Cold Calling Tips: Preparing for the Cold Call

As the popular survey result that has been recited around the world goes, public speaking is the biggest fear we have in our culture, number two is death. Somewhere just before or after death should come "cold calling" as it has become one of the biggest fears of any salesman, anywhere at any time. The reason that cold calling is so feared is partly due to the fact that the call itself is cold, you have no relation to the person and don't even know if they will be interested. This is where the other part of the fear becomes critical, not knowing what to do.

The mistake that many people make when they cold call is they don't practice how the call will go or prepare for the call at all. Here are a few tips that could help you prepare for your next cold call:

1. Don't psyche yourself out before the call even starts. Try using positive words like you "can't wait" for this next call instead of dreading it. Remember, if you do not sell yourself you will not be able to sell your product.

2. Make yourself a few very positive and attainable goals for each and every call. If you are new to cold calling you should try building up to getting an appointment or making a sale. Start out with getting to talk to a decision maker, then build up from there.

3. Know both the spoken and unspoken rules of the trade in reference to cold calling. There are rules that the SEC has set forth, but sometimes the most important rules associated with cold calling are unspoken, such as not calling during the lunch hour, etc.

4. It is very important that before you make a call you consider whether the person is potentially a client or not. Don't let your decision change your mind, you just want to take a different approach for someone who would not obviously benefit from what you are selling.

5. This is very important, make sure that you have a template or sheet to fill out ready to go before every call. Have spots for all of the information that you hope to obtain and write it down as you go. Making people repeat themselves can kill a good cold call in a hurry.

Cold calling can be terrifying if you are not a veteran in the business or you don't have a proven track record. The best way to get going is simple, call and call and call again!