Weekly Cold Calling Tip #1

Every week I will furnish you with a new cold calling tip. Starting today with tip #1; Compliments of the house.

The truth is 'cold calling' has become a nasty phrase because we are thinking sales. We have to sell something on the call and I know I will be rejected. It is this negative mind set that gets us in trouble. Why not call someone just to explore for possible opportunities. Don't call to make a sale. Call to ask questions about their business and their industry. Offer them a complimentary gift for their time with you on the phone.

Let them know that you are exploring a good fit with your product and/or services to their industry and you have identified them as a respected leader in their industry. State the reasons why they are seen as a leader. You can source 2 to 3 reasons for calling them in most cases right from their website. If you have a name to drop even better.

Have your questions prepared in advance and make sure they are powerful thought provoking questions that get the prospect to explore their own business challenges. Perhaps so much so they ask to learn more about your products and/or services.

At the end of the 5 minute call you don't sell them anything. You only confirm their complete contact information so you can send them out the complimentary gift such as a free attendance to a seminar you are conducting in a couple of weeks or an industry white paper that is relevant to their business or even a gift basket which includes one or two items with your company logo and a business card.

Make sure to follow up with them after they receive the gift to make sure they received it and thank them again for their time. In another week follow up with them to offer them a white paper you wrote on your findings. Or a white paper you found that may speak to a challenge your prospect spoke to you about on your first call.

This method of follow up calls with a reason to call starts to build a relationship that brings all your cold calling to a new level. You are now calling people you know and who now know you...warm leads. In time they will get to know what you do better and eventually you will be in the right place at the right time. There is no such think as luck. Luck is made by frequent follow up calls to your targeted prospect.

Always remember the value of a gift by remembering how you felt when the restaurant owner said to you; "...Compliments of the house."