If the best part about selling is getting the close, for many salespeople the worst part of the job is cold-calling. Whether it is the monotony of this task, the guaranteed rejection or sheer lack of control over the results, picking up the phone and cranking out calls everyday can be a daunting task to even the most experienced sales representative. Still, all good salespeople know that without cold-calling they will never get to the close that they want so badly; here are four steps to help you pick up the phone.

1. Block Out Time

In order to be productive while cold-calling, never spread your calls out over the course of a day. Instead, set aside a dedicated block of time where will do nothing but make calls. Send any follow-up materials after you are finished calling, don’t check your email, and don’t get distracted. Scheduled calling will allow you to be more productive when calling, and you will see better results overall.

2. Calculate Your Metrics

Do you know exactly how many calls you made in your best quarter? If not, find a way to calculate this, or start keeping track of your daily calls right now. Calculating your call output down to calls/day can be a powerful psychological took to use to connect each dial to the size of your commission cheque. 

3. Segment Your Targets

If you are calling on different levels within companies, segment your list and change your message accordingly. When your list is divided in a way that works for you, alternate your calls day by day to break the motony of using the same script over and over.

4. Have Fun With It

Getting past the gatekeeper can be a long and thankless task, but it doesn’t have to be! An associate of mine opens every cold call by dropping his handset and audibly berating himself before picking it up and starting his call. His theory was that he was disarming the recipient by doing something unexpected. Whether or not he was right about this, he always enjoyed making cold calls because of his light-hearted attitude about calling; and more importantly, his numbers were always near the top of the company’s.