Warming Up to the Cold Call

Now that you established that an affiliation with your prospect exists, a successful effort requires a bit of research before you pick up the phone. But — and this is practically unheard of in our business — I'm going to emphasize the words "a bit of research." Don't get too bogged down in prospect research at this point. You needn't discover everything there is to know about a prospect before you place a cold call. A few factoids might be helpful — a profession, an address and other tidbits that might give you a general idea of your prospect — but resist the urge to complete a comprehensive report before making the call. Research often becomes an excuse for not picking up the phone.