What is a cold call?

What is a cold call?  A cold call in sales or recruitment is the initiation of contact with a person or an entity that you want to establish a relationship with.  It is something most people have an aversion against doing.  It is generally used to market to the other person or entity.  Many are nervous about marketing or cold calling because it requires a willingness to create relationships or capitalize on one’s ability to obtain useful information in an attempt to provide a service to the recipient.  Cold calling is something most avoid because it scares them.  It is as a result of a defeatist attitude and sometimes results in paralysis. 

To overcome a cold call phobia, one must begin by setting a goal.  They should also define the outcome expected of a call.  What is it that you want to accomplish? Do you want to find out whether they use external services like you offer? Who manages that process?  Do they understand what you offer?  Are there opportunities in which they would be able to capitalize on the implementation of such a service in their organization?

Cold calls can be springboards to warm and/or hot calls.  A warm call is where an individual refers you to another directly.  A hot call is a call where they person KNOWS that they are in need of your service.  The fear most possess is a result of rejection.  Deep breathing and visualization are two techniques which can be particularly useful to a person that possesses deep fears pertaining to cold calling.

Cold calls are the life blood of pipelines for anyone working on the front lines in a recruiting, sales or marketing capacity.  Without cold calling, businesses must rely on leads which are purchased at a cost.   Cold calls are the life blood to small businesses and entry-level/junior professionals.

One also needs to build a call list.  This list would consist of people or businesses that are in the target market being pursued.  It should be comprised of the Name, Address, Main #,  Contact specific #, email address, Industry of business, Special Industry Dates, Specific Industry Special Days or Celebrations or whatever may be specific to that target.

Be genuinely friendly and interested in your customers, DO NOT SPEAK FROM SCRIPT be present!

Lastly, have FUN!!!! Your audience is just people, too!