How to Compile a Cold Call List

Cold calling is a numbers game. In other words, if you make enough calls you are eventually going to find somebody who is interested. This leads to one very common issue: compiling a cold call list that is big enough to keep you busy, day after day.

Here are three tips that I have successfully employed:

1. Local phone book. Although phone books are pretty much a thing of the past, if you are looking to make a list of companies to cold call this is a great resource. By the time you get to the end (which will never happen) you will be able to start right back over at the beginning.

2. Online chamber of commerce directories. Many chambers have online directories of members. Several organizations in my area have 1,000+ member directories that are complete with the business name, address, website address, and phone number. Not only is this a great place to build your list, but since they belong to the chamber you know they have some level of interest in local business.

3. Google search. This may be the most time consuming of the three, but it can turn up great results. If you are targeting attorneys in Houston, for example, you will want to search for “Houston attorneys” or a long tail variation of this phrase. Soon enough you will have more results than you know what to do with.

With these three tips, you can compile a cold call list of tens of thousands of prospects. That should keep you busy for awhile!

Profile image for Chris Bibey
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.

Get More Content Like This in Your Inbox

Did you enjoy this post? If so, please subscribe to the All Freelance Writing newsletter where you'll be notified of new blog articles and receive subscribers-only content.

Subscribe now.


2 thoughts on “How to Compile a Cold Call List”

  1. I successfully use your third tip. However i have found that phone calls can be met with disdain. Not that emails have a similar effect at times but i have had better responses from emails.

    Reply

Leave a Comment