Tips for Handling Rejection in Cold Calling

Stop trying to "crush" objections. That aggressive mindset is why so many deals stall in your pipeline. Here's what changed everything for me - I stopped seeing objections as battles to win and started seeing them as opportunities to understand. The 3C Mindset Approach transformed how I handle pushback: - Curiosity first. When a prospect says "it's too expensive," my first move isn't to defend pricing. It's to ask: "Help me understand what you mean by that." - Continue the conversation. Success isn't overcoming the objection. It's asking one more question that keeps the dialogue going. - Reach a conclusion together. Sometimes that's a next step, sometimes it's learning this isn't the right fit. Both are wins. I've heard every objection in the book across 250,000+ cold calls. The ones that led to closed deals weren't the ones I "crushed." They were the ones where I got genuinely curious about what the prospect was really saying. When you shift from defending to understanding, everything changes. Prospects feel heard instead of sold to. Conversations deepen instead of ending. Trust builds instead of erodes. Your prospects aren't obstacles to overcome. They're people trying to solve real problems. 📌 What's one objection you hear constantly that you could approach with more curiosity? ✨ Enjoyed this post? Make sure to hit FOLLOW for daily posts about B2B sales, leadership, entrepreneurship and mindset.

Your cold calling strategy is fundamentally broken if you're folding after the first "I'm not interested." After teaching thousands of reps and closing over $700M in deals myself, I've identified the ONE framework that separates six figure earners from everyone else: The 3 Part Objection Framework That Converts 80% of Cold Calls When I first started in sales, I was terrible. 8 weeks in with ZERO results, my boss threatened to put me on a PIP. What changed? I developed a system for handling objections that transformed my results: 1️⃣ POWER INTERRUPT When they say, "I'm not interested" or "We already have a vendor," your default response is: "That's exactly why we need to meet. How's Thursday at 8?" 2️⃣ SOCIAL PROOF When they object again, respond with: "XYZ in your industry said the exact same thing at first, but check out what we showed them and they switched right over. How's Thursday at 8?" 3️⃣ SPEAK FROM THE HEART For the third objection, shift your tonality and speak with conviction: "I believe in our solution. I promise not to waste your time - if you don't like what we discuss in 30 seconds, you can end the call immediately. How's Thursday at 8?" Here's what this looks like in action: Me: "Hi Sarah, it’s Marcus with Venli. You're not expecting my call. Do you have a moment? I promise to be brief.” Prospect: “Uh sure, I only have a sec” Me: “The reason I’m reaching out specifically is because I saw your sales org headcount has grown by over 50% in the last year and you currently have 10 new AE roles open. Typically when orgs are growing this rapidly, most sales VPs are struggling to get them to ramp quickly to perform. Does that seem to resonate?" Prospect: “It does but what is it that you do exactly?” Me: “We train teams like X, Y, and Z to help 2-3X win rates and ramp up faster. We may be able to help your org. How’s Thursday at 8 AM? Prospect: "I'm not interested, thanks." Me: "That's exactly why we need to meet. How's Thursday at 8am?" Prospect: "Look, we already have a sales training program we're using." Me: "Totally get it. Lisa at X, said the exact same thing at first, but after seeing our system, we started working with them immediately and they saw their win-rate 5X with mid-market deals. How's Thursday at 8am?" Prospect: "There's no budget." Me: "Sarah, I hear you. I truly believe our solution can help your team hit targets. I promise not to waste your time. If you don't like what we discuss in 30 seconds, you can end the call immediately. How's Thursday at 8am?" Prospect: "Fine, send me a calendar invite." This framework works because it expects rejection and has multiple responses ready. Elite performers know most prospects need 3 NOs before they'll say yes. The most successful cold callers approach calls like athletes, not robots. Preparing mentally, practicing consistently, and developing frameworks that allow them to stay confident under pressure. Most importantly? They are pleasantly persistent.

After making over half a million cold calls (yeah I counted) across SMB, Mid Market and Enterprise in almost two decades I've learned a few things about this wild world of dialing I’m talking about the good, the bad and the “did they just put me on hold while they went to lunch?” moments Here are 5 lessons I’ve picked up along the way that are non negotiable if you’re out there in the trenches 1. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘆) Look research is key. I’m not saying deep dive into their high school yearbook but know enough to be relevant. “Hey I saw you recently… exist” isnt going to cut it. Find a hook that resonates     2. 𝗥𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 For every hundred “not interested” responses there’s a gem hidden somewhere. The trick is to see rejection as feedback. Tweak the message, adjust your approach and get back in the game. It’s all just part of the process     3. 𝗕𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 Nobody and I mean nobody wants to talk to a sales robot. Treat your prospects like people (because spoiler: they are). Crack a joke, share a story ask how they’re really doing. People remember conversations that feel real     4. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁” 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 There’s no magic phrase that’ll open every door. But you know what helps? Being confident and adaptable. Some days your go to line lands like a charm. Other days you pivot and that’s okay. Just don’t sound like you’re reading off a script     5. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 You can have the most fire pitch but if your timing is off it’s a no-go. Space out your follow ups, keep the value front and center and don’t be that rep calling 5 times in one day (yes we’ve all been there). Play it smart and patient Theres a reason they call cold calling an art and a science. It takes resilience, a sense of humor and a whole lot of patience So if you’re out there dialing today remember: it’s a numbers game but it’s also a people game Lets keep grinding 🤘 P.S. If you’ve ever been hung up on mid sentence… I feel you Drop your funniest cold call story in the comments let’s laugh about it together