How to Save Time if you Decide to Cold Call Prospects

There are many reasons why freelance writers often times overlook cold calling as a viable marketing method. While some people are frightened at the thought of picking up the phone and making these calls, others shy away because they don’t feel as if they have enough time in their schedule.

Let’s take a closer look at three of the best ways to save time as you cold call a large batch of prospects:

1. Make a list before you ever make a call. I start out with 25 to 50 company names and phone numbers. No matter if you write the information on a piece of paper or use a Word document (or spreadsheet), this is necessary to stay organized. Additionally, it will allow you to move from one call to the next with speed and efficiency.

2. Don’t waste too much time on one single call. Why jump from one voice prompt to the next, wasting valuable marketing time? If you cannot get somebody on the phone, chalk it up as a loss and move on. There are plenty of other prospects out there.

Note: this does not mean you should be “short” when you finally get a decision-maker on the line. At this point, you should take as much time as you can get to explain your services.

3. Know your pitch inside and out. Yes, this is going to save you time but it will also allow you to avoid stumbling on your words as the conversation progresses. Remember, there is nothing wrong with having a “cheat sheet” displaying your main talking points. This will keep your conversation on the right track.

The more efficient you are with your time the more cold calls you are able to make. Subsequently, your chance of landing a new gig is much greater.

Profile image for Chris Bibey
Chris is a full-time freelance writer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He specializes in web content, sales copy, and many other forms of writing. Chris has two books in print, as well as hundreds of articles in local and nationwide publications.

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1 thought on “How to Save Time if you Decide to Cold Call Prospects”

  1. One of the telemarketing tricks I learned while headhunting was to press 0 or just pick any extension… then I say, ‘Hi, are you the person in charge of freelance writing there?’ Usually they aren’t, but I can then often get to the right person.

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