Cold calling might work for some, but the founding director of Sydney recruitment firm Carrera Partners, Michael Floyd, doesn’t think it’s a great approach.
He reduces the sting of a cold call by first researching a sector and tapping into his networks to get as much information on a potential target as he can.
“I then usually develop an approach angle, which might be something topical, newsworthy or relevant somehow,” he says.
“Then, I’ll send that via email. I might do this two or three times, explaining we haven’t met but that I thought this might be of interest.”
“Sometimes I’ll get a response, which means I know they’re more receptive to a phone call, meaning it’s no longer a cold call.”
David Cairns is the managing director of Melbourne branding and communications firm Elmwood, where he is charged with the task of prospecting for all new business. Connection, relevance and persistence are key skills when prospecting, he says. Cairns starts prospecting by researching a new target market, listing specific clients he wants to go after.
“It’s about understanding the business issues they’re facing. You want to have a point of view on something but you don’t want to go in there trying to be smarter than the client you’re prospecting,” Cairns says.
LinkedIn and Twitter are great online tools to understand who the main influencers are in a category, he says.
“You need to be in the space your prospective clients are in. If that’s Twitter, you need to get involved and show them a bit about you via your Tweets. But it’s not about stalking. The digital space is a great place to link up, though,” Cairns says.
He will use a variety of contact methods to communicate with a potential new client, whether it’s an email forwarding a news story he thinks might interest them, a comment on LinkedIn or Twitter or a phone call.
Making it personal can also work. He recalls working with a woman who kept a birthday book of all her clients, which she says was her secret weapon.
Floyd says prospecting a particular client can go on forever, with contractual agreements potentially preventing them from working with you for a period.
“Make sure you understand whether or not the person in the business you’re talking with is a key part of the decision-making process and continue that communication.”
“I continued prospecting a business for two years. They eventually became one of our biggest clients, so it was well worth it,” Floyd says.
But knowing when to stop hassling a prospect is paramount, Cairns says.
He recalls sending a follow-up email to a potential client against his better judgement, receiving a short reply saying they will be in touch if need be.
“I knew in my heart I shouldn’t send it, but was really keen to win the work so went ahead anyway,” he admits. “It was one step too far.”
