6 Things Recruiters Should Never Say on Cold Client Calls

6 Things Recruiters Should Never Say on Cold Client Calls Brilliant recruiters are brilliant sales people; you  have to be. Winning new business is a huge part of being a good recruiter; always following your nose and picking up the phone to build new bridges and widen your network. As chilling as cold calls can be, sometimes they are the only way to get in the ear of business people who youd love to turn into clients.  There are a lot of factors effecting the outcome of a cold call, many of which are completely out of your hands. From the recipients mood, to the time of day,  often  prospecting is a numbers game. However, there are several ways recruiters  can kill their own chances at a successful call, by saying  damaging phrases to fill awkward silences. Here are 6 phrases to avoid if you want to be taken seriously on a cold client call: 1. How are you? Asking someone you dont know how they are is a really ineffective way of building rapport and sounding friendly.   Its a worn out line that really doesnt mean anything to anyone  involved, instead just feels like a time-waster. The lack of specificity highlights you really dont know the person youre speaking with, because if you did, youd start off with  something more personal. How are you? is a  forced formality which is extremely obvious, and often perceived to be the  warning sign of a sales call. Choose an alternative that is unique and addresses something specific, more directly, prompting more of a response than just good thanks. 2. Sorry When making a cold call, its easy to  feel guilty for taking  someones time when they arent expecting it. You need to nip this attitude in the bud early on, and remember you are calling a prospective client with the hopes of selling them something that will ultimately add huge value to their business or day-to-day. Nervousness and self-doubt will definitely creep into your tone of voice if they are dictating your emotions. If you feel apologetic, you will likely apologise throughout the call to take the edge off the abruptness. What youre really doing by apologising, is  forcing the recipient to feel you have wronged them or are wasting their time. Otherwise, why would you need to say sorry? Youre just doing your job. 3. I know you get these calls all the time This immediately pushes you into the annoying calls pile. Sure, they may receive similar calls from recruiters trying to vie for their business, however they dont receive your call all the time, so dont pigeon-hole yourself with every other cold caller. Saying this also  implies that what you are doing is routine, and not bespoke to their needs. Its important to treat each call like a unique relationship-building exercise, not just a chance to cross a name off a list so your cold call stats look good for your boss. 4. Im just calling to  catch up This immediately screams sales, sales, sales.  Not only does it create an unwanted air of mystery surrounding the purpose of your call, but it  also makes you sound like you have nothing better to do than call people simply to  chat about not much at all. If you cant state the real reason for your call, you will leave a lot of room for guesswork and your recipient will assume the worst they dont know you from a bar of soap. The lack of transparency will create a sense of unease; instead, be up front about why you are calling and deal with the response accordingly. 5. I know youre busy Most people are busy  at work, including you; its a given. Telling your recipient that you understand they are busy makes you sound like you are grovelling for their approval to be having the call. At the end of the day, you are fulfilling your workplace duties by making that call, and they are filling theirs by answering it. Furthermore, stating that you know they are busy  highlights that you have ignored this fact and demanded their attention anyway. Saying this will make them think, if you know Im busy, why are you calling me? Also remember that if they answer their phone, they arent busy and they can talk or else you would have been bumped in the first instance. 6. Who is the decision maker? There are many things wrong with this. Firstly, decision maker is a term used in recruitment agencies, and is extremely salesy in nature. Use of this word makes you sound like youre chasing sales. Secondly, it highlights you havent done your research; good recruiters will attempt to map out an organisations management structure beforehand so they have some idea of who they need to speak to for what.  Instead of asking this question outright, why not try dropping in names of people youve spoken to in the past, or referencing the recipients colleagues names to create a sense of familiarity. Image: Shutterstock