Is Cold Calling Effective for Larger Businesses

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July 25, 2022

by a searcher from Duke University in Tulsa, OK, USA

My question is if cold calling is still effective for larger businesses?

I have a target list of businesses that I am sending personalized letters to. Most are more mature businesses with###-###-#### employees. After a couple of days I follow up with a call. This is typically answered by an admin who sends it to the owner's voicemail and I never hear back. If the admin asks what my call is about I say it is regarding confidential mail correspondence we have exchanged.

I am not sure what I could do differently to improve the outcome but would welcome any feedback. I know not every business owner wants to sell but I would expect better results than I am getting. What are the best practices and how can I fine tune my approach?

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commentor profile
Reply by a professional
from University of Dayton in Columbus, OH, USA
Your approach seems like a good starting point compared to todays norm (LinkedIn request etc). You are getting your name in front of them and in their VM.

Cold calling can be a multiple stage process. As you say not everyone is ready to sell yet. Most owners have a emotional connection to the business they’ve built and in order to connect with them requires forming a relationship. Go meet them where they are. Send a letter, follow up call, go find them where they are (trade show, charity board, golf course, trade group, etc.) and keep following up.
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Reply by a searcher
in Winston-Salem, NC, USA
I've spent a ton of time with targeted cold calling and it is certainly a challenge but also a lot of fun. 1/2 the battle is figuring out who the right person is and then getting their contact info. But the other 1/2 is building enough rapport and credibility so that they are interested in discusing further. Biggest key that I've found is to not overthink, reach out often, treat them like people, be straigthforward, and put some time/intentionality behind emails/phone messages, etc.
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