There will always be several viewpoints in a discussion on Cold Calling.

Many of your "Old School" Sales Managers swear by it as the only real way to learn your sales profession and to excel at it. But ultimately it depends on your industry, your product offerings and you!

If you're selling a high volume, low priced item, you call cold call just about any business and ask for the person in charge of re-ordering that product. Now you have a lead and can ask a yes or no question. You may get a sale, or a future potential.

But here is where Cold Calling really pays off. . . . . If you did not get the sale, you still know you to contact and when to contact them next, providing you ask of course. You may need to call a few more times at pre-determined intervals to build trust, but adhering to that calling schedule will show your prospect that you are a credible alternative.

Assuming yours is a legitimate business, you can reinforce your offerings with a personalized direct mail piece, or even just an email with a link to your website. The more credibility you have, the greater the likelihood you will eventually get that "trial order". But we all have to start somewhere.

Learn more about this author, Rick O'Connor.
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