Nobody likes the idea of cold calls.
Nobody except people on the other side of a call who know the thrill and adrenaline rush of making contact. That, along with enjoying the benefits of getting connected to people you want to meet and work with!
The best reason to consider cold calls is because 75 percent of jobs come through personal contact!
That means you ought to be putting two-thirds of your time into meeting people face-to-face and getting introductions through friends of friends and colleagues of peers. Play the who do you know game and who knows someone at the place where you want to work. Making sure you go to networking events.
Sometimes you don’t have a network. You’re new to the area. You are changing careers.
Sometimes you simply have to go to the source. Make the call to the person who is hiring for your ideal job. Talk to the person who is doing the job that you think you want. Ask for an introduction to the chief of staff. Ask for what you want.
Build your network directly.Show your commitment and your drive. Show some gumption. Go for it in no uncertain terms.
But don’t go in cold! Go in warm!
Here are things you can do to take the fight/flight and freeze energy out of a cold call:
Practice introducing yourself out loud, to strangers.Simply, slowly, elegantly, confidently. Whatever happens in the cold call, you can be sure that you will need to introduce yourself. You can warm up and get comfortable doing so!
Consider that you might actually LIKE the person you’re calling. What happens when you think about that possibility? Your nervous system relaxes when you consider there might be a friend or companionable person on the line.
Imagine that you’re about to talk to someone you really enjoy. Your congenial, alive energy might be infectious.
Start talking as if you were already in the middle of a conversation.A few beats in and you are engaging and interested, right?
Remember the call may well be the BEGINNING of the conversation and the relationship. A cold call is not a one-off! Take your time, pace yourself and think about where you hope the call will lead. Fundraisers cultivate donors over months and years. You don’t land a big job with the first call. You begin the courtship and plant seeds for a longer relationship. Your first job is to pique interest, be personable and be professional.
Take your time. Breathe. Smile, perhaps smiling at yourself in the mirror as you speak so that you can remember that you’re warm and friendly.
Oh yes, THE MOST IMPORTANT WARM UP IS TO PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING:That means being prepared to introduce yourself and to know the questions you want to ask (short, sweet and to the point). That also means being prepared to make contact and to be interviewed!
At best, cold calls warm up people to hiring you and referring you.They are a thrilling way to bust out of the internet trap that limits your job search. Cold calls are a statement that you want to make contact and connection, that you are ready to be on the other side of the hiring process.
Go for it! Make sure you warm up first!