Cold Calling Mastery: Practical Sales Skills

via Coursera

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Details

Go to class

Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Certificate Available
Effort

8 weeks, 1 hour a week
Sessions

Self-Paced
Level

Beginner
Subtitles

English

Found in

Part of

Sales Skills: The Complete Practical Toolkit

Overview

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Created by Miles Croft (a sales expert who specialises in Cold Calling and Direct Sales), and brought to you by Chris Croft (an internationally respected management trainer who has helped more than 1,000,000 people develop their professional skills). This practical course will teach you proven Cold Calling techniques that can be applied immediately. This course develops practical, real-world cold calling skills for beginner and early-career sales professionals and other business communicators who work in English. You’ll start by reframing sales as a problem–solution process and learn why effective cold calling must be adapted to different sellers, products, and prospects. You’ll also explore the psychology of fear in outreach, analyze realistic best- and worst-case scenarios, and apply concrete techniques - such as tackling hard calls first, calling with a clear reason, and gamifying outreach - to make cold calling more manageable and sustainable. From there, you’ll learn how to prepare like a professional: researching prospects using company, role, and contextual information; setting up a productive calling environment; and building concise, value-focused elevator pitches. You’ll design structured but flexible call blueprints that guide attention-grabbing openings, smooth transitions into discovery, and confident closes that secure next steps or permission for follow-up. You’ll also focus on qualification using the BUNTA framework, open-ended and repeated “why” questioning, and active listening to uncover real needs and motivations, not just surface-level interest. Finally, the course trains you to handle gatekeepers and objections with respect, strategy, and empathy. You’ll practice practical methods for working with or getting past gatekeepers, and you’ll use tools like Peel the Onion and Feel–Felt–Found to respond to objections in a human, conversational way. You’ll close by mastering essential aftercare: capturing accurate notes, updating your CRM, scheduling calendar-based follow-ups, and using relationship details and callback permission to create a reliable pipeline and more personalized, effective future outreach.

Syllabus

Cold Calling Principles and Essential Techniques
- In this module, we'll build a strong foundation for effective cold calling by challenging common myths and focusing on practical principles that really drive results. You'll learn why there's no perfect script and how successful sellers adapt techniques to their own style, focusing on value, tone, activity planning, and product conviction across industries.
Getting Over the Fear of Cold Calling
- This module is designed to help you overcome the anxiety that often holds people back from making cold calls. Through practical mindset shifts and simple routines, you'll learn how to reframe rejection, approach calls with clear purpose, build momentum through repetition, and treat prospects as people, not obstacles.
Preparation & Scripting for Effective Cold Calls
- In this module, you'll discover how preparation can boost your confidence and effectiveness in cold calling. We'll cover how to research prospects, set up your calling environment, clarify your value, and craft a concise pitch that highlights meaningful benefits—helping you sound prepared without sounding robotic.
Getting Past Gatekeepers
- Gatekeepers can be one of the biggest challenges in outbound calling. In this module, you'll learn who gatekeepers are, why they matter, and how respectful, strategic communication can help you get through while maintaining your professional credibility.
Your Sales Call Script & Structure
- This module will help you turn your preparation into a practical structure for real conversations. You'll work through the parts of a cold call—from the opening and hook to the bridge, qualification, and close—so you can stay organized under pressure, adapt naturally, and guide the conversation toward a clear next step.
Qualifying a Sales Prospect
- In this module, you'll develop the skill of qualifying prospects to determine if they're a real fit and what they truly need. You'll use the BUNTA framework, ask strong open-ended questions, and practice active listening to uncover budget, timing, authority, and underlying needs before investing more time.
Rejection & Objection - Build Resilience in Sales
- This module will guide you in responding productively when prospects push back or say no. You'll learn to distinguish rejection from objection, probe for real issues, and use techniques like Peel the Onion and Feel-Felt-Found to respond with empathy and clarity, helping you decide when to continue or move on.
After Care for Sales Customers
- After the call is just as important as the call itself. In this module, you'll learn how to secure next steps, document details, use CRM and calendar tools effectively, and maintain continuity across conversations to build a stronger long-term prospecting process.