To Call or not to Call...

I'm a freelance photographer and so by association I'm also a designer, business owner, tweeter, data collector, account manager, artist and last but certainly the most important, marketing consultant.  The sheer amount of 'how-to' marketing information is daunting to approach.  Careers are built around this single subject, which can be broken into countless subcategories; market research, data collection, pull and push systems, long term strategies, market share, guerrilla tactics, logos, vision statements, 5 year plans, email promo cards and the most hated of them all, cold calling.  Do a cursory Google search on cold calling and you'll get the full spectrum of it being a waste of time to it being a foundation of marketing systems.  The old adage being it's better for them to come to you then vice versa, which is true.  If that happens they've already made that most advantageous connection of you having the necessary skill set to solve their problem.  But this only happens if they hear about you, and this is an example of what repeat clients are all about.  To get that client in the first place, the first connection, either they need to hear about you passively (through colleagues, work with competitors, articles, blogs, twitter, etc) or directly (which comes down to either email or a phone call).  The first connection is always awkward and uncomfortable, but once that's over with, even if nothing comes from that initial contact, you are no longer a stranger.  Here are my simple tips to make cold calling more fun, that's right I said fun and why shouldn't it be.  Why should any marketing be a bane, a nuisance, especially the uncomfortable parts of it.



-Be yourself, let your personality come through, connect with them as a human, not as a customer.
-If it helps to have a script, have one, but practice it so it doesn't sound like you're reading.
-Understand your potential clients, where their coming from, their needs not yours.
-Ask more than tell.  Listen.
-Keep the 'tell' short and simple; who you are and why you're calling.
-Get to know their particular problem(s) and figure out how to solve them.
-Smile while talking, it comes through in your voice.
-You're not going to make a sale with a cold call, that's not the point.  The main point is making a connection, an introduction, and if all goes well a face-to-face meeting.
-I like to stand when I'm on the phone, it keeps energy up and allows me to get my whole body into it.
-You are a distraction for their day, accept it and move on with your conversation.

This is a first step in the relationship building process, which is how it should be viewed.  A strong relationship with a client will have them coming back for more and referring you to peers and colleagues.

Cheers all!