Most reps think prospects are dodging their calls. They’re not.
Prospects don’t dodge calls. They dodge pressure.
If your language signals that a call means a pitch, they will find every reason to avoid it. Remove that signal, and getting people on the phone becomes a whole lot easier.
Why Phone Calls Still Matter
Influencers love to say they never talk to prospects on the phone. Good for them.
But if you’re not generating massive inbound lead flow, you are leaving 10 to 30% of your potential sales on the table every single week by skipping the call.
That number compounds fast. If you’re already struggling to close, this is not the season to opt out of your most powerful conversion tool.
Posture Check: A phone call isn’t a pressure tactic. It’s a service. When someone has questions and you can answer them in five minutes, the call is a gift to them, not a burden.
The Two Tracks: Outbound vs. Inbound
How you invite someone to a call depends on who initiated the conversation.
Track 1: You reached out first.
You’re prospecting, warm or cold. You’ve connected, pointed them to a presentation, and now it’s time to follow up. Keep the energy low-key and collaborative:
“Hey, did you get a chance to watch the video? Great. What’d you like best about it? Tell you what, why don’t we hop on a quick call? I just want to make sure this is a right fit for you and answer any questions. It usually only takes about five minutes. Would you be open to that?”
The phrase “hop on a call” is the most effective language here. It feels casual, not corporate. It signals a conversation, not a close.
Track 2: They reached out to you.
This is where your posture can shift. When someone comes to you, you hold more position in the conversation. Use it.
After confirming they watched the presentation:
“Sounds good. I have two available slots this week, Tuesday at 2:15 and Thursday at 4:15. They typically book up quickly. Should I put you in one of those slots, or should I release them to the waiting list?”
That last line does serious work. It creates fear of missing out and communicates that your time has value and demand.
Posture Check: You represent a company. There are other people inquiring about what that company offers every single day, whether through you or someone else. A waiting list isn’t a lie. It’s a frame that reflects reality.
What to Do When They Say No to the Call
If they pass on both slots and ask you to release them, don’t chase.
Match their energy and step back:
“No problem. Let me get back with the people who are looking to move forward. I can circle back with you in a few weeks.”
This is a takeaway, not a threat. And it does one of two things: it reveals they were never truly interested, or it creates enough urgency that they reconsider.
Either outcome moves you forward. You stop spending energy on dead-end conversations and focus on the people who are actually ready.
Posture Check: The goal isn’t to close everyone. The goal is to find out quickly who’s open. When you stop chasing every lead, you stop dreading every call.
The Timing Question
Ray’s personal recommendation: don’t get on the phone until the prospect has already seen a presentation.
The sequence looks like this:
- Reach out and see if they’re open
- Point them to a presentation
- Confirm they watched it
- Invite them to a quick call to answer questions and confirm fit
Skipping step two and jumping straight to a call puts too much pressure on you to present everything live. Let the presentation do the heavy lifting first. Then the call becomes a short, low-stakes conversation, not a full pitch.
This approach also naturally filters out people who aren’t serious. Someone who won’t take ten minutes to watch a video probably isn’t going to take twenty minutes on a call.
Your Next Step
If you know your scripts need work, the Posture, Persuasion & Closing the Sale training walks you through how to manage the energy of any sales conversation from first contact to close.
And if you want word-for-word language for reaching out, following up, handling objections, and getting people on the phone, the Social Media Script Book at higdongroup.com/scripts is the resource Ray built specifically for this.
It’s downloadable, printable, and packed with scripts you can use today.
