Making A Cold Call

1. Making A Cold Call

2. Plan Ahead Most people are uncomfortable making a phone call to someone they do not know. In order to be as effective as possible and to make things go smoothly, it is important to plan ahead. Here are some things to plan for.

3. Before the Call: • make sure you are clear about your reason for calling – write it down if it helps • write down important information you may need to give (times, dates, phone numbers, address, e-mail) • write down any questions you want to ask so you don’t forget – it might be helpful to leave space to write down answers you get • have a pen and paper handy Next

4. Making the Call: • do not have anything in your mouth (food, gum, etc.) • call from a quiet place • DO NOT put them on hold to accept outside calls • speak clearly and with confidence Next

5. Making the Call (continued) : • introduce yourself and your reason for calling • ask politely for the person you want to speak to • record important information you get even if it is not an answer to one of your original questions • if you expect them to call you back or you plan on making a visit, make definite arrangements, if possible, and make sure you and/or they have all necessary information Next

6. Making the Call (continued) : • don’t rush – take the time to look at your information to ensure you have everything you need • you may want to ask them if they can think of anything else that might be of help to you that you missed • politely thank them for taking the time to talk to you Next

7. After the Call: • review the information you wrote down and add any extra details you think of but didn’t have time to write • make sure you write the date and time of the phone call on you note paper for future reference Next

8. You’ve made your first cold call and now have a very valuable skill. Return to Start