With products such as Alex Homer’s custom clothing line offered by Tom James Company, cold call prospecting is an effective approach to prospect identification. In cold calling, salespeople select a group of people they anticipate may become actual prospects and then call (by phone or personal visit) on each one. The sales representative for a wholesale medical supply firm might call on every hospital in a given community, assuming that each one is a potential customer. Many new salespeople must rely on the cold call method because they are less likely to get appointments through referrals.

Edward Jones Corporation, a financial services company, is a strong supporter of cold calling. Sales representatives knock on doors and introduce themselves with a friendly, professional message:

Hi, my name is Brad Ledwith. I represent the Edward Jones Corporation, and we sell financial services. We’re a unique firm because we try to do all of our business face-to-face. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I’ve opened up a Jones office in the area and to find out if it’s OK to contact you when I have an investment idea.19

Sales representatives such as Brad Ledwith connect personally with members of their communities. This kind of cold call opener is often referred to as an “elevator presentation.” This is a 30-second message that summarizes what you want people to know about you, your company, and your product line. Practicing the elevator speech in front of a mirror can significantly improve its effectiveness.

Successful cold calls do not happen spontaneously. Some strategic thinking and planning must precede personal visits and telephone calls. Whom do you contact? What do you say during the first few seconds?

In order to appear confident and competent, carefully develop your opening remarks. If you appear to be nervous or unprepared, the prospect will assume you lack experience. Many salespeople who make cold call phone calls prepare a well-polished script. The script helps keep you on message and guarantees you will not leave out important information.20

Samantha Ettus, CEO of Ettus Media Management, a New York City public relations agency, says cold calls helped her firm land some of its biggest accounts. Ettus does plenty of research before she reaches for the phone. She collects all the pertinent information she can find—memberships and professional affiliations, career history, awards received, and, of course, information regarding the prospect’s business. Then she makes the call, which is as brief and precise as possible. Immediately after the call, she sends the prospect a personalized e-mail that summarizes what her firm has to offer. Ettus views the cold call as nothing more than a way to introduce herself and her company to an account.21