actually helped similar firms streamline international setup, often cutting initial costs, about 20%”. Hits all three. Identity. Interrupt. Value bridge. Okay. And don’t forget how you sound. Pace, tone, volume. Calm, confident, clear. Not aggressive, not mumbled. Delivery matters. And listening too, right?

Reading their reaction. Definitely. Are they engaged, rushed, distracted? You need to pick up on those signals right away and adjust. The guide mentions a Cognism case study. Yeah. Showing how specific relevant observations in the opening dramatically increased engagement. It also lists common mistakes to avoid generic openings.

Talking only about yourself. The usual pitfalls. Yeah. And surprise, surprise. A workbook exercise to craft powerful opening statements. Gets you practicing that crucial part.

Objections
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Okay. Opening. Nailed conversation flowing. Then bang, an objection. Happens all the time. What’s the approach? First mindset shift again.

The ebook says Reframe objections, not as “No”, but as, “Tell me more”, or “I’m not sure yet”. See them as requests for information. Takes the sting out, maybe. It really can. Then active listening is key. What’s really behind “It costs too much”, or “The timing isn’t right”? Often the first thing they say isn’t the core issue.

Dig deeper. Exactly. So the process is: acknowledge it calmly; investigate with open questions to uncover the real concern; then present solutions tailored to that specific concern. Acknowledge, investigate, present, makes sense. And they give examples for budget or timing issues. But crucially, tailor those responses to the industry.

Tech, healthcare, manufacturing; they have different priorities, different pressures. Right. Context matters. Huge difference. And track which responses work best for which objections. Keep learning, keep refining. That learning theme again. And the workbook helps practice translating surface objections into the real meaning. Getting to the root cause.

Closing
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Alright, handled objections, conversations positive. Time to close. How do you do that confidently? It starts with reading the room, basically. Recognizing readiness signals. Are they asking detailed questions, sharing specific problems your solution addresses. Using when we, instead of if we. Tuning into those buying signals again.

Mm-hmm. And closing isn’t about pressure, it’s guiding. Summarize the value clearly. Offer clear, logical next steps. Give them choices, maybe. Like offering alternative next steps. Yeah. Gives them agency, but keeps things moving. And again, tailor the close to the industry’s typical process. What if they hesitate right at the end?

Last minute jitters. Acknowledge it. Explore it gently. Reassure, and once you get agreement, follow up immediately. Keep the momentum. Solidify the yes. Definitely. And track your closing metrics. What’s working? Where can you improve? The workbook has an exercise on analyzing readiness signals. Sharpening that closing instinct.

Toolsz
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Now all this takes effort. Go Beyond Busy talks about tools to help streamline things, right? This tool stack? Yes, the tool stack PDF. It’s about using tech strategically. For prospecting, they mention LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo. Finding the right people faster. Okay. And for managing the actual outreach.

Email tools like Warmup Inbox for deliverability. Then platforms like Yesware, Klenty, Outreach.io for tracking automation, personalization at scale. What about learning from the calls themselves? Conversation intelligence, Chorus.ai, Gong.io. They record, transcribe, analyze calls. Huge for coaching and finding best practices.

Scheduling. Calendly, the usual suspect, makes booking meetings easy. And tying it all together. A solid CRM is non-negotiable. HubSpot Sales Hub is mentioned. Plus intent data tools like Bombora to see who’s actively researching solutions now. Wow, that’s a lot of tech.

Getting advice
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Can feel overwhelming for a small business owner, maybe in that one to $10 million range we talked about.

It absolutely can. And that’s where having the right advice becomes critical. You need the tools, sure. But you need the right tools implemented effectively. Which brings us to someone like Christine Abela from the Go Beyond Busy podcast. Exactly. Her whole approach is about being tech savvy, but practical, especially for businesses of that size.

She’s got the network but speaks plain English. Not tech jargon. That non-technical style is key, isn’t it, for actual implementation? It really is. She can help a business owner cut through the noise, figure out which specific tools will give them the best ROI and actually integrate them without tearing their hair out.

It’s about simplifying and growing. So while these resources are amazing, getting personalized guidance from someone like Christine who understands both business strategy and practical tech for that SME market: that could be a real accelerator. Definitely. If you’re feeling swamped by tech options or just wanna make sure you’re using technology strategically to simplify and grow, finding a consultant with that blend of skills like Christine is worth considering. And listeners can find out more. Absolutely. Go to GoBeyondBusy.com, all the show notes, the free downloads we mentioned, checklist, ebook, guides, are there plus info on getting in touch with resources like Christine for that tailored advice.

Wrapping up
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Perfect. So wrapping up this deep dive on Confidently Close Every Call. Yeah. What are the absolute must remember takeaways? Okay. First mindset is foundational. That positive resilient learning approach changes everything. Use those techniques. Right. Second, know your customer, deeply. Strategic research fuels relevant conversation.

Third, craft effective openings and flexible scripts. Focus on value. Plan for objections. Fourth, nail the first 30 seconds. Pattern interrupt, value bridge. Fifth, reframe objections as questions. Investigate, then solve. And finally, close with confidence by reading signals and guiding the decision. And underpinning all of that is practice. Consistent effort, learning from each call.

Couldn’t agree more. It’s a skill you build and the resources at GoBeyondBusy.com are there to support that journey. So a final thought for everyone listening. As you reflect on all this, consider. Which single insight from our deep dive today could have the biggest immediate impact on your outreach? What’s one small change you can implement your very next cold call to move beyond just being busy and start moving towards real significant growth?

Thanks for listening to Go Beyond Busy. If something in today’s episode struck a chord or you’d like support to get your business to the next level, head over to GoBeyondBusy.com. You’ll find more resources there and an easy way to get in touch. I’m your host, Christine Abela from Oxygen8 Consulting, helping you to fall in love with your business all over again.

Thanks for joining me.