Warming Up a COLD Contact

Yes, I make cold calls, as do thousands of others every day, but the real secret when calling someone you don’t know is to “warm-up” the call before you make it. For years I have implemented a simple three step process to warming up a cold contact when other traditional methods such as referrals and introductions are not readily available. The process takes time, but when followed completely I have found that it increases my success seven to eight times that of making a cold contact. 

Step one: Name Recognition
I initiate name recognition by sending out two post cards exactly one week apart to the person I want to contact. Note two things here; one is that I always know the name of an individual I want to speak with before I start this process, the second is that the information I send them is memorable. This first step provides me with recognition, and the excuse to implement step two.

Step two: Develop Understanding
One week after I send out the second post card I call the individual to tell them who I am and to ask one simple question. It sounds something like this: “Hi, I am Tim Klabunde from ABC Company. You should have received two post cards from me recently and I was wondering if I can send you some more information about what I referenced in my post cards.” Of the thousands I times I have made this call I have only been told “no” once.

Note a couple of things that make this step successful: First it is an excessively short conversation, in other words I am very respectful of their time. Second, I never leave a voice message; I keep calling back at different times of the day if I miss them until I get through. Third, I fully expect that many of the people that receive my step two packet will discard it, but I have ensured through the phone call that they will look at it before they throw it away and remember it.

Step three: Initiate the Relationship
Step three is simply a warm follow-up call one week after I send out the additional information. By this point I have developed name recognition and understanding about who I am and how I fit into their world. When I call, I reference our last conversation and information I have sent so they recognize who I am. With this foundation I initiate a conversation and relationship. Setting up lunch or a meeting becomes easy because a foundation has been laid for our relationship over the past month.

Building Relationships
Remember when you are working a cold contact that relationships are dynamic in nature. Most people fail because they call someone else for personal gain rather than laying a foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship.

Thank you to BizDev Blog for the invitation to poston this topic. I look forward to reading what others have to say. Check out BizDev’s posting 9 Ways to Warm Up a COLD Contact.

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post