How to sell by phone: telephone sales techniques that work in 2026

What does it take to sell by phone in 2026?

Selling by phone takes three things: good communication skills, persistence and focus. Jenny Cartwright describes telesales as both a numbers game and a skills game. Make more calls and you create more chances. Make better calls and more of those chances turn into appointments and sales.

Jenny learned this on the phone, not from a textbook. From 1991 to 1997 she made around 100 calls a day promoting the Australian events of Anthony Robbins, Tom Hopkins and Zig Ziglar, and she has since trained more than 95,000 people in sales and telesales.

The phone itself has not changed much, but the people you call have. Her coaching clients raise the same frustrations again and again:

• Prospects are harder to reach because many now work from home.
• Mobiles go unanswered or stay switched off during focused work.
• Appointments booked on Zoom or Teams are easier to cancel, and some prospects simply do not show.
• Nobody is sure whether to email first and call later, or the other way round.

None of this means the phone has stopped working. It means your calls need a sharper plan, a stronger opening and far better follow-up.

How should you plan your calling day?

One of Jenny's coaching clients was making about 25 calls a day when he had time for 50 or more. He was reading the paper for leads his database already held and typing notes after every unanswered call. Habits like these can halve your call count without you noticing. Her five fixes:

1. 1

   Block out calling time

   Reserve two hour blocks for outbound calls only, and ask colleagues to hold incoming transfers until the block ends.

2. 2

   Dial now, type later

   Keep dialling through the block and write up notes when it finishes. Seven minutes of admin after every missed connection quietly kills a calling session.

3. 3

   Prepare tomorrow's list today

   Pull together tomorrow's prospects to call and their numbers before you finish, so the first hour goes on talking rather than searching.

4. 4

   Track your best hours

   For two weeks, note which times of day produce appointments and sales, then protect those hours for calling.

5. 5

   Set a daily goal

   Decide how many conversations, appointments and sales you are aiming for each day, and tick them off as you go.

Record everything in your CRM. Jenny's rule is blunt: if a call or email is not in the CRM, it did not happen. Every live deal also needs a next step with a date, or it quietly goes cold.

How do you make a cold call warmer?

Is cold calling dead? Jenny's answer has always been a firm no, but the way it works has changed. With so much information about businesses online, there is no excuse for calling without knowing something about the person first.

Before you dial, find one of these hooks:

• A referral from a customer or contact, the warmest start of all. Jenny explains how to ask for referrals without feeling awkward.
• A fact you can check on the call: “I understand you have a team of ten on the phones, is that correct?”
• A recent news story, LinkedIn post or company announcement.
• A shared LinkedIn connection, or a comment they made on social media.

Then put real effort into your first sentence: one major benefit to the prospect, never a description of your company. Jenny's cold call openings that grab interest give you formulas to fill in. If reception answers first, use her ways to get past the gatekeeper, and check your list against the telemarketing rules in Australia before you start.

What are the steps of a telephone sales call?

Once you are speaking with the decision maker, Jenny teaches eight steps. The more you practise them, the less rejection you get, because the prospect hears a professional with a genuine reason to call.

1. 1

   Build rapport

   Mention something you know or have seen about the person or their company. Her guide to building rapport on the phone shows how to sound natural rather than rehearsed.

2. 2

   Create interest

   Deliver one sentence with one major benefit to the customer.

3. 3

   Ask questions

   Ask no more than three open or direct questions to find out what they need. Jenny's questions to use on a telephone sales call give you a ready list.

4. 4

   Listen and repeat back

   Summarise what they told you, in their words, before you say anything about your offer.

5. 5

   Present your offer

   Cover the benefits, a testimonial as proof, the dollar value and a reason to act now. See how to create a sales presentation.

6. 6

   Trial close

   Check how they feel before asking for the decision, for example “How does that sound so far?”

7. 7

   Handle objections

   Treat each concern as a request for more information. Jenny's guide to handling objections has word for word replies.

8. 8

   Close

   Ask clearly for the order or the appointment. Her article on how to close a sale covers the wording.

What does a good phone sales call sound like?

Here is an illustrative opening for a commercial cleaning business, built on steps 1 to 4 of Jenny's structure. Swap in your own product, benefit and research.

Notice what is missing: no “How are you today?”, no “Is this a good time?” and no company history. For a full template, see telesales scripts, and if your goal is a meeting rather than a sale, read how to make an appointment.

Why is follow-up where phone sales are won?

Many salespeople generate interest, then let the sale slip. Jenny recommends making your follow-up calls first each day and cold calling only once you have run out of people to follow up.

• Web enquiries within 5 minutes. Thank them and clarify what they need. A fast call often uncovers extra needs and stops them shopping around.
• Quotes and proposals within 3 days. Tell them you will call in three days, so they read it before you ring.
• Last year's quotes. Many people who never went ahead never bought from anyone, and are open to a fresh conversation.
• Two voicemails before an email. See how to turn voicemail into an opportunity.

When a prospect brushes you off, mix in email, SMS or a short letter. To Jenny, no usually means “not now”, not “never”, so a polite follow-up that adds one new benefit can win the appointment later. If you lose a sale, call to ask what tipped the decision, but never push for a promise of the next job.

Her guides to the follow-up call and calling inactive customers go further, and why the telephone beats email explains why the call comes first.

How do you get more yes answers from the same calls?

Two of Jenny's simplest strategies give you a second chance on calls that would otherwise end in a no.

Offer an alternative

Lead with your main product or service. If the prospect is not interested, keep the conversation going: “That's okay, you may prefer to look at our [second option].” A truck dealer can offer leasing or servicing. If you sell only one thing, brainstorm a smaller entry offer with your manager.

Build the perceived value

No value means no sales. Add extras that cost you little but matter to the buyer, such as a short guide, a bonus coaching session or a checklist, so the offer feels worth more than the price.

Score your phone sales habits out of 10

Jenny asks salespeople two questions: which of my behaviours must I change to sell more, and which of our company's sales strategies need to change? Rate yourself from 1 to 10 on each habit below, then work on your lowest score first.

Low on call reluctance? Start with how to overcome call reluctance and the sales mindset. Struggling for the right words? Try Jenny's words for sales conversations.