Jack Frimston's SDR workshop on cold calling

Jack Frimston is the Co-director of sales consultancy, training and events agency, We Have a Meeting.

Known for his no-BS approach and morbid reminders, Jack spoke at our event in July 2023 - The Best SDR workshop EVER.

Here are the best bits from his teachings on cold calling.



Your prospects don’t care about you.

They don’t care that you might have gone to the same university as them.
They don’t care about your case study. 
Your features or your benefits.

What they care about is themselves, their world and their problems.

The only time they might care about you is when you might be able to help them solve their problems.

Let’s do some quick-fire learnings.

What is the point in cold calling?

The point of a cold call is to find out if a prospect has the problem that you solve. AND whether they are motivated to fix it. 

Just because somebody has a problem it does not mean they are necessarily motivated to fix it. Both of these elements need to be present for a sale to take place. So use the cold call to check that the prospect is viable. 

Once you know this, you can move closer towards the purchase.

When it comes to buying, it is the emotional side of the brain that is in charge - not the rational side. And there are five reasons people buy:

1. Pain in the present - “I can’t believe you have called me, yes I have this pain right now”
2. Pain in the future - “If I don't solve this problem, it could lead to x”
3. Excitement now - “If I bring that in, I can do x, y and z now. I’d get a promotion and a faster car.”
4. Excitement in the future -  “If I were to bring that in, I could do x, y and z. Then I’d get a promotion and a faster car.”
5. Curiosity and interest - “I may or may not have this pain but I am intrigued”

A cold call sorts prospects into these categories.

Why cold calling won’t kill you

Our Neanderthal brains are still scared of rejection.

Because back in the day, rejection from our Neanderthal tribe meant inevitable death. That’s the reason why today, when a CRO rejects our call, we feel like we might die. 

But you need to remember:

Nobody in the history of mankind has died from cold calling.

In the long run, your rejection on a cold call does not mean anything. Focus on what you are in control of and move on. 

The magic formula of curiosity

Picture the scene.

You’re in the pub with your friend and they tell you they’re thinking about breaking up with their girlfriend.

How do you respond?

Chances are, you don’t start offering solutions straight away. 

You probably ask why they have this problem.
Find out how big a problem it is to them.

You probe. You challenge. 

You are curious with a view to helping and supporting.

So bring this curiosity to your cold calls. 

If your prospect says they have a problem, ask them why. Dig deeper.
Why does your problem exist?
When did you first notice the problem?

Be their therapist and show empathy. 

Extra piece here:
If you’re a Junior BDR feeling nervous about prying into the life of a CEO, do some permission-based questioning. 
“Oh if you’re experiencing that, can I ask you a direct question”
“Yes”
“Why do you feel like this problem is happening to you”

People will be more open to answering and you have levelled the playing field. With this information, you are better-equipped to solve their problem in the role of a guide or partner. 

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Jack’s talk was part of Jimmy's Best SDR Workshop Ever, where we explored some of the best sales techniques with the best in the biz.

He spoke alongside Chris Ritson and Tom Boston, and you can learn from their talks here:
Chris Ritson on SDR strategies that work.
Tom Boston on social selling for SDRs.