The fear of cold calling is you may never talk to a person and if you do, a lot of times they tell you that they're not interested. Most times you can't create that relationship quick enough on the phone.
SMM: What are some tips you'd offer to get over that fear?
JH: The first thing I would do is know who is my perfect person, who's my target. What industry are they in because when you have common ground that will alleviate that fear. You know that you were talking to someone in the same language. I used to tell people to go into a restaurant and grab every single business card that's in the Fishbowl (after you ask the owner of course) and I’d tell them to practice on these prospects. It's real cold calling practice and until you find the actual sentence that gets you one step closer, what is the difference of whether you're going to blow off these people, you could always go back and revisit them after you figure out how you're going to talk to them. If you're smart, you will Google them before you start calling. You can find out some great things about them. For instance, if they just won an award, what are they known for, what's their mission statement and check their press page. When you get the person on the phone you have something you can talk about. All of a sudden, the person knows you did your homework. Cold calling can be nerve-racking; if you get prepared, it's not as bad.
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YOUR BUSINESS