The Center for Sales Strategy - Sales Strategy Blog

Why Your Salespeople Need a Cold Calling Playlist (Playlist Included)

Written by Dalena Pajares | April 7, 2021

Scientists say music changes mood, motivation, cognitive processing, and the ability to retain information. Additionally, music just makes work more fun and time fly!  

Setting appointments is a common problem — in fact, the 2020 Media Sales Report found that 80% of sales managers find it harder today than just 5 years ago. Listening to music is just one small motivator that will help get the job done.

Effective sales prospecting is one of the most challenging — and most important —parts of the sales process. Getting it wrong means wasted time and frustration. Getting it right means a healthier pipeline and better performance.

5 Reasons to Use a Cold Calling Playlist

1. Music Creates a Routine 

A soundtrack provides a backdrop for establishing a routine or habit. We encourage salespeople to prospect at the same time of day each day, in the same room of the house if working from home, using the same playlist each day.

This gets them into a rhythm, and their mind will start to automatically shift into prospecting mode when the music starts. Routine reduces the number of decisions you have to make in the day; and the less planning, the better. Music reinforces routine. 

2. A Cold Calling Playlist Gets Salespeople Through the Prospecting Emotions  

A soundtrack to a movie tells you how to feel — scared, romantic, hopeful. A prospecting playlist can do the same.

If your salespeople get rejected, they should play something encouraging (a celebratory tune) when scheduling a meeting. Music is often used to push through all of the emotions they'll have during the most important meeting of the day —  the time set aside to connect with new prospects. 

3. A Playlist Helps Formulate a Mindset 

Music makes things work more FUN!

There's a chance that your sales team may start looking forward to prospecting if they know a personalized playlist is waiting. Mindset can make or break the day. It has a direct correlation to realizing our goals.

We have all heard of the injured athlete that overcame, the underdog that won the championship, the rags to riches stories. Mindset matters. It's vital that salespeople find some tunes that get them in the right headspace.  

4. Music Acts as a Timer 

Many salespeople commit to an hour a day for prospecting or a certain amount of time per week, but they could also commit to prospecting through their playlist of 15 songs each day.

We aren’t all naturals at time blocking or color-coding our calendars, but I would challenge you to find any sales training or reputable sales leader that does not emphasize the importance of time management. It's imperative to reach your goals, especially when work and personal lines are blended more than ever before.  

5. Music Puts Salespeople in Control 

A cold calling playlist and dedicated prospecting time is something your salespeople can control in their day.

Do you often hear from salespeople that they worked all day and feel like they haven't completed a single project?

How they spend this time developing a pipeline each day is entirely up to them and should look different for each individual. Encourage them focus on a specific business category or call prospects that they haven’t talked to in 60 days.

Customizing a playlist is one more way to personalize one of the most important parts of salespeople's day!

Sample of a Cold Calling Playlist

Walk-Up Music 

  • No DiggityBlackstreet 
  • Takin’ Care of Business — Bachman — Turner Overdrive

Soundtrack/Background Music 

  • Keepin It Real — Mason Jennings 
  • Can’t Stop the Feeling — Justin Timberlake 
  • ABC — The Jackson 5 
  • Spiderwebs — No Doubt 
  • My Church — Maren Morris

Encouragement After Rejection

  • Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down — Puff Daddy and Mase 
  • Pardon Me — Incubus 
  • Shake it Off — Taylor Swift 
  • Doesn’t Matter Anyway — Greek Fire 
  • So What — Pink 

Celebration

  • All I do is win — DJ Khaled 
  • Who run the World (Girls)? — Queen B

Cool Down

  • Alejandro — Lady Gaga 

Each person has a different prospecting style, the important thing is to find what works best for each unique individual on your sales team and encourage them to get creative! Happy Selling!