How to Use Cold Calling to Form Business Partnerships that Work

Even the most passionate business owners shy away at the thought of making cold calls.  But mastering the technique can be beneficial, even when you don’t use the strategy as part of your direct marketing campaign.  Here are some ways to use cold calling you might not have thought of:

Market Research 

Most people equate cold calling with cold suppers from those bothersome telemarketers that interrupt supper every night, but in actuality, cold calling can be used in a very positive way to succeed in business by getting a lot of research done. 

You can get the answer to any number of questions that might come up simply by calling local businesses that would know the answer.  You may not always get a positive response as people everywhere are busy, but more often than not you do.  And you can always make more calls or do some additional research on your own to fill in the blanks. 

Strategic Alliances

Now more than ever a successful business person will focus on strategic partnerships to grow their business.  Most people limit their exposure to these possible alliances to those people they meet at meet up groups and other networking events, and possible referrals that come through those events.  

You may know of a particular business person that you would love to meet, but have not had the chance.  While stalking them out is an option, a more direct approach may be to give them a call on the phone.  You can begin with general market research questions, and if you sense a positive reaction move into brainstorming ways your company can help theirs (and vice versa). 

Those business people willing to try new techniques for forming strategic alliances and learning as much as possible about their industry will thrive, even in today’s economy.  An effective, low cost technique for achieving those goals is learning how to reach out through cold calling.  

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