Cold Calling

1. Cold Calling Tip: Be A Happy Camper: be extremely pleasant on the phone. A sense of humor is good. Be smiling on the other end of the phone. Be cheerful.

2. Cold Calling Cold calling is different from networking. In cold calling, you contact people you don’t know and ask them for a job. A position may or may not exist, but you call on them to find out if there is a possible match between their future needs and your skills. If you have no contacts, you can cold call. Cold-call before the resume. The purpose of the cold call is to make a connection. Only send an unsolicited cover letter/resume as a last resort. Try to show your sense of humor if you can. Get them to lighten up and like you.

3. Cold Calling There are three ways to do this: by telephone, mail and personal contact. Obviously the quantity of people you contact is greatest with mail and least with personal visits. But the quality of contact is just the reverse.

4. Cold Calling Telephone cold calling: if you have little time available, or are performing your search in a restricted specialty, you could call the person directly. You should also make this call before sending a letter to any company to make sure you have the right person and the correct spelling of his/her name

5. Cold Calling Direct-mail cold calling (email too): cold calling by mail entails sending a letter to the department head for your particular specialty. Your letter should describe the one or two major benefits that you can offer that company and request for a personal meeting to discuss possibilities.

6. Cold Calling Personal cold calling: this approach increases the quality of the call but reduces the quantity of contacts you can make. However, if you have a highly qualified list of prospects, you should call each personally. Don’t ask to see the decision maker the first time. Ask the receptionist for the name of the appropriate person to contact (and the proper spelling and pronunciation). Also ask for information on the company, such as product literature, the company newsletter or annual report. You may even be able to make an appointment for a later meeting.

7. Identify the Key Contacts You want to get in touch with the person who can actually hire you. It depends on what position you are looking for. If you are an accountant, then you’d want to get in contact with Accounting Manager Get the hiring person's name: Ask, "Could you tell me who the head of publicity is, please?" Call the Hiring Person's Office: Ask them to transfer you to that boss when you call (after you have asked the name). If the bosses' assistant answers the phone, ask to speak to the hiring person. Say, "Hi, is Ms. Boss there?". Then tell them you're interested in working in ______ at Company X and you'd love to talk or meet with Ms. Boss. They will probably say they're not hiring at which point you ask if you can send your resume.

8. The Call Opening Statement: who you are, why you’re calling Salutation: greet the person (do not ask how they are) Identification: Introduce yourself (slowly). State first name and state qualifications. Purpose: Explain the reason for your call Verification: is this a good time for them

9. The Call The Body: includes all the material you wish to cover during your conversation. You are the PRODUCT. In every sales strategy, there is a feature and benefit of the product. Feature is a characteristic of the product. What are your attributes/accomplishments that you can present in a clear and concise manner? Benefit is the advantage that an employer would gain because of the feature. Use open-ended questions to qualify, collect or identify needs. Use close-ended questions to find out specifics or verify information or suggestions.

10. The Call The Closing: will vary depending on the type of call Maintain a positive tone regardless of the outcome. Ideally, you have accomplished one or more of your goals. Thank the person for their assistance and that you have enjoyed speaking with them

11. The Call Establishing Rapport Use the person’s name during the call. Be correct in your pronunciation. If you are not sure then ask if you are pronouncing it correctly. Use sincere compliments at the beginning and end of the conversation. Do not use language or jargon that the person might not understand. Listen to verbal clues that will guide you in the conversation. Use positive wording to convey features/benefits to respond to questions/objections. Seek to understand – clarify if necessary “massage” the relationship Ask “is there anybody I can forward my resume to?”

12. Script – Cold Calling Companies Good Morning, my name is _______. I would like to speak with you in regards to my skills and qualifications. May I take a few moments of your time? I have a or I am a _________ (could refer to educational background) with over _______ experience in a ________ environment. Note: if necessary, please add an additional point, a WOW Factor.

13. Script – Cold Calling Companies Would you need someone with my skills? Pause and wait for a response if NO...then say I am also interested in contract opportunities. Can I forward my resume for future job prospects? Can I get the correct spelling of your first and last name? May I have your email address please? Thank you for your time.

14. Script – After Resume Sent Follow up call after Resume has Been Sent Good Morning, my name is _______. I’d like to follow up professionally with any correspondence I send through. So I was wondering, did you receive my resume and do you have any questions? Note: the conversation at this point will be directed by the employer. Respond appropriately and give it your best.

15. The Cold Cover Letter After you have their contact information, you can send a cover letter WITH the resume: Dear Ms. Boss: “I was speaking with your assistant, Bob, on the telephone today, and he said that even though you’re not currently hiring, I could send in my resume.” The fact that you mention Bob’s name in the first sentence gives your letter a big advantage over the hundreds of resumes that come in unsolicited. Your letter in now more familiar, and it’s as if they’re expecting it.

16. The Follow up Call Circumventing"Bob":After a couple weeks, call when Bob isn't there like at 7:30 or 8 pm. Now you can say, "I spoke with Bob two weeks ago and sent it right away. I'm sure you must have received it by now.

17. The Follow up Call (if you got through) Nail it Home!: This is your moment. You have to know exactly what you're going to say. If you don't fumble but are friendly, articulate, and humble, there is a very good chance you'll end this conversation with an interview. Try something like this: Listen, I know you're really busy, and Bob told me that you're not hiring right now, but there is no company I'd rather work for than Company X. And since I don't know anybody there, I would be so grateful if I could meet with you so that when something does become available, you'll know who I am.

18. If Fail, send another letter Ms. Boss Says, "No, I won't meet with you": Don't give up. Getting a job at the company you want to work for is often a several-month process of slowly banging down someone's door and prying open their heart. If they won't meet with you, try a letter like this:

19. Sending Another Letter Dear Ms. Boss, It was a pleasure speaking with you the other day, even if it was for a quick second. As I told you on the phone, Company X is where I want to work more than anywhere else. I am an extremely hard worker and am not above doing anything. As I don’t know anybody at the company, and since you head the department in which I want to work for, I would love to meet with you, if just for five minutes. I don’t want to bother you too much, but I do want you to know that there is someone out there dying for a break, ready to work their butt off for you. Sincerely, Charlie Drozdyk (212) 555-5555

20. What to do next? Wait 2 weeks. If no response still, call again when assistant is gone preferrably and ask if they received your letter. If they say no, say "Well it was just a quick note basically begging to meet with you and saying how I'd do anything to work there". If they say yes, say "I don't want to drive you crazy. I just don't know what other course to take. I really, really want to work at Company X."

21. What to do next? If this doesn't get you anywhere, it may be time to give up on this person for a while. But not altogether. Every month send Ms. Boss a note telling her what you're up to and add that you're still very much interested in meeting with her to discuss how to get your foot in the door at Company X and that you haven't given up hope. Should a job become available in her department, there's a very good chance she'll call you. Why? You've shown great interest in their company (employer's love that, and you've shown determination and perseverance in the face of rejection - qualities any employer would love.

22. Unable to get through Dealing with the Assistant ("Bob"): assuming you are unable to circumvent him and you have to deal with him and can't talk to the boss. Get Bob to sympathize with you and your cause. You need to be very nice and humble. You have to make him like you so he'll help you out. If you're any good at schmoozing at all, you should expect Bob to help you in at least one, if not all, of these ways. • Set up an interview between you and his boss • Give you information about a job that might be opening somewhere else in the company • Give you a lead about a job at another company.

23. Unable to get through • "Sorry, We're Just Not Interviewing": don't push it. Be gracious and understanding and he might help you. Ask him: • Are there any other people at Company X who might be hiring? • Has he heard of any other companies that might be hiring? • What's the best way to get your foot in the door at Company X?

24. Unable to get through "Can I Check in with You Every Few Weeks?": say, "Listen, would it be alright if I checked in with you in a few weeks to see if anything has become available?" This might catch them off guard and they won't know what to say. Few people have the balls to say, "No, don't call me". Why Am I Going On and On about Schmoozing an Assistant?": cause when they need somebody to fill a position, you will be the first person who comes to mind.

25. Tips If you are really pleasant on the phone, they will want to talk to you. And they might spill all the inside information for you. Maybe call again to see if you get a different receptionist (if the first one isn't nice or in the mood). Lower your status: say, "I know you're incredibly busy, but I just graduated from college and I was just wondering if you could..." Just in a language that lowers your status.