January 2014: Cold Calling in Winter



Sixty calls per hour, or achieve the number of required completions in that time span. Though I screen hard against telemarketers when I’m home, I still respect the job they do because I used to be one of those people who’d call you at dinnertime, prime time, during the game or weekends to ask for just a few minutes of your time.




I am still amazed at the low rate of people who hung up without giving me a chance to get into my pitch, or at least ask my Screen-Out Questions. From my years of telemarketing/sales cold-calling I learned many things. One: I was not shy just lacked an affinity for small talk like, “The rain in Spain mainly falls on the plain…” On the other hand if someone wanted to discuss the Pythagorean Theorem or why acute angles often appear obtuse upon first sight, then I transformed into a chatterbox.

Most importantly I learned how to talk to a stranger and subtly ask “screen-out questions”. But, to talk to strangers, you have to call them- over, on the phone or however needed to start the conversation.

Not counting “last call”, when was the last time you approached a stranger, not for directions or a simple matter, but that Randy Moss, “straight cash homey” equivalent?




Cold Calling in Winter
During and right after the holidays is a good time to reflect and plan ahead. It is the best time to look over friendships that have gone into hibernation, as well as new friendships formed for which more seeds need planting. I will now list two people I need you to contact – your very own cold-call.

Reach out to one of these people and tell them I sent you and learn about them and their business. In turn, you assign me a person to cold-call.

Let’s build our networks.