BNET Business Dictionary

Business Definition for: Cold Calling

  • the practice of making unsolicited calls to customers or consumers in an attempt to sell products or services. Cold calling is disliked, particularly by individual consumers, and is an inefficient way of selling, as the take-up rate is very low.

Additional Resources

7 Ways To Make Cold Calling Easy
7 Ways To Make Cold Calling EasyRE: 7 Ways To Make Cold Calling EasyI find the best way to make cold calling work well is to sit before each call and imagine that the last call has gone really well. It's tough to do at first, but as time goes...
Tags: Sales tools, Perseverence, Make Cold Calling Easy, Make Cold Calling, cold calling
Discussion threads 2008-09-23
Cold Calling Builds Character
According to the poll in the post "Do You Like Cold Calling?" only a quarter of sales pros actually like cold-calling, and  only a measly 4 percent say it's their favorite activity.  Since most people aren't good at what they don't enjoy and vice versa, it's not surprising that most...
Tags: Cold Calling, Rejection, Sales Tools, Sales Strategy, Sales, Geoffrey James
Blog posts 2009-05-11
Ten Ways to Make Cold Calling Easy
Many sales professionals dread cold calling. And that dread, unfortunately, makes them ineffective when they pick up the phone to make the calls. If you're not careful, you can end up in a cycle, where your fear of cold calling creates more failure, making you hate it even...
Tags: Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Sales, Geoffrey James
Blog posts 2008-05-20
Top Sales Pros Really Love Cold Calling
There are dozens of "how to cold call" articles that begin with a phrase like: "nobody likes cold calling."  I beg to differ.  There are some sales professional who like cold calling.  No, they love it.  Far from considering it a burden, they consider cold calling fun, interesting and profitable. ...
Tags: Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Sales Strategy, Sales, Geoffrey James
Blog posts 2009-08-21
Useful Commute: Cold Calling for Cowards
Useful Commute: Cold Calling for Cowardsrate of rejectionhttp://www.srbovanje.com/userinfo.php?uid=1015Cold calling is often very frustrating and difficult for a sales person or telemarketer because, naturally, they are often rebuffed, hung-up on and suffer a higher rate of rejection by those receiving cold calls. Business to consumer cold calls are often frustrating for...
Tags: cold call, cold calling, rejection, sales
Discussion threads 2007-12-17
Cold Calling = Dialing for Dollars
READERS: A comment to yesterday's post "Poll: Is Cold Calling Really Worth It?" was so good that I'm turning it into an official post.  The below (written by the sales trainer Ron Silver under the handle "argentix1") gives the clearest explanation I have ever read on...
Tags: Cold Calling, B2B Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Sales, Geoffrey James
Blog posts 2009-01-21
Telesales Tips / Cold Calling: Steps To Take To Boost Your Cold Calling Success Rate
Although many well-established sales executives no longer use cold calling to ensure sales, cold calling is tried and true option to fall back on whenever sales take a dip. Most likely once a sales executive reaches a sustainable level of sales generation, cold calling is the first to be tossed...
Tags: Telesales, Cold Calling, Article Alley, Sales Executive, Sales Strategy, Sales Tools, Sales Force Management, Sales
White papers 2009-04-02
Disadvantages Of Cold Calling
There are good ways and there are bad ways to market a product or service. One of the marketing ways that always gets flak is the technique called cold calling. Also called blind calling, cold calling is a technique where a marketer calls up or contacts who is a random...
Tags: Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Sales
White papers 2009-01-01
How To Be a Cold-Calling Superstar
Rather than a chore that's a bore, think of cold calling as a performance. And rather than a drone with a phone, think of yourself as a great musician or athlete, a star performer who must and can excel under pressure. Great performers, regardless of their...
Tags: Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Call, Geoffrey James, Sales
Blog posts 2007-06-28
Better Than Cold Calling...
It's been said repeatedly that B2B sales is all about relationships. However, relationships are difficult to forge when you're cold-calling people who don't know you from Adam. The best way to get into a customer account is through a personal referral. Please note that a...
Tags: Sales, Sales Tools, Sales Force Management, Sales Strategy, Referral Selling, Referral, Cold Calling, Geoffrey James
Blog posts 2008-01-14
Gaining Access To Key Decision Makers. Cold Calling Does Work - If You Know How To Call
No sales rep seems to enjoy cold calling - although everyone grudgingly acknowledges the need to dedicate time each week to the critical task. Will sales reps cold call - and learn to like it? Yes, if shown that cold calling is effective in gaining access to decision makers and...
Tags: Microsoft Access, Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Sales Strategy, Sales
White papers 2009-01-01
How To End Your Fear Of Cold Calling
Most of us really dislike cold calling. It's probably the most dreaded of all sales activity, and causes the most rejection. But there are wonderful ways to think differently about cold calling. We can eliminate the negative experience that's typical for both caller and receiver simply by changing our mindset....
Tags: Cold Calling, Article Alley, Sales Tools, Sales
White papers 2007-08-20
If Cold Calling Works For You
The problem with being satisfied with the results of cold calling is that you fail to see cold calling's biggest flaw and why it imposes strict limitations on your sales production. If cold calling works for you then keep it up, but doesn't it make sense to add to it...
Tags: Cold Calling, Article Alley, Sales Tools, Sales
White papers 2008-11-25
Telesales Tips / Cold Calling: What To Do To Get Better Ratios When Making Cold Calls
Once well established, many sales professionals can forego cold calling as a means for garnering new sales. However, during unavoidable "Dry spells" cold calling is a viable option to obtain new sales. Typically, cold calling is the first sales strategy to get cut from the roster upon achieving enough success...
Tags: Telesales, Cold Calling, Article Alley, Sales Strategy, Sales Tools, Sales Force Management, Sales
White papers 2009-04-02
Poll: Is Cold Calling Really Worth It?
The previous three posts ("7 Steps to a Perfect Cold Call", "Videos: Top 10 Cold Call Mistakes", and "How to Overcome 4 Common Objections") address the mainstream approach to cold calling. However, there are some experts who don't think cold calling is worth the effort.  To provide...
Tags: Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Sales, Geoffrey James
Blog posts 2009-01-20
Do You LIKE Cold Calling?
There's no question that cold calling is sometimes necessary.  If you've got a qualified list of potential prospects, it can even be highly productive.  However, I've noticed that people seldom do a task well unless they enjoy doing it.  And, unfortunately, I've met very few sales reps who actually LIKE...
Tags: Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Sales, Geoffrey James
Blog posts 2009-04-30
Cold-Calling 2.0: The Next Generation Of Prospecting
Let's face it. Cold-Calling has gotten a bad rap. If you still think of cold-calling as an ineffective waste of time, phone spam or money down the drain, then this paper is for you. In fact, many "Experts" have said that cold-calling is dead. You will learn in this paper...
Tags: Phone, Cold-Calling, Telecom & Utilities
White papers 2008-03-26
Are You Ready To End Cold Calling?
Nobody likes cold calling whether you are on the receiving or telling end. It is rather infuriating to have a fascinating product but only market it through cold calling. No one likes to call someone and be hung up on as soon as they mention they are selling something. What...
Tags: Cold Calling, Sales Tools, Sales
White papers 2009-01-01
Overcoming Cold Calling Reluctance
If you're like many salespeople, the idea of prospecting or cold calling to generate new business, although effective, may not be the primary revenue generating activity that excites you. When salespeople resist cold calling, sales managers often respond by providing additional training, role playing, a revised presentation, or more qualified...
Tags: Cold Calling, Profitbuilders, Sales Tools, Sales
White papers 2009-01-01
7 Ways To Make Cold Calling Easy
Most sales professionals hate cold-calling.  So let's make it easier.  Here are eight steps that you can take -- this week -- to turn cold calling from a dreary hassle into an engine of sales success: Get a better list.  Tell your marketing...
Tags: Cold Calling, Mondays, Sales Strategy, Sales Tools, Sales Force Management, Sales, Geoffrey James
Blog posts 2008-09-22
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