Business Development Playbook

HOW DO YOU COLD CALL?

• Best approach is to make contact at an event to make initial introduction and request a followup meeting, ideally in person. Worst case, you pick up the phone or email and try to set up initial meeting. Have attitude of “just ask or in this case call/email, etc. as the worst they can so is no or don’t respond and you are no worse off”. Keep trying to find your way in, other people may know them and assist, or know a different contact in that client organization and leverage that to set up first meeting or call. Don’t give up and have to try at least a few times to connect. Initial no response should not require you to move on, just try different tactic or approach. • Buck up and be ready for rejection. make the call, email, visit - follow up multiple times. Don’t assume that people read e-mails - always follow up with a phone call or visit. Cold calling is not for the faint of heart :) • Perform some research and try and find a common interest and person and then run with the call.

• Try to get a mutual touch point (via common contact)- use that relationship via a joint email to both parties introducing yourself/BL. Give them 5 days, if they don’t respond- call them. If they don’t answer, follow up voicemail with email. Wait 5 days, repeat. Drop mutual contact off chain. Wait 10 days, repeat. Continue until the respond or you get too upset to continue. :) • I will typically cold call only if I can’t find someone that can make an introduction. Most important is to find out in advance as much as I can about the client, their company, their goals, values, and needs. Clients are not interested in helping you “fish” for opportunities; they want to know that you understand them and that you believe you can help them.

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Business Development Playbook