Cold calling is one way you can try to find a job; it ain’t easy but if you pull it off it can have great results. Here are some tips to help you improve your cold calling skills.
Before the call
Do your research
A little bit of preparation will help you feel more confident and make cold calling easier. Make sure you know who you want to talk to, if you don’t know the name of the person you want to speak to at least have a clear idea of their role within the organisation. E.g. you can call up and say you want to speak to the person who organises work experience or ask who the human resources manager is.
If you’re calling about a specific job opportunity make sure you do some research before you pick up the phone. You’ll need to know a little bit about the company and the job itself because you might get asked some questions and you want to show how much you know and prove that you’re the right person for the job.
Use your networks
It’s even better if you use your networks to find contacts you can call. Your call is likely to be well received if you can say that you’re friends with one of the employer’s friends or relatives. It’s a great way to start a conversation and gives you some connection to the organisation, which means the employer will feel more inclined to help you out.
Be clear on what you want to say, make some notes for yourself if you think it will help. There’s nothing worse then getting tongue-tied or forgetting what you want to say. Remember that you might be transferred to different people in the same organisation and have to introduce yourself and explain the reason for your call more than once.
On the phone
Find somewhere quiet to make your call, away from any interruptions or distractions. And once you’re on the phone don’t put the person on hold to answer another call - you’ve worked so hard to get to speak to them, don’t waste this chance.
If you can’t find out what you want to know, at least ask for contact details of someone who may be able to help you with your request. You’ve got to be persistent. If the person you want to speak to isn’t there, leave a message or ask when would be the best time to call back. If the organisation won’t give out direct phone lines, get an email address.
Have a pen and paper handy so you can make notes. It’s helpful to write down things like the names of the people you speak to, their contact details and the address you might need to send your résumé to, for example.
After the call
Now you’ve made the call, you’re almost done. If you said you’d do anything, like send an email with your contact details or résumé you better get onto it soon, or at least make yourself a note so you don’t forget to do it!
If the person you spoke to said they’d call you back but you don’t hear from them after a week or so, give them another try. Just call back and say you’re following up on a conversation you had and name the day you spoke to them and what you talked about. Chances are they’re busy and forgot to get back to you and they’ll probably be impressed by your interest and enthusiasm if you politely follow up on the call.
