We’ll probably never agree on a definition of cold calling, but there are some things in your comment that I’d like to address.

“You can change the definition of ‘cold’ if you want to (from calling someone you don’t know to calling someone you know lots about) but the business process is the same. You build a list, pick a name and make a call(s) to someone who doesn’t know you.”

No, Bob, you build a list, pick a name and make a call, I’ll do some serious research and in the process get a referral to–and very often a direct introduction by the employees–to the decision maker. I’ll talk to decision maker about a real, known, important problem they have rather than wasting their time fishing for a reason to get an appointment with them.

You cold call, you fight the gatekeeper, you waste the decision maker’s time, you get hung up on, you use a prospecting method that telegraphs that you’re not an expert, that you’re desperate for business; I’ll use a process that eliminates the issue of getting to the decision maker, that immediately gets decision makers interested in what I have to discuss with them, that demonstrates that I know what I’m talking about, and that they appreciate because it doesn’t waste their time, it isn’t like every other call from a salesperson out there.

You want to call that cold calling? Fine, go ahead. All I can say is that I and the sellers I teach the process to find out the results are a far cry from cold calling. If sellers want to get to decision makers who are increasingly refusing to take cold calls, they better learn how to connect with decision makers in ways the decision maker will respect and accept rather than trying to continue beating the phone, hoping that doing more of what isn’t working will finally work.

Use the phone? Yep, we all have to. Continue beating our heads against the wall? Nope, don’t have to.

You can change the definition of ‘cold’ if you want to (from calling someone you don’t know to calling someone you know lots about) but the business process is the same. You build a list, pick a name and make a call(s) to someone who doesn’t know you.

You happen to believe that knowing a lot about the target makes the call NOT a cold call. I would disagree – but, I would agree that those ‘educated’ voicemails you leave and the ‘educated’ following emails (I assume that if you spoke to someone you also asked for the boss’ email address) greatly improve call backs.

I also think you are spot-on about not using trickery to get through. You also seem to promote (as we do) that prosepcting is a long term process – not everyone is in the marketplace today. A NO should not be a reason to throw the name away and go find another one.

We believe that there are two sources of Warm Leads (referrals/networking and marketing leads) and if they aren’t enough to set the appointments needed to make quota – then, guess what, you have to cold call.

We have an enabling tool to help remove the pain and increase productivity. And, we work with trainers to incorporate it into their curriculum as a component for managers, so managers have the metrics needed to create a sustainable calling program.