Learn These Three Skills to Transform Your Cold Calls

When our prospects receive our unsolicited phone call, internal sirens go off in their head. 

“Warning! Warning! Salesperson Calling!” 

As a result, their defense mechanisms kick in and their guard goes up.

This is how many of us, myself included, feel when browsing in a department store.

My heart rate and anxiety level slowly accelerate with each step the salesperson takes in my direction. 

This is cognitive bias kicking in.

Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts the brain uses to quickly process information, often leading to distorted perceptions or decisions. 

Some of the common cognitive biases at play (in the context of cold outreach) include:

Confirmation Bias: Prospects expect that all cold calls are pushy or irrelevant, and they look for signals that confirm this belief.

Negativity Bias: Negative past experiences with salespeople often weigh heavier on a prospect’s mind than positive ones, leading to skepticism.

Status Quo Bias: People are naturally inclined to avoid change, which makes them hesitant to engage with unfamiliar sales reps.

For salespeople, these biases significantly influence how our prospects perceive us, and ultimately whether they choose to engage, or tell us to take a hike.

For example, if I call on a prospective customer who has had negative experiences with  salespeople from my competitors, it is likely they will assume I’m no different.  They interpret my outreach with skepticism, and assume my call will be a waste of their time.  They may also assume I will pressure them into doing something they don’t want to do. 

When we cold call our prospect and they pick up the phone and hear us introduce ourselves, the first question they instinctively ask themself is “What is this about?” Their brain is scanning for signals: 

• “Are you a friend?”
• “Are you a colleague?”
• “Is this relevant?”
• “Is this worth my time?”  

This split-second judgment often determines whether we get dismissed or earn a deeper look. 

To get past this, we must structure our outreach in a way that feels different. 

In the context of cold outreach (cold calls, cold emails), pattern interrupt refers to a technique used to disrupt the expected flow of conversation in order to capture the customer’s attention and shift their focus. When engaging in cold outreach, prospects often have ingrained patterns of behavior, such as quickly dismissing us or tuning out our message because they assume they already know what's coming (cognitive bias).  

A pattern interruption breaks this predictable cycle and causes the prospect to momentarily reconsider or engage more deeply.

The goal of pattern interrupt is to disrupt the prospect’s automatic reflex to say no, and instead, prompt them to pay attention, leading to a more engaged conversation. 
In reviewing sales call data from Call AI, reps that open their sales calls with pattern interrupt experience a 29% increase in engagement compared to standard openings.

Why Pattern Interrupt Works

Disrupts Routine Thinking
People tend to process routine interactions, like cold calls, email messages and LinkedIn messages, on autopilot, often dismissing them without much thought.  A pattern interrupt shakes up that routine by introducing something unexpected or out of the norm, causing the recipient to pause and consciously engage with the message.

Creates Curiosity
When someone encounters something unusual, they become curious and want to understand why it’s different. This curiosity drives them to pay closer attention and explore the content more deeply, increasing the chances they'll engage with your message.

Activates the Brain’s Attention Systems
Our brains are wired to notice changes in our environment. A pattern interrupt activates this natural attention mechanism, pulling people out of their usual scanning or skimming behavior and prompting them to focus on the novelty.

Breaks Predictable Patterns
Traditional outreach methods (e.g., "Hi, my name is… I’d like to discuss…") are highly predictable. A pattern interrupt uses humor, unexpected questions, or bold statements to stand out, reducing the likelihood of an automatic dismissal. By doing so, it differentiates you from other recruiters or salespeople who rely on standard messaging.

Engages Emotionally
Many pattern interrupts aim to connect emotionally, using humor, empathy, or intrigue to engage the recipient. Emotional engagement helps the recipient feel a stronger connection to the message, making it more likely they’ll respond or take action.

Pattern Interrupt in Action

Here is an example of how a sales rep I coached years ago used to incorporate pattern interrupt into his cold calls.

Sales Rep: “Hey {prospect first name} this is Bill calling from {company name}. I know you probably enjoy receiving cold calls from salespeople about as much as I enjoy making them.”

In this example the seller (Bill) is being transparent and empathetic by recognizing the customer’s perspective.  In this case he is also incorporating humor to break the pattern (pattern interrupt).

I heard Bill make hundreds of sales calls following this approach and I would say 80% of the time the prospect laughed out loud.

Here is an example of how I have applied pattern interrupt in the context of a cold call. 

Me: “Hey {contact first name}, Dan Fisher calling from Menemsha Group. looks like you’re focused on {goal/priority}. I'm not even sure if it makes sense for us to be speaking. Would it be O.K. for me to take 30 seconds to explain why I'm calling, and then you can decide if it makes sense to continue? 

Generally, when buyers receive a cold call, they experience a seller force-feeding their sales pitch down their throat followed by a relentless push for a meeting or product demo. But this approach dials up the anxiety level on behalf of the buyer. It makes them feel pressured to participate in a conversation they never choose to be a part of. 

In my example, to break this pattern and eliminate buyer anxiety, I lead by asking for the buyer’s permission to take my call.  My objective is to make the buyer feel in control. That is my way of breaking the pattern (nobody wants to feel controlled by a salesperson). 

I also know that if I don’t effectively disarm my prospect and make them feel in control of the call, the conversation won’t go anywhere. 

Disarming means to relieve your prospect of anxiety, pressure or hostility, and to put them at ease. Disarming is all about diffusing the prospect’s internal defense mechanisms by making them feel in control.

The act of asking the customer for their permission is both disarming and pattern interrupt.

Until your prospects know you and know that they can trust you, they will naturally be skeptical of you and what you have to say.  To make your prospects feel comfortable speaking with you, and answering your questions, you will need to develop the skill of disarming. 

To disarm prospects, we can ask a prospect for their permission for whatever it is we want to do or ask.  For example, we can ask:

• “Have I reached you at a bad time?
• “May I take 30 seconds to explain why I’m calling and you can decide if you’d like to continue?”
• “Would it be OK if I...?"
• “May I make a suggestion?"
  

By asking for permission, you put the prospect in control. Giving the prospect the feeling of control is what disarms them.  And this, by design, creates a fresh new experience for the prospect.  

Empathy, mentioned previously, is another critical sales skill for disarming a prospect and breaking the pattern of cold call discourse.

For instance, you could say something like:

"I can only imagine how many unsolicited sales calls you’ve received this week so I appreciate you taking my call. I know you are focused on {goal},  and my objective is to share a perspective on [that goal] which may make your life a little easier.  May I share it with you?”

This shows that you’re mindful of their time and context, making them more likely to hear you out.

Conculsion

Cold calling is still the most effective means for sales prospecting, when done properly.  But that doesn't mean you won't be met with some degree of friction.  By breaking the predictable flow, engaging curiosity, incorporating humor, and making the customer feel in control, you remove the anxiety and skepticism.   

This is top performers engage prospects. 

Anyone can do it.  It just takes practice.  

Every interaction is an opportunity to differentiate yourself.  So, go ahead—disrupt the status quo and start converting “not interested” into “tell me more.”