The Art of Cold Calling

Do you remember your parents telling you not to talk to strangers? I was overly obedient to those instructions. Lately, I built an application that resonates with me and not so much to my immediate network. Now I have to talk to strangers.

Formal education trained me to become a world-class researcher. But I am a novice when it comes to reaching out. Every time I send a cold email, I tremble like I am sitting in an ice bath after a marathon. I am slowly learning every email campaign is a marathon, every contact is astride. The more I focus on amplifying the recipient's life. A short note to start a conversation is worth the sweat.

Now I am talking to strangers everyday. Every week hardworking employees losses their jobs. Everyday business post jobs for experts to help them with a project that is outside of their area of expertise. Every hour I do my best to close this gap.

I wake up every morning and send my first round of cold emails addressed to local business owners. My second round of emails goes out to people I find on twitter and crowdsourced job boards looking for their next job or project. My daily goal is to find that magical moment where I introduce a knowledge worker to a business owner that needs their services.

After a worker from my directory exceeds the business owner's expectations. A warm referral is worth a thousand cold emails. Now business owners and consultants are aware of my services, however, when they see my prices they have objections.

Why do I charge almost $500 for a local directory? As a founder and business owner myself, I care about quality. I only invite professionals with impressive CVs and let knowledge workers apply with there portfolio and I check all references before I approve of them.

Meeting great people has helped me grow my confidence and I don't look at cold calling as a chore. I have a new vision of myself. I am a steward of the local economy and help business owners save time by discovering quality workers.

The art of cold calling is abused when you treat it like a science. Mass emails don't reveal the objections that will help you refine your pitch. The art of cold calling learning is not to sell but to ask how you can serve.

Tell me a story about your best cold email.