A cold call is a phone call to a potential customer who has not expressed any prior interest in your product or service. The key elements of a successful cold call are a compelling hook and open-ended questions. A compelling hook is a brief statement that captures the attention of the prospect and shows them how your product or service can solve their problem or meet their need. Open-endedquestions are questions that require more than a yes or no answer, and that encourage the prospect to share more information about their situation, goals, challenges, and preferences. By using a compelling hook and open-ended questions, you can engage theprospect, build rapport, qualify them as a lead, and move them to the next stage of the sales process. References:

Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Sales Representative, unit “Generate Leads and Opportunities”

[Sales Rep Training], unit “Prepare Your Team to Sell Successfully”