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The different personalities of a cold caller

Jan 23, 2019 | Call Center, Cold Calling, Perspectives and Opinions

Seven colorful phones

What’s the ideal personality type for a cold caller? There’s no easy answer. In fact, successful telephone personalities come in as many varieties as the clients they represent. Consider these three examples:

Company X want to reach senior level scientists at big engineering firms. This requires callers who can articulate complex ideas and are calm, patient, and persistent with following up.

Company Y wants to reach top executives at large companies. This requires a skillset that is almost the complete opposite. The most effective C-suite callers are not those who can explain a product in detail — instead, they are able to appeal to emotions quickly, giving busy executives a straightforward, simple reason to be interested in their product.

Company Z has a different problem: they sell software to large hospital groups — most of which have several decision makers and complex phone systems that require a lot of navigation. Their best callers are good researchers and clever navigators. They take detailed notes, ask the right questions, and develop thorough follow up plans to reach each decision maker.

Each of these companies require calling teams with different skill sets; thus, an outsourced partner’s ability to assemble the right team for each of its clients is an often-overlooked key to its success.

Call centers that run multiple types of campaigns face an even bigger challenge: assembling teams that fit both varying markets and varying campaign goals.

For instance, while an appointment setting campaign best suits callers who can give a strong, confident ask, a market survey requires precise elocution and attention to detail. Campaigns that target existing customers ask for a third skillset; in order to interact with customers who have a wide range of questions, complaints, or feedback, associates need to be flexible and knowledgeable about the company’s products.

This is why effective inside sales organizations hire BDRs who have a wide range of different personalities and skillsets. It’s tempting to look for one specific set of character traits when hiring—but at the end of the day, cold calling isn’t one size fits all.