I still think cold calling WORKS.

Top 3 Tips to Successful Cold Calling

Proper Preparation As simple as it sounds, many people do not prepare correctly for cold calling. Understanding your client fully is essential. A cold caller should place himself in the position of the buyer, who is busy and if the caller is lucky, setting aside a little of his time to listen to a pitch. Getting the buyer’s attention is one thing, maintaining it is another. Hit at the heart of the buyer’s problem, provide an irresistible solution, and remember to have all notes, documents and other papers at hand so each buyer question is answered with a solid, detailed response.

Keep Calling
There’s no reason to hide from it, cold calling is a repetitive job. How you power through the repetition and achieve productivity defines your level of success. Limit breaks between calls to nothing if possible. Although your calls are targeted, hitting on a buyer interested enough to fully consider your proposal may take time, so covering ground is important as well. The more you call, and the tighter your pitches, the more potential clients you collect.

Think Positive As with any job, motivation is key to success in cold calling. A run of empty calls is not unheard of, but the caller does not want to let this affect his next call. In general it is best to be happy in order to sound happy. Maybe the caller thinks his unhappiness is not coming across in his tone, but the buyer may pick up on it and damage the sale. A caller’s tone, attitude, and even body posture have an affect on the mood in which they place their buyers. Callers should remember a bad day doesn’t have to mean a bad sales day.