Making Cold Calls: Love it or Hate it...

There are only two ways to generate new business and I'm not talking about placing an ad on a website or doing some other kind of marketing. To drive business development and in recruiting talk that means getting new signed fee agreements or job orders, you either have to reach a hiring manager by phone or get out into the field and meet with them face to face.

The worst thing that can happen to an account manager is to not be out meeting with prospects and for a recruiter to not be speaking with new candidates. The best thing we can do to fill our desks with opportunity is to be on the phone cold calling. This means we have to smile when we dial and call people who don't know us.

Most recruiters who hammer on the phone make things happen. You should think about cold calling like a game. You can't take rejection personally. Don't be afraid to cold call. We like things we are good at and if you practice you will improve.

Recruiters and staffing sales professional should take a lesson from Babe Ruth. He was the home run leader for a long time but most people don;t know that he struck out way more than he hit home runs. The numbers for him show 1330 strike outs and 714 home runs. You can't break the records without taking a lot of swings.

To find a top candidate or to break into a new account it will take a ton of calls, so have some fun with it! Calling people allows you to interact with them directly. Try making 20 cold calls each day for the next week. Working smart is good but make sure you are working hard, especially in this economy. Don't kill yourself but give it your best every day.

The key to being a great cold caller is to have a positive attitude. Believe in yourself and ask a ton of questions. Create a list of people to call so you can get to the right people and then make sure you are calling them at the right times. Sure you may have to get around some gatekeepers so be friendly, make a strong first impression and they may just become your helper in getting through.

Remember that cold calls are not a time to sell. What is the purpose of your call? Usually it is to set an appointment or to get some much needed information.

Be good news. Smile. Relax. Be positive.

Craig

Comment by Lori Fenstermaker on September 3, 2010 at 1:49pm: Totally agree with you Craig. With all the tools available to us the best one is still the phone.

Comment by Suzanne Levison on September 3, 2010 at 2:53pm: Ah, Yes, The Phone is Magic! I agree.

Comment by Sylvia Dahlby on September 4, 2010 at 3:48pm: I love cold calling, I've always thought it was fun to "smile & dial" for dollars. But the problem with cold calling nowadays is that it's simply not the most productive use of time anymore. With so many ways to warm up the call available through social media, I'm afraid cold-calling may become a lost art.

Comment by Rebecca B. Sargeant on September 8, 2010 at 11:57am: Great read!! It's all about talking to people everyday, all day!!!

Comment by Craig Silverman on September 8, 2010 at 2:46pm: Great string of comments here! I love social networking, email, job postings and all the other things we do to market our services to clients but most of all I like meeting with them and spending time learning about their wants & needs. All is well! I'm excited about my new venture and look forward to getting out of stealth-mode as we get ready for our public launch.