1. Do your homework: When making a cold call you want to be as prepared as possible. With today?s technological advances it is easy to do research on anyone. It is as simple as putting the CEO of a company?s name into Google, or looking at their Web site and reading their mission statement. For example, you could Google John Assaraf and find out that he is a member of the board for the Jenna Druck Foundation. Now when you call, you can say ?I understand that John Assaraf is on the board of the Jenna Druck Foundation and I have an idea/program that I would like to talk to him about that is going to help him give more money to that foundation. Do you think I could have some time to talk with him??

2. Set small, obtainable goals: If you are reluctant or apprehensive about making phone calls to an unfamiliar person, set small goals at first until you get the hang of things. For example make a small goal to make one call a day, Monday through Friday. This will help you start to achieve success and build your confidence. Most importantly reward yourself for overcoming your challenges; it can be as simple as yelling ?woo hoo!? after a successful phone call.

3. It?s not about you, it?s about them! It is crucial to know in advance how your product or service is going to help your customer. You need to have your Unique Selling Benefit, Unique Selling Position and your elevator speech ready and know how each applies to your specific customer. You need to show your prospective clients what their benefit is for taking the time to talk to you.

4. Be persistent and enthusiastic: A smile actually causes a physiological change in the tone of your voice because smiling elongates the vocal chords. Your energy and enthusiasm is easily recognizable over the phone, so it?s OK to be excited about your business. Leave an enthusiastic message and don?t just leave it once, leave it three or four times. ?John, I called you last week on Tuesday. I understand how busy you are. I am going to leave you that phone number again in case it got buried.? (Remember to leave the number slowly and repeat it).

5. Be memorable and follow-up: In order to reach a decision maker or your target audience you need to stand out of the crowd. Leaving the same voicemail four times isn?t going to sell your potential client. For example; if you are operating a doggy daycare and are trying to reach more clients, in addition to leaving a voicemail, send potential clients a dog biscuit and tie a note around it and mail it out. This will allow you to stand out.

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I hope Matt writes a blog because he is right on. If you are physically cold-calling, I would also add, "be organized." Have your materials handy and make sure they are neat and not dog-eared.

Smile.

Be sensitive to the needs of the receptionist or other front-office person. If you caught her at a bad time, come back later. That willingness to bow to her needs may be what separates you from every other salesperson.

it IS crucial to be prepared and do your homework before prospecting, and definitely google in quotes the name of the person you are about to meet.

I also like your point about setting small, achievable goals. Thanks for taking the time to write.