Why ‘Permission-Based Openers’ Can Hinder Cold Calls, According to Leslie Venetz

In a recent LinkedIn post, Leslie Venetz challenges a common sales tactic, arguing that starting cold calls with a request for permission can be detrimental to effectiveness. Venetz, drawing on extensive personal and team experience, suggests that leading with relevance is a more impactful approach.

Venetz highlights the counterintuitive nature of permission-based openings, questioning the underlying assumption that asking for permission inherently makes a sales representative more deserving of a prospect’s time. The post states:

“You think that starting with permission somehow makes you a nicer, better person and that it makes you more deserving of interrupting a strangers day.”

The core of Venetz’s argument is that value and relevance should precede the request for permission. By leading with something of actual interest to the prospect, the salesperson can establish a stronger connection and demonstrate the potential value of the interaction before asking to continue.

The Case for Relevance Over Immediate Permission

Leslie Venetz contends that the data, including personal experience, indicates that permission-based openers are holding sales professionals back. With over 250,000 cold calls made personally and millions more by teams led and trained by Venetz, the insights are grounded in significant volume.

The author suggests that the conventional wisdom of asking for permission first is often misguided. Venetz elaborates on this point:

“You’ve convinced yourself that calling a stranger and then saying NOTHING OF VALUE TO THEM at all, is more deserving of attention then saying some relevant??”

This rhetorical question underscores the belief that interrupting a stranger’s day with a request for permission, without first offering any discernible value, is less effective than providing a compelling reason to listen right from the start. Venetz emphasizes that this doesn’t negate the importance of seeking permission, but rather its placement in the conversation.

Prioritizing Value and Earning the Right to Continue

According to Leslie Venetz, the optimal strategy involves leading with relevance and then confirming permission to proceed. This approach aims to capture the prospect’s attention by immediately addressing their potential needs or interests.

Venetz’s perspective is that the initial moments of a cold call are critical for establishing credibility and demonstrating value. By offering something relevant upfront, the salesperson can better earn the right to continue the conversation.

“Lead with relevance and THEN confirm that you have permission to keep going with the call.”

This sequential approach, as outlined by Venetz, prioritizes the prospect’s experience by offering immediate value. The emphasis on #EarnTheRight, a hashtag used in the post, encapsulates this philosophy: permission to continue a sales conversation should be earned through the initial delivery of relevant information, rather than being an automatic expectation.

In summary, Leslie Venetz’s recent LinkedIn post advocates for a strategic shift in cold calling, moving away from immediate permission requests towards leading with relevant value propositions. This approach, backed by extensive experience, aims to improve the effectiveness of initial outreach by respecting the prospect’s time and demonstrating potential benefit from the outset.