November/December 2007

On My Mind

Call and Call Again

Don't get frozen out after one dead-end cold call.

By Kim Chapman

When I first started my distributorship, I was completely self-taught and flying by the seat of my pants. There were two things that were key to my early success: I knew how to be persistent and I kept an ongoing log of companies I thought I’d call for potential business.

"Don’t abandon a potential account if you don’t reach a decision maker on your first call."

For me, wineries seemed like a perfect potential client group to approach, as there were several located not far from where I lived. There was one particular person at one of the wineries who I called at least twice a week; I usually left a message with the receptionist with my name, phone number and the reason for my call. Every time I called, I noted on my log the date and time I called her, and then I moved on down the list.

After weeks of leaving messages, this brand manager at the internationally-known winery finally called me back. She must have presumed I had something earth shattering to present to her because of all my phone calls. She agreed to meet with me and, as luck would have it, gave me some projects to work on that included wearables and other ad specialty items for the winery’s marketing department.

That was about 15 years ago, and to this day I continue to work for this client – and have worked with her as she’s moved from one winery to another. I didn’t have any particular product in mind to discuss with her that day I went to meet with her. I simply wanted to introduce myself and tell her what services I could provide in the hopes of winning some business down the road.

Here are five tips for getting started on the usually dreaded cold call.

1. Identify your target market(s). I’d recommend that you consider looking for a niche market, for example, resorts, software companies, theater groups or ranches. That way, you can have some basic talking points for your cold-call pitch down pat; you can tailor the rest of the call to the particular person you’re talking with.

2. Know who to call. After you make a list of potential accounts, think about what departments in that account you might target, for example, marketing, human resources or the company store.

3. Keep calling. Don’t abandon a potential account if you don’t reach a decision maker on your first call. Call several times and try to connect to different departments on your target list.

4. Keep a log. It’s important to keep a record of every call you make, including when you called and who you spoke with. Continue to call until you connect with the appropriate decision maker.

5. Keep making in-roads. Once you finally speak with your contact and make her a client, ask if there are any other people in the company who order wearables or promotional products who could use your services. Also, ask if the company has affiliates or business partners that might benefit from your services. And, if your contact doesn’t become a client, still ask her who else you can contact in her organization.

"I kept an ongoing list of businesses I thought I'd call for potential business."

Also, on occasion I’d bring sweets to accounts I was meeting with – for example, chocolate truffles individually polybagged with a colorful ribbon or small wine bottle-shaped chocolates for my winery accounts. I’ve even shown up with a flat of strawberries straight from the strawberry field on the way to an account. Today though, I’m more careful with bringing edibles to clients because of food allergies and weight sensitivities, but flowers always work with female buyers. A great pen or sturdy mug appeals to both male and female buyers.

Finally, build a relationship with receptionists. They’re the gatekeepers who can let you know what time of day or what day is best to make contact with your potential clients in the company. And, they can also provide potential new contacts within the company.