The 1 Strategy That Will Make Your Sales Calls More Successful

The best sales teams understand that the work starts long before outreach.

By John Hall

If you’ve been in sales for longer than five minutes, you know the old rules don’t hold up anymore. Cold outreach is colder than ever. Buyers are savvier. And the “show up and throw up” pitch approach is just a fast track to a closed tab.

Today, the best sales teams are shifting their energy— and fast. The secret isn’t just about more calls or better scripts but about smarter prep. Let’s unpack why sales prep is becoming the ultimate competitive edge and what that actually looks like behind the scenes.

Success starts long before the pitch

In the past, a rep might’ve spent the majority of their time selling on the fly. Today, sales success is dependent on what happens before the call even starts. Sales teams are spending more time researching leads, customizing outreach, studying data patterns, and collaborating with marketing to align messaging.

There are three key things I’ve noticed that seem to be driving this shift. Firstly, personalization is the new baseline, as buyers expect you to do your homework—and can tell if you haven’t. Secondly, sales cycles are getting longer due to more stakeholders, more scrutiny, and less patience for fluff. Lastly, AI has raised the bar by helping with the grunt work and giving people more time for creativity. Time spent on prep work is becoming a crucial element in closing deals. 

Sales are evolving

Top-performing sales teams aren’t just refining their CRM tools and sharpening their outreach scripts. Behind the scenes, they’re protecting the very processes that keep revenue flowing. That includes thinking seriously about operational risks and making sure they’re covered when things don’t go according to plan.

Recently, a friend of mine who owns a small business had major issues because their sales team wasn’t covered with the correct insurance. Case in point, any business can have amazing performance metrics, but a costly mistake can end up being a liability that can hinder company growth. According to a survey conducted by biBerk, a small business insurance company within the Berkshire Hathaway group, 85 percent of small business owners say having adequate business insurance is “very important,” especially in fast-paced, client-facing environments like sales.

Still, there’s a gap between that awareness and action. Over half of the respondents, or 57 percent to be exact, haven’t increased their coverage or added new policies in the last five years, even though 43 percent say their business has significantly changed during that time in revenue, headcount, or the kind of work they do.

That kind of misalignment can quietly expose high-volume sales teams to unnecessary liability— whether it’s mishandled client data, compliance lapses, or contract disputes.

And here’s the kicker: 89 percent of biBerk’s aforementioned survey respondents didn’t even realize personal insurance typically doesn’t cover business-related claims. That’s a costly misconception for any sales team working in hybrid roles or using personal devices to manage client accounts.

Forward-thinking sales organizations are treating insurance like any other essential tool because growth shouldn’t outpace protection. When the sales machine is humming, the last thing you want is a small mistake turning into a major legal or financial setback.

Preparation is a culture

It’s crucial to know what’s working for other sales teams, so make it a goal to learn more about the winning habits successful companies are using. 

Since sales is no longer a solo role, internal collaboration is a key strategy being used. Some of today’s fastest-scaling companies also use an internal playbook, not just to train new hires but to improve the preparation process across the team. Testing and iteration are other ways sales teams are refining their results by improving forecasting, targeting, and conversion rates. From there, successful sales teams intertwine all of these strategies with soft skills, like emotional intelligence, empathy, and storytelling, to achieve the desired results.

Selling feels more like a service

This isn’t just theory. Teams that lead with preparation build trust faster, shorten sales cycles, and earn more repeat business because their approach doesn’t feel like a pitch. It feels like a conversation. It feels like help.

According to 6Sense, buyers have already done the majority of their homework before contacting sales, so they likely already have their decision finalized. This is why it’s up to sales to prepare well so they can answer any final questions the buyer has and validate their research findings. 

Being transparent and knowledgeable about your brand mission, success statistics, services offered, and industry insights can feel more like a service to the buyer and can reach them in ways that exceed their expectations.

Building a prep-first sales culture

If you’re managing a sales team or trying to grow one, get your team in the mindset of making planning a priority. Start by auditing your sales process. Ask yourself where your reps might be winging it and which areas could prep make a measurable impact. You should also build pre-call research into your strategy. And think more like an ops leader, because sales isn’t just about the win; It’s about protecting your company’s values and reputation.

Ensuring the preparation stage is thorough can be your sales team’s strongest move because it can give you the confidence for scenarios with unexpected questions, challenging conversations, and even rejection in some cases. Whatever comes your way, the prep work will help to save you the headache, so you keep moving forward and refine your game plan for future sales calls.