Cold Calls - Back to Basics

I've been seeing a few articles pop up all of a sudden on how to improve your cold calling skills.  For some reason the combination of those two words are enough to send rampant chills up the spine of the strongest of men and women!  And in this Age of Technology, seems like there a multitude of ways to reach out without going near the phone.  But are they as effective?  I personally don't know the answer to that question by way of statistical facts, however I can say in my own humble opinion that I feel picking up the phone and talking with someone is the best way to make a connection.

The only thing that stands in your way of cold calling like a pro is fear of rejection. That's the bottom line. I've received some good advice that has helped me tremendously and I'd like to pass it along in the hopes it will be helpful to you as well:

1.  Relax!  Take a deep breath and exhale. If you sound relaxed on the phone, the person you are calling will be relaxed as well.  Get into the mind set that you are calling a friend to chat. (On the contrary, if you sound nervous or even worse desperate, they are going to pick up on that and feed off of that emotion.

2.  Don't call someone to sell something, call to share information. Your goal is to peak some interest in your product or service.

3.  Remember, this call is just the beginning. Set an appointment, send additional information and set a date to follow up.

4.  Most importantly, not everyone will be interested in what you have to offer or perhaps the timing is off. You can always try again at a later time. Sometimes people won't even give you the chance to speak, they'll simply hang up.  In either case, move on physically and emotionally. Don't dwell on it. Stay focused and move on to your next call.

Like everything else, mastering cold calls takes practice. If at first you don't succeed, always try, try again!

Don't hesitate to send me your additional thoughts.

Best,
Rhonda