Sometimes, getting a prospect to say “yes” requires the right personality. But what if your personality doesn’t quite match theirs? How can you prevent them from hanging up the phone?

My guest, James Buckley—the self-proclaimed phone expert and co-host of the Sell Better Podcast—is here to share the communication style you need to instantly increase your cold-call success rate. Click play and learn how to align your sales style with your prospect’s personality.

Meet James Buckley

After meeting James Buckley, it’s clear why he’s known as “the phone guy.” His communication style evokes emotions far more swiftly and effectively than email ever could.
James personalizes his sales approach by being authentic, intuitively connecting with prospective customers in a way that builds rapport and trust.
Thanks to his unique methods, James has become a valuable resource for both new and seasoned sales professionals.
Be sure to check out Sell Better, where he shares daily and weekly sales tips.

Have the Right Personality

The wrong approach could be keeping you from closing deals. James explains how to tailor your communication based on personality cues you can often pick up from LinkedIn profiles.
For example, if someone appears friendly in their profile, adopt a jovial tone; but if a prospect’s profile has a more serious vibe, use a tone that matches.

Think Smaller with Emails

James says, don’t write a novel when emailing prospects! Decision-makers often read emails on mobile devices, so the shorter, the better. His advice?
Make your emails concise and to the point by removing unnecessary words.
Here are three ways ChatGPT prompts to improve your emails:

Rewrite the email to make it shorter.
Make it more about the prospect, less about yourself.
Ensure it’s easy to read on a phone.

Subject Line Tips

Your subject line matters more than the email’s body. James shares that specific words can boost your open rates.
For example, use “Thanks” for an ego appeal, rather than the neutral “Quick question.”
Also, a meaningful preview text can also capture the prospect’s attention, increasing response rates.

“Folks, I’m going to give you four words that will change everything about your emails in 2025: The shorter, the better.” — James Buckley.

Resources

The Daily Sales Show

Sellbetter.xyz

Cold Call Openers

Sponsorship Offers

This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

3. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey . We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

The "Glowing Orb of Peace" Edition