I love cold calls. I love going in blind, seeing if there’s a live pulse on the other end, and seeing if there’s a way to move forward on your agenda.

Odds are, if you call my office, and I pick up, I will listen to whatever you have to sell for at least 5 minutes.

A good salesman will create the most engaging conversation you will have all day, I guarantee it.

Now, I understand that a lot of people don’t like being “sold.” To those people I say “it’s not selling if there’s no need for the services or goods.”

One of my best, most reliable vendor generates six-figures in sales annually. He came from a cold call. I guess he got me on the right day. The truth, though, is that there was no “right day.” What got me intrigued was more about him than his services. He was honest and forthright, and he made himself available several times. I canceled on a few meetings; he was flexible. I was rude and too busy – he was cool and accommodating. No, I wasn’t intentionally rude, but it’s hard to be civil 100% of the time and not de-prioritize a sales meeting vs your day-to-day meeting.

Oftentimes my company gets business through word of mouth or referrals. In that world, you’re eating whatever comes through the door – whether it’s dog food or steak. In cold calling, you have the opportunity, however slight, to seize control of your destiny. And that’s true for your business as well as your new clients.