The Cold Call

OK. So we know there are opportunities for employment out there that nobody knows about – yet. And you need to be willing to do something different, and for most of us, something that is uncomfortable initially, to find them. I assure you, there have been many days when I have had a list of those companies to “cold call” on my desk next to my computer when I chose, with thousands of others, to reach for the keyboard and send off resumes with passionate cover letters, to those positions posted on the endless stream of jobsites.

Of course this was the easier choice and it still gave me some sense of accomplishment. I suppose I’m an optimist of sorts, and always believed that my letter and my resume would be picked up at the other end by someone who looked it over and said, “He’s perfect.” It rarely happens and you can read articles all over the internet about the process employed to weed out most resumes before they are even read. Today, the number of resumes heading toward the hiring committee for your job is enormous.

A few of my “universal truths” might help you pick up the list instead of peck on the computer. I’m a great procrastinator, and I always pay for it by creating a load of needless worry that continually lingers in the back of my mind until I “just do it”. One of the most important things I have learned is that once you face anything you are afraid of, the worst is over. I think of the many days, that I pushed that uncomfortable phone call off until the end of the day or to the next, cluttering my mind with needless anxiety that always evaporates the moment I actually pick up the phone. No matter what the result, the real fear is over. I’m doing the thing and the result is what it is, and usually never as bad as my imagination has enlarged it during the day.

Eleanor Roosevelt viewed her fears as opportunities, sought them out and consciously used them to build her character. She once said “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” As I understand it, every day Ms. Roosevelt thought about the one thing she feared most that day and then made it her first priority to face it.

Finally, all time management fanatics know that making a detailed list of what needs to be done each day is important, but far less important than prioritizing those tasks. Try prioritizing by putting the tasks you fear most at the top of the list and see how much more pleasant the rest of the day goes.

Getting back to those cold calls, I’ll tell you from experience that, like anything else, they get easier and easier with practice. Your “pitch” will become more refined, more natural and more finally honed as you make one after another. You’ll learn how to be flexible and change your course in mid-stream in response to the person you are calling. Eventually, you may even find that many of these calls become enjoyable. Here is a brief checklist of things to do and expect before, during and after your calls:

• The internet does give us a tremendous advantage in learning about the person we will be calling. Google that person and learn as much as you can about them. There is no better ice breaker than to be able to start a call with “Hello, Ms. Wilson, my name is Rick Hoel, you don’t know me but we both went to Colgate University....are avid Cub’s fans.....wrote an article about......grew up in Minnesota.....” You get the point.
• Write out a brief “script”. When I was looking to switch from private law practice to the in-house corporate legal world, after connecting with some opening pleasantries, my brief “value proposition” went something like this. “I have worked with Able, Baker and Charlie for the past three years defending companies in products liability cases. In the process I’ve learned the mistakes companies have made that could have easily been avoided, and saved the company a great deal of money, by eliminating serious litigation. I also learned how those mistakes can be avoided. I think my experience can be very valuable to a company like yours and I would like the chance to meet with you for 15 minutes, introduce myself, and explain how I can make a difference at your company.”
• I eventually developed the ability to speak these words with confidence and without pause and would not stop talking until at least this initial point was made.
• Rarely did I get a “don’t waste my time” reaction.
• The most common response was “Well, we don’t have anything at the moment but why don’t you send me your resume and I will pass it on to Mr. Brown”. I would then ask if it might be easier for me to call Mr. Brown and make an appointment to drop off my resume. I wanted my foot in the door. When I got a yes, I’d call Mr. Brown, telling him that his boss just asked me to make an appointment and I did so.
• When there was no Mr. Brown, I at least had the opportunity to send a cover letter and resume directly to my initial contact. Don’t email. Write a letter, thanking the person for his or her time and tailor your resume, honestly, to stress any significant factors that came up in the call. Call again in a few days to make sure your letter was received.
• This is a simple approach and you will develop your own techniques and style as you move through the process.

Remember two things. Employers want to hear how you can make a difference in their bottom line. Second, as I stressed in my last post, all employers value persistence so don’t worry about being too persistent. Show them how hard you work in the way you work to sell yourself.