Most sales calls fail because you're talking to unqualified prospects. Use the willing and able framework: willing means they have a real problem and see your solution as the fix, able means they can afford it. Add a pre-call filter like a video letter or application form so only qualified prospects book time with you.
Sales calls only feel awful when you keep getting on the phone with the wrong people. You spend 45 minutes talking to someone who cannot afford you, does not really need what you do, or is nowhere close to making a decision, and by the end of it, everybody's time got wasted. That is why I think the real fix is not getting better at sales calls. It is qualifying people before they ever get on one. The simplest way I think about it is this: they need to be willing and they need to be able. Willing means they have a real problem right now and they understand enough about what you do To know it might help them. Able means they can actually pay for it. If one of those is missing, the call usually goes nowhere. That is why I do not like letting just anyone book time on the calendar. You need something in front of the call that does a little filtering for you. That could be a VSL, an application, a pre-call survey, or even a deposit to book. The format matters less than the goal. You only want to talk to people who are already close because the math gets a lot better when you do that. Your close rate goes up, the calls feel easier, and you stop burning hours on people who are never going to buy in the first place. That is really the whole point. Not more calls, just better ones. The format can change, but the goal stays the same. Only let qualified people through. The math gets so much better when you do that. Your close rate goes up, you waste less time, and the people who make it onto the call are usually a much better fit. That is the whole idea. Not more calls, better calls. Willing and able. Both, not one or the other.
