Many sales people hate cold calls, but unfortunately, we all have to make them.

If a salesperson sees cold calling as the only way to get business, most salespeople will eventually get out of the business.

Cold calling is a killer. Think about it. You are calling on people who don’t want to see or talk to you. And if they do talk to you, they want the information first and fast. They might not even be nice about it. 

I’m not saying you should stop making cold calls, but develop a prospecting system that gives you at least 10 different ways to obtain business besides cold calling.

Here are a couple of my favorite prospecting activities to supplement cold calling:

• Referrals - Describe what your ideal prospect looks like to everyone in your network, make it a habit to ask for referrals, and, just as importantly, make it a habit to give referrals to others.

• Presentations - This is one of the best ways to reach a large number of prospective clients and build your credibility as a solution to their problems. Just make sure you valuable information that’s valuable to the audience and don’t “sell from the platform.”

• Networking - Make it a habit to attend events that are likely to put you in contact with prospective clients or referral sources. Assume a host role and focus on helping others connect, and you’ll naturally make plenty of new contacts.

• Client reviews - Your best prospects are your existing clients. They already know you will perform to their expectations, and you’ve developed trust with them. Plan time to periodically review their situation with them, and work together to identify additional opportunities to serve them.

Take away the pressure of cold calling by adding more elements to your prospecting mix.

Joe Marr is a public speaker, sales and management consultant and trainer, and runs Sandler Training - Ann Arbor. Contact him at (734) 821-4830 or visit his website.