Sure, cold calling may not be our favorite thing to do as sales reps. But the fact is that, as much as we hate to admit it, cold calling works (as long as you do it right).
If you’re feeling the pressure and need to lighten the mood before your next cold calling blitz, here are 25 cold calling memes that are guaranteed to make you laugh.
1. Ready to Get Hurt
Yup, we’ve all been there. Rejection is a part of sales, and we all need to prepare for it before we pick up the phone.
2. SDRs in Squid Game
Many SDRs never make it to the finish line. SDR attrition averages 39 percent, and most of that is not people giving up but people getting fired. Additionally, only 69 percent of companies have a path for SDRs to become AEs. It's a challenging game to play.
But one thing all the best SDRs have in common: they're great at following up with prospects.
3. The Monday Morning Cold Call
If you’ve never had a cold call that sounds like this kid, you’re not in sales. Those Monday morning cold calls can be brutal.
4. Forgot Something?
It was the perfect call… until you hung up without making definite next steps.
This is something you never want to forget on a sales call. But, let’s face it, we’re all human. If you forgot to set clear next steps on the phone, make sure to send an email or a text right away to clarify the next action in your process.
To help you avoid this cold calling mishap, learn to control your sales calls better.
5. Somebody’s Listening
Yup, that’s an awkward moment. But remember this—in most cases, your manager is there to help you. Act naturally, and be ready to listen to any advice or tips they give you after the call. Accepting help is one of the best ways to grow as a salesperson.
6. Would You Rather...
Have you ever felt you’d do anything to avoid another hour of cold calls? Then this cold calling meme will hit home.
That said, sometimes, all you need is the right motivation. Check out our database of top motivational sales quotes.
7. Waiting for a Callback
We all know that most voicemail messages suck. And waiting for a callback after a voicemail can be a bit lonely.
Instead, think of your voicemail as a teaser that will interest the prospect the next time you reach out. Then, keep following up.
8. Terrible Choices
Stuck between two sales tasks you dislike? This is the cold calling meme for you.
9. Bad Idea
Random cold calls with generic sales pitches won’t win you more business.
Instead, reach out to targeted prospects and open the conversation with something relevant to them. Focus on your prospect. Lean into their needs and build a foundation to help them reach their goals.
10. When Things Escalate
In most sales situations, you shouldn’t be trying to close the deal on the first call. Instead, the goal for your cold call should be to generate interest and nail down a scheduled time to present your sales pitch.
11. The Cowardly Lion
This, from our friends at The Daily Sales, is a cold calling meme that’s all too true.
If you’ve ever felt like the cowardly lion when getting on the phone to a cold call, try using talk tracks or a cold call script to help calm your nerves and keep focused throughout the call.
12. Forgetting to Update the CRM
If you're using a CRM that requires you to manually track your calls, I'm sorry, but this will happen to you. It happened to me way too many times—which is one of the reasons why we built our own CRM so that it automatically keeps track of all your calls!
You spend more time making calls, and your manager has more accurate data. Wonder what that's like?
13. The Multitasker
We all know that multitasking is a sure way to get distracted on a sales call, but we still fall into this trap.
Here’s the problem: When you multitask while running through cold calls, you’re putting yourself in a suboptimal state when the lead answers the phone. If you want to be at peak performance for cold calls, mute your notifications, close all tabs that aren’t part of your cold call, and focus on what you’re doing now.
14. Missing Contact Information
If you’ve ever been handed a lead list without contact information (or direct phone numbers), we hear you.
Check out our list of the top B2B data providers for sales teams.
15. The Fake Inbound Lead
It’s been said that calling new inbound leads within the first five minutes after they submit a form can increase your reach rates significantly. This is probably why.
16. One Does not Simply…
Ah yes, the age-old adage. Avoid pitching on your cold call, and you’ll probably get better responses. The purpose of a cold call is to schedule another call with the right person, most often a discovery call.
17. Getting Ready for Your Cold Call Greeting
How many cold calls have you started, like Usain Bolt off the starting line in the Olympics? Yeah, you've been rattling off that same opening line hundreds of times, but you still gotta deliver it every time, like this is going to be the one time that matters.
Remember this fact: If you confuse prospects, you lose prospects. Speak slowly and with purpose, and then prospects will give you the attention you command and engage with you as a human being rather than a semi-robotic telemarketer.
18. Cold Call Dialing
Want to be fancy? Get yourself a CRM with a Power Dialer (or level things up even more with a predictive dialer), and stop wasting time dialing each individual number.
19. Getting that Response
The whole purpose of cold calling is to talk to your prospect. So if they don’t answer the phone, don’t try to pitch them in the voicemail.
We collected some key strategies and voicemail scripts that will help you generate more responses; check them out and get your win moment.
And while we're on the subject, did you know that humor affects response rates to your follow-up emails?
20. The Scroll of Truth (about Cold Calling)
Thought cold calling was dead? Think again: One survey found that 75 percent of execs are willing to book a meeting based on a cold call. These and other sales statistics prove the hard truth—cold calling is still alive and well.
21. The Discount Pusher
If a lead is already pushing for a discount on a cold call, that’s a warning sign. This red flag might mean the lead is going to end up becoming a tire kicker, wasting time in the sales process without ever coming to a purchase decision.
In most cases, prospects that are only interested in the cheapest option aren’t your ideal customers.
22. Cold Call Recipients
You can spot a cold call from a mile away as a sales pro. But don’t hang up the phone just because you know what’s happening. Treat them like you want to be treated, and you might learn something.
23. Gatekeepers Giving Hope
Talking to gatekeepers can be intimidating, but there are ways to make this conversation more productive. Learn our best tips for getting past gatekeepers.
24. Cold Call Success
This is when it’s time to celebrate! 🎉
25. Something Really Scary
If you’ve ever felt this way about cold calling, you’re not alone! But you can convert that fear into fearlessness with a few simple tricks.
Stop Looking at Cold Calling Memes and Get on the Phone!
We hope you’ve had a good laugh, but your break is over!
However, we wouldn't blame you if you needed a bit more comic relief featuring CRM memes and even more sales humor.
Still lacking the motivation to get on the phone? Here are some cold calling resources you can use to motivate yourself and boost your skills:
- 32 B2B Cold Calling Tips for Sales Success in 2024
- Cold Call Objection: Handling "Send Me More Information by Email"
- Top 23 Cold Calling Videos You Have to Watch on YouTube
- Top 15 cold calling tips for SaaS sales reps we found on LinkedIn
- From cold call to $17 billion startup: How Uber got started with sales calls!
- Cold Calling? Here’s Why Your Tonality Matters for Sales Calls
- How to Develop a Winning Sales Mindset: Critical Self-Talk vs. Pep Talk
- 15 Best Cold Calling Books to Take Your Sales Team to New Levels
Ready to jump into your next call? If you still want some more help, watch our Cold Call Crash Course:
