Are there different kinds of cold calling?

Is cold calling an entire class of prospects, like all farmers, called something different than cold calling only pig farmers in San Antonio, Texas who own airplanes?

Originally Posted by realtor Is cold calling an entire class of prospects, like all farmers, called something different than cold calling only pig farmers in San Antonio, Texas who own airplanes?

I would term both of those scenarios as "cold calling," but in your second example your target is much better defined than in the first.

To me, the term "warm calling" doesn't apply in either of those scenarios.

Other experts may have differing opinions.

Skip

Originally Posted by Skip Anderson I would term both of those scenarios as "cold calling," but in your second example your target is much better defined than in the first.

That leaves a lot of room for interpretation or misinterpretation when sales people talk about cold calling don't you think?

The call into the "unknown" is what cold calling is all about. If you've whittled the call list down to verticals (industry, professional, etc.), geography (data units, postal/zip codes, etc.), then, an element of the unknown is diminished.

Until some initial information is uncovered, however, the call is still "cold". This is why many firms use specialists to make that foray into the cold, vast unknown. My personal experience in this has not been positive but there ARE firms which are quite good at making those calls.

It makes sense to follow a mail/email campaign with calls so that you don't come across as completely unknown. But, here again, the hit-rate on these mail campaigns is less than 3%!

My wife is in real estate but, at this stage, most of her business comes from referrals. In any event, she still makes cold calls but I'm not intimate with how she targets the campaign.

That's the depth of my experience ...

Good luck & Good selling!
Pat

Cold = unknown >>> If you have whittled down the list it's still cold because you haven't uncovered what initial information?

Originally Posted by OUTSource Sales The call into the "unknown" is what cold calling is all about. If you've whittled the call list down to verticals (industry, professional, etc.), geography (data units, postal/zip codes, etc.), then, an element of the unknown is diminished. Until some initial information is uncovered, however, the call is still "cold". This is why many firms use specialists to make that foray into the cold, vast unknown. My personal experience in this has not been positive but there ARE firms which are quite good at making those calls. It makes sense to follow a mail/email campaign with calls so that you don't come across as completely unknown. But, here again, the hit-rate on these mail campaigns is less than 3%!

Less than 3% isn't looking good. What would get a better response?

Originally Posted by realtor Is cold calling an entire class of prospects, like all farmers, called something different than cold calling only pig farmers in San Antonio, Texas who own airplanes?

Cold calling means that you are contacting someone who never heard of you before, either he is farmer or CEO of IBM.

Now, if you learn about cold calling and usual mistakes, there is a way to have a meaningful conversation on your first call.

Good luck!