Prepare for a cold call

Okay, it’s time to get ready to attack one of the toughest things in business – the dreaded cold call.

Now, cold calling is something of a dark art and many entrepreneurs (and even some sales people) actively try to avoid making them. This is mainly because it can be hard work and – let’s face it – a little depressing if the rejections end up coming thick and fast.

However, skilled practitioners do have a big tip – do your research beforehand, to give yourself a good chance of success.

Obviously, you want to try and find out what your target does, what size they are, who the key decision-makers are and, perhaps most importantly, how your product or service can help them. Are they in a growth phase? Are they exporting? Are they under pressure from rivals?

And if you really want to go the extra mile, have a bit of a look at their competitors and what they are doing – this might give you another way to aim your pitch.

The idea here is to “warm” that call up as much as possible, such that you can establish your credibility and start building a relationship.

Of course, don’t let the research process run forever… that’s just putting off actually making the call.

Get it done – today!