Last week I talked about refining your territory by asking those that are not ‘in the market’ when you call for an appointment, if you can call back again in the future to see if anything has changed. This week we’ll explore how that works to your advantage.

Rest assured that when you first call someone their initial reaction is guarded at best. You are a stranger, you are interrupting them and you’re trying to sell them something they don’t think they need at the moment. However, an interesting thing happens over time if you ask for permission to call back and then do.

If you call this person again as promised, you will begin to develop what a friend of mine, Bill Wallace, calls the ‘dialogue bond’. It may not be on the second call, and maybe not even on the third, but sooner or later, they’ll remember you and the tone in their voice will be much more warm and welcoming. That will provide you the opportunity to get into a conversation where you can share how you’ve helped others in their position. And more importantly, they’ll listen because they ‘know’ you.

The moral of the story? Prospecting and cold calling has a cumulative effect. Ask for permission to call back and then do it. You’ll find that your cold calls are more enjoyable to you as well.