Cold Calling will never die!

I recently read an excerpt from an article regarding cold calling and just could not resist. In most cases, I weigh in on topics through LinkedIn because there is such a wealth of information and opinions and I would encourage anyone interested in networking at a high level to get involved. Here is the article excerpt and my response:

The Case Against Cold Calling (Excerpted from the January 31st, 2008 edition of Softletter) Cold calling is both a technique and a skill that's been deployed and taught for several generations. But in my opinion, it's time to put this hoary old chestnut on the brazier and roast it. Cold calling's time is over (and I'm a person who's taught it, used it, and advocated it for over 20 years). Here's why it's time to stop ringing and dinging for dollars: The mathematics are increasingly turning against cold calling. Traditionally, if you made a 100 cold calls you could count on five to ten of them eventually turning into meaningful leads (not sales, leads). Now, you're lucky if two of those calls lead anywhere. Cold calling, particularly in high technology and software, is an immediate reputation killer. Sales personnel at firms I've worked with tell me that some people they've been lucky enough to reach at software firms are often greeted with incredulity that a high tech firm would actually resort to cold calling in age of social networking, forums, communities, E-pubs and many other options. There's been a lot of talk about "iS cold calling 2.0": cold calling 2.0 is a joke. Cold calling is cold calling and it doesn't matter what fancy title you attach to it. There is one form of telesales that is still somewhat effective, but, in my opinion, it's not cold calling. If you can determine that a company is using a service you offer via an examination of their website and use posted phone numbers to call and offer your product as an alternative, I don't think that's technically cold calling. Of course, you're late to the purchasing party and your chances of persuading the customer to buy your solution are low, but it's your call how you spend your time.

Here is the truth: cold calling does not work, networking does not work, SEO does not work, none of it works.... People work. Action, attitude, expectation and belief work. In reality, anything will work if you pursue it with the right attitude, enthusiasm, expectation, belief and competency. It is all about the individual who is managing the process and making the process work.

I am a firm believer that cold calling is a highly successful method of reaching out to a prospect (hot, warm or cold) because it is a personal method of interaction. It is challenging because you have to involve yourself personally and that takes putting your ego, emotions, mentality, everything on the line. When someone says, "No", it is personal regardless of how you spin it and people with a low self image cannot take that. So we research and develop ways of connecting with one another without actually "connecting" with one another. We profile, market research, case study, and the whole bit to avoid putting our ego and emotions on the line- all in the name of automation and technological advancement. Writing used to be personal but email spamming bastardized that so what's left- the phone call. People will avoid it, say it does not work, preach against it, try to scare you out of it (do not call) and everything in between but I believe in myself. More importantly, I believe in you... and the fact that you are a person like me who sooner or later wants to TALK. So I am making the call.