Do you like to make cold calls?
One study found that 87% of respondents said they ignore phone calls from unknown numbers “often” or “very often.” (MarTech) I’ve long counseled clients to network and build relationships, boldly stating “cold calls don’t work.”
Could I be missing out on opportunities? I have a friend who answers unidentified calls all the time with optimism and hope in his voice. And his business is going well. Of all the calls that he answers only to say “not interested” in the first 10 seconds, some are potential clients.
Do Cold Calls Work?
Valerie Leonard, Founder of Nonprofit Utopia, LLC (plus a Podcaster; Course Creator; Instructor; Coach and Consultant) says cold calls are a winning tactic for her. When asked (on today’s Intercultural Spark-see link below) about how she got big name leaders on her podcast, as well as many of her clients, she answered, “cold calls.”
“Don’t they make you scared?” I asked.
“I’m scared all the time. I just do it anyway,” was her response. Probing deeper revealed a wonderful way to look at it. She wasn’t calling because she was asking for something for herself. In the case of podcasts guests, the potential person had information that her listeners needed to know. And for the guest, they benefited from reaching more deeply into communities. “It feels like an extension of my commitment to teaching and learning,” says Valerie. Her calling someone cold to start a community development project or share their story, was about bringing good into the world.
Cold Calling as an Ethical Obligation
When you say it that way, there’s almost an ethical obligation to create and bring your vision and services to the world. Hear more about Valerie’s approach to authenticity and building a values-based business in the link below.
What do you think? How do you go about initiating new relationships? Would you wait for an introduction? Would you try a cold call? Or do you have another approach?