Following up on a Cold Call? Use these Tips

In a perfect world, every cold call would lead to a sale. Of course, if you have ever used this marketing strategy you know that the world is anything but perfect. For this reason, you are going to run into a few obstacles along the way.

Commonly, you will have one conversation with a prospect and then be asked to call back at some point in the future. Sometimes the person will tell you when to call, such as next Friday at 2pm. Other times, you will be asked to reconnect in a “couple of weeks” or some other unspecified timeline.

Regardless of when you follow-up, you can use these three tips to your advantage:

1. If you reach a receptionist first, tell him or her that the person is expecting your call. This is not a lie and will often times get you through without delay.

2. Give a brief recap on any past conversations. While the prospect may be fresh in your mind the feeling may not be mutual. Don’t be surprised if the person barely remembers your prior conversation(s). By giving a quick recap, you can bring the prospect up to speed and move forward from there.

3. If you don’t feel like you are making any ground on the phone, suggest connecting via another method. For example, you could ask the following:

  • Would it be easier for you to communicate via email?
  • Do you have any time next week to meet in person for a few minutes?

You may find that getting off the phone and communicating in another way is the best move you can make.

Hopefully you find that each call you make is getting you closer to the goal of landing a new gig. With the tips above, you can definitely help your situation.

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Chris is a full-time freelance writer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He specializes in web content, sales copy, and many other forms of writing. Chris has two books in print, as well as hundreds of articles in local and nationwide publications.

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1 thought on “Following up on a Cold Call? Use these Tips”

  1. I second tip number three. When I’m trying to reach someone that is hard to catch, I usually call and leave a message (if they’re not free), then follow up with an email including all of the details of what I was going to say. In the email, I make sure to provide all contact methods and my availability to make it easy on them. Another method that a lot of prospects seem to like is Skype – not necessarily any less dedicated than the phone, but I get more people locked down this way (plus I can see when they are available).

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