Are you comfortable making cold calls?
A large portion of the day in the life of a business development representative is spent on the phone calling cold leads. The interviewer is looking for someone who isn't shy and who can quickly form a rapport with someone new. Assure the interviewer that you fit the bill. If you haven't cold called before in the past, explain that you are coachable and interested in trying it.
"Yes, I'm fully comfortable calling cold leads. During college, I interned for a large non-profit, and one of my job duties was to cold call educators about various fundraising events that we were running. At first, I struggled to make the calls because I felt unsure, but over time I grew to enjoy the challenge of persuading folks to hear me out. After I got a few sign-ups for our events from my cold calling attempts, I was highly encouraged and started setting targets for myself. I found that I am able to connect with people easily, and if I provided some funny jokes and useful information, they tended to be receptive to my requests. I look forward to the opportunity of placing these types of calls for your company."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Yes, I am very comfortable in my last few roles what was originally a weakness is now a strength. I pride myself on booking the most meetings via outbound cold calling on my commercial sales team.
Jaymie's Feedback
Great job demonstrating your comfort in making cold calls. Consider adding in some metrics about how many cold calls you make a week or month, any other related goals you meet or exceed, or what percent you convert into new business.
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