Cold calling sucks... it sucks less with these tips (backed by science)
Use Your Sales Swagger to Secure the Meeting (not to ask questions)
You are not selling yourself, your company, or your technology. You are selling the meeting. Discover a pitch that makes the meeting enticing, purposeful, and a no brainer.
Don't - Did I Catch You at a Bad Time
Don't say that, just don't. For 2 reasons.
1) Common Sense. Imagine you pick up the phone to an unknown number and someone starts with that line. Hopefully that is enough said.
2) Science. Studies on cold call show a significant decrease in success rate when the rep opens with "did I catch you at a bad time".
Instead start with "How are you?" followed by "the reason for my call"
Call on Wednesday at 4:30
In a study done by insidesales.com they have discovered the best time to call is Wednesday or Thursday and the best times to call are 11:00-12:00 and 4:00-5:00.
The best time to email are Tuesday at 10:00 am, Thursday at 8:00 pm, and Wednesday at 2:00 pm, or a combination of those days/times.
To learn more on the subject check out Going.io's 14 cold calling tips