There is No Such Thing As a Making a Cold Call

There is no such thing as a making a cold call in active business development. The resistance that some professionals have to business development isn’t unlike the distaste for wintery weather conditions – and a lot of it stems from a distaste for making cold calls. Cold calls imply a lack of control over the turns of the conversation, hint at feeling stuck – as though there are no other options for marketing and attracting new clients – and often fill one with a sense of dread over the fear of icy responses from the individuals called.

Let me suggest simple tactics to identify previously unknown prospects so that much “warmer” approach can be taken.

* Turn mistakes into a marketing opportunity;
* Examine your current relationships for additional opportunities within their organizations;
* Turn rejection into a future close ( see our next column);
* Ask good clients for referrals or introductions to their colleagues at non-competitive companies and agencies;
* Make at least 3 email/invitation contacts with suspects and prospects, highlighting firm briefings, new court decisions, etc.
* Ask to co-author an article on a subject of their interest;
* There are so many more, conduct a “post mortem” with your own collegues on marketing and business development efforts.