Welcome to the GTM Launchpad newsletter! Each week I will share a sales play to help you grow your business, level up your sales game and succeed in the trenches

Let’s talk about something that gets written off way too often…

Cold calling
The internet says it’s dead
But leaders in the field? They know better

Here’s the truth: cold calling isn’t dead but lazy calling is

Because when done right cold calls still crack open doors that emails and LinkedIn can't touch

This one’s for the teams wondering if the phone still matters
(It does but how you use it makes all the difference)

Lets break it down 👇

This Week’s Sponsor: Surfe

If your reps are prospecting on LinkedIn but nothing’s being logged, tracked or synced…

You’ve got a black hole in your pipeline

I used to live in tab chaos

• Copy/pasting contacts into HubSpot

• Forgetting follow-ups

• Losing deals in the admin abyss

Now? I just surf 🏄‍♂️

✅ CRM lives inside LinkedIn
✅ I log convos and deals in real time
✅ I stay organized without ever leaving the feed

Surfe is the cheat code
Built for modern outbound
Built for how we actually work

🎬 Watch how I use it in my outbound block
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@tom_slocum

If you prospect on LinkedIn and don’t use this… you’re making life way harder than it needs to be 1-click CRM sync → https://www.surfe.com/tom

Myth: “Nobody picks up anymore”

The Reality: Connect rates may have dipped, but decision-makers still answer. The key? Targeted call windows and better data hygiene

✅ Track your pickup patterns
→ When do your top prospects typically answer?
→ What’s your best day/time by persona?

Pro move: Run “Power Hours” based on connect rate insights not just rep availability

Mindset > Mechanics

Cold calling today is more psychology than scripts

People are flooded with outreach. The only way to stand out? Sound nothing like everyone else

🔥 Tip:
Start your calls with a pattern break.
→ “Hey can I tell you why I’m calling in 7 seconds and you can decide if we keep going?”

This disarms resistance and earns attention. Fast!

The New Cold Call Formula

Instead of a 20-line script train your reps on situational flow:

1. Opener – Gain permission (7-second hook)
2. Problem drop – A real pain they’ll relate to
3. Curiosity bridge – “Out of curiosity…” or “Would it be crazy if…”
4. Soft ask – “Would it be wild to unpack this for 20 min next week?”

The goal isn’t to pitch it’s to spark curiosity

Objection Handling = Objection Understanding

Old way: Counter every objection
New way: Get curious before you counter

Instead of battling “Not interested” ask:
→ “Totally fair just so I understand is that more about timing or priorities?”

Keep it conversational. Objections are often smoke screens not real rejections

Coach the Call Before the Meeting

Most leaders review demos. Few review cold calls

If you want more meetings coach the moment before the meeting exists

Try this:
→ Pull 3 call openers per rep this week
→ Focus on tone, pacing and tension-building
→ Roleplay better versions live

This is where the magic happens

Explore. Engage. Evolve.

Mindset unlocks, tactical execution closes deals.

🎥 Video of the Week

Cold Calling Live with Morgan J. Ingram & Tom Slocum — This YouTube session breaks down critical cold call mechanics through live role‑play and expert commentary, perfect for tuning tone, pacing and objection flow

📚 Book of the Week - Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact by Phil M. Jones

A concise, high-impact read outlining 22 “magic” phrases and conversational frameworks to influence decisions with integrity and clarity

You'll breeze through this book and walk away inspired to craft your own phrases that boost your ability to win business, influence conversations at work and become more persuasive in everyday interactions

Bonus Sales Tactics 🤑

1. “Dead Is Lazy” Cold Call Blitz
Challenge your team to book 1 meeting purely through the phone this week.
→ No email support
→ No warm intros
→ Just call → converse → convert

Celebrate the wins in Slack. Prove it still works

2. Objection Curiosity Challenge
Run a mini-comp:
→ Reps must log 3 objections
→ Then write a curious follow-up line (not a rebuttal)
→ Best one wins a prize

3. Call Cadence Audit
Have reps review their last 10 calls.
Ask:
→ “Where did I lose them?”
→ “Was I curious enough?”
→ “Did I sound like a human or a teleprompter?”

Learning happens in the rewind

Cold Calls That Don’t Suck. Start Here

Reps don’t need to be perfect they need to be present

• Call with curiosity

• Lead with tension

• Speak like a human

• Get them thinking not just listening

If your team’s call efforts feel stale…
…it’s not because the channel is dead

It’s because the approach needs a reset

Let’s bring cold calling back the right way

See you next week 👊

Thanks for reading. See you again next week at 8 am MST!

- Tom Slocum ✌️

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