The Hidden Saboteur: How 'Fake Busy' Kills Your Cold Calling Productivity
Let's get real—most cold callers aren't getting beat by tough prospects. They're getting crushed by FAKE BUSY.
- Fake busy looks productive: spreadsheets, CRM tweaking, 'research.' But it doesn't put you on the phone with actual humans who can buy.
Here's what I see every day:
- 80% of reps spend less than 25% of their time ACTUALLY talking to prospects
- "Prepping a list" for 2 hours gives you 0 conversations
- Hiding behind emails lets you brag about 'activity'—but where are the meetings?
So what IS fake busy?
- Organizing leads five different ways
- Watching yet another training video
- Crafting the "perfect" script... that never gets used
- Checking LinkedIn again (guess what, they aren't checking you back)
I tracked my team's ConnectAndSell dials last Thursday. The 3 top performers had 37, 33, and 28 conversations. They used a single line dialer and called through the 'P1 Best Number' right on Koncert. ZERO time lost. Two people who 'looked busy'—8 conversations combined. You see the difference.
Spotting Fake Busy in Prospects
- "Can you send me info over email?"—classic deflection
- Rescheduling over and over—big red flag. They're stalling, not serious
- 'Yes, let's connect next quarter.' Translation: They just want you off the phone
Cut through it. When you hear these lines, CALL THEM OUT (politely). "Hey, I get that you're buried. Is this actually a priority right now or should I let you go?" Direct, clear.
Getting Real Engagement
- Lead with value immediately. 8 seconds or less.
- Use their LANGUAGE. Address a pain that's actually costing them money or time
- Ask for their attention directly: "Can you give me 60 seconds right now? If not, let's skip the dance."
Stay Productive—Here’s How:
- Set a TIMER: try 45-min call bursts. No distractions. No emails.
- Prep the night BEFORE. Load your dialer with P1 numbers.
- Track talk time, not 'dial time.' Real metric: minutes in conversation.
Mindset Shift:
- Your day isn’t about "LOOKING busy." It's about GETTING meetings and SALES.
- Quality over quantity, but QUANTITY of real calls beats everything
- Be honest—if you haven't felt that "oh man, I need a coffee break" moment after 50 straight dials, you aren't pushing hard enough
At the end of the day, ACTIVITY gets reported. PRODUCTIVITY gets paid.
Cut the fake busy. Ditch the pointless tasks. Get on the phone, chase real convos, and watch your pipeline explode.
You got this—now get out there and dial with purpose!