Underdogsales Highlights Costly Cold Call Mistakes in Viral LinkedIn Post

In a recent LinkedIn post that has garnered significant attention, Underdogsales (Giulio Segantini) dissects a particularly disastrous sales call he received, using the experience to highlight critical errors in cold outreach. The post, which details a call that lasted just 33 seconds but proved to be “the most expensive one of the year,” offers practical advice for sales professionals on how to improve their initial approach.

Underdogsales recounts the interaction, which began with a series of what he terms fundamental mistakes. The caller, identified as Christof, initiated the conversation with common, yet ineffective, pleasantries. Underdogsales shares the transcript, noting the immediate pitfalls:

“Is that Giulio?”
Me: “Hi, yes, who’s this?”
Caller: “This is Christof. How are you?”
Me: “Ehm, I’m good, Christof, how are you?”
Caller: “Great, thanks for asking. Do you have a minute?”

As Underdogsales points out, this opening sequence contained three significant errors within the first 33 seconds, prompting him to stop the caller and offer direct feedback.

The Three Critical Errors in Cold Calling

Underdogsales breaks down the caller’s missteps into three key areas, arguing that each one detracts from the effectiveness of the outreach and can alienate the prospect from the outset.

1. Avoiding the “Is this {name}?” Opener

The first mistake identified by Underdogsales is the generic opening, “Is this {name}?”. He argues that this is an inefficient way to begin a sales call. According to Underdogsales, if the person answering the phone is not the intended recipient, they will typically state that directly, making the question redundant and time-consuming. His advice is straightforward: cut this phrase entirely.

2. Eliminating “How are you?”

The second point Underdogsales addresses is the common question, “How are you?”. He characterizes this as “fake politeness” that ultimately “wastes precious time.” In a cold call scenario, where time is of the essence and the prospect’s attention is limited, Underdogsales believes this pleasantry serves no real purpose and should be omitted to maintain momentum and respect for the prospect’s time.

3. Implementing More Effective Openers

Instead of the flawed traditional approach, Underdogsales proposes several alternative opening strategies designed to be more engaging and efficient. He suggests that a more effective opener should either be humorous, highly targeted, or ego-boosting, depending on the context and the prospect.

Underdogsales provides specific examples of these improved openers:

• Humorous Opener: “Would I ruin your day if I told you this is a sales call?”
• Targeted Opener: “This is a sales call, but a well-targeted one. Can I take 26.9 seconds to explain why?”
• Ego-Boosting Opener: “I called you because you’re on one of 12 {job title} in {niche} we’d love as clients. Can you help me figure out if it’s even relevant?”

These examples, Underdogsales suggests, are designed to immediately capture attention, set expectations, and demonstrate a level of research and intentionality that the initial approach lacked.

“At this point, I stopped him and offered some feedback.”

The post then takes a surprising turn, revealing that the “caller” was not a typical cold caller but, in fact, the author’s accountant. This twist underscores the high stakes and potential costs associated with even seemingly minor missteps in communication, especially when dealing with critical financial matters.

Ultimately, Underdogsales’s LinkedIn post serves as a cautionary tale and a valuable lesson for sales professionals. By detailing his own negative experience, he provides clear, actionable advice on how to refine cold calling techniques to be more respectful of time, more engaging, and ultimately, more effective.