As an aspiring entrepreneur myself, the name Grant Cardone appears countless times when I am perusing through articles, blogs, and forums. As he is described by some as the greatest salesman of all time, I wanted to deconstruct exactly how he conducts his cold calls for prospective clients.
After reviewing a couple dozen of his YouTube videos at 2x speed, some of which involve Cardone jumping in the middle of someone else’s call, I determined one I especially like and sought to transcribe it word for word. I figured, as an authority figure who sells training programs, he must teach his own staff, especially his managers, the same principles.
The entire transcript, along with my thoughts, are outlined below.
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Hey [prospect name], [you] with [company]. Good afternoon.
Nothing especially groundbreaking here. What is noteworthy though is his level of confidence emanating through the call. He did not stutter once. He stated everything intentionally, as if he has done it a thousand times, yet articulated it in a way that did not convey that he was bored of it. In fact, it seemed like quite the contrary through his tonality right off the bat.
Jordan Belfort, founder of the Straight Line Persuasion System, claims that one has four seconds to establish one’s authority through a call. After that, the other party will have already made a negative impression of you, and it’s only an arduous uphill battle from there. Cardone’s representative combats this well.
Excellent, sir. Hey, thanks for taking my call. [Name], do you have thirty seconds?
The strategy here is that everyone has thirty seconds, even if they are in the middle of thirty seconds. If they say they don’t, you could make a case that you guarantee they do, that it’s worth their time, that you promise you’ll deliver, and most of all, you’ll make it quick. Unless they are impolite and hang up on you. In that case, they should never be your client in the first place.
Excellent. [name], the reason why I’m calling, [name] is to see when I could have a couple minutes of your time and show you how you could hang an extra million dollars on your board by solving one or two major problems that’s happening right now inside your organization. I’m not sure what it is for you, [name], whether its prospecting, closing sales, handling objections, maybe some motivation. What’s one or two things that you’re trying to focus your attention on?
Providing a laundry list further establishes your stance as an expert. Also note the repetition of the prospect’s name to build rapport.
[replies they’re busy]
I’m with ya. Hey, I wouldn’t expect you to give me any of your time right now, [name]. When’s a better time for you? We could do it later this evening, we could do it tomorrow morning, sir. What time works best for you?
A great response. By going along with the flow of the conversation and siding with the prospect, Cardone’s rep was able to maintain control of the conversation. Whereas most cold callers would call it a day, he moves on to pinpoint an appointment instead. That’s smart.
I don’t have your attention yet do I?
A quirky remark. Very unconventional, but at the same time, establishes that you are unlike the rest of the other callers out there.
Let’s lock down a time.
[locks down a day]
Perfect, [name] what’s a good time tomorrow that I could lock down on my calendar, [name]? What’s a good time for you?
[locks down a time]
Okay, so what I am going to do, [name] is I am going to writing you down on my calendar right now. Can you do me a quick favor?
Write my name down, [your name] with [company]. We’re the number one sales training company on Planet Earth. Do me a favor, write a dollar sign beside it and a million dollars. That’s how much this call is going to be worth to ya.
Again, this is a smart move. It separates you apart from the rest of the competitors because by now, the call would have been done. But Cardone’s rep is ingraining in the prospect the value of this call, that he simply cannot miss it.
Perfect, and one last question, [name] just so I’m better prepared for our phone call tomorrow at [repeat time]. How many sales people do you have?
A bogus question, asked simply to further build rapport and make it seem as if he really cares for the prospect.
Notice also, how along with repeating the prospect’s name, Cardone’s rep is repeating the appointment time again and again as well to ensure that the prospect does not forget it.
[Number] sales people? Perfect, and how many managers?
Okay, awesome. I look foward to meeting. Hey [name], is there any reason that you would not be able to make the call tomorrow at [time]?
Once again, another statement that makes Cardone calls so unique. The simple question is a prelude to eliminating any excuse the prospect might have.
Excellent, sir, I totally understand if you are busy. There’s nothing more important than being busy, sir, nothing at all. Except for what I’m going to show you tomorrow at [time].
Said with a smile, this sarcastic remark worked perfectly.
Perfect, thank you so much for your time, sir. I know time is money. Talk to you soon. Take care.
Little statement like “I know time is money” really injected character throughout the call, making it more lively than a conventional sales call.
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Conclusion:
Overall, I could see the merit in labeling Cardone as the best salesman in the world. One of the most prominent, for sure. Whereas others might be more reserved, Cardone makes a name for himself with his show, his YouTube videos, and his public training programs.
Although many claim that cold calling is dead and that social media is the new foundation to contact prospects, Cardone proves that with creativity, cold calling is still a very viable, albeit aged, option. With the utmost confidence that Cardone’s rep exhibited, closing clients over the phone is still possible.
See the whole video here. If you are interested in more strategies and tactics from other entrepreneurs and businessmen, be sure to check out my article on Tai Lopez.
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