The phone rang. I answered it. The man on the other end told me who he was, how he got my name, and stated that he needed information. It was really nice to meet him, and I spent a long time helping him.
Later, the phone rang again. The man on the other end told me what company he represented. He then started asking me questions about my phone number. It was a very short conversation.
When the questions started, I stopped the man on the other end of the phone after I had answered the first question. I asked him to repeat the information. He was with some kind of update service. Before he could continue, I interrupted him again, and I asked for the company website. The link he gave me was not to the main page, but I went to the main page anyway. From what I could tell, they may possibly be in the business of selling information. I really was not sure. With that in mind I asked him if they were going to sell it. He gave me some vague answer indicating that was not what he did in his department or that there were other departments. Basically, he avoided the question as best as he could. Although I repeated the question several times, I got the same type of mumbo jumbo. He never stated plainly a “yes” or a “no,” and he never offered to find out. When I asked him to remove my information from his database, he said something like he’d make a note of it.
If he spent more time applying scripture to his life, he may have had a more successful cold call. Not only that, I don’t have a good impression about that company. I won’t purchase their services, and I won’t recommend them. However, I am sure that none of that is in his department either. After all, it’s only a matter of success for the company. A little teamwork could make a difference! But I digress….
Here are the 3 things to avoid when making a cold call:
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24
- Avoid being unfriendly. This man was not friendly. He did not tell me why I would want to give him the information he was seeking, and he did not tell me how he was going to use it. Instead, he gave me as little information about the company as he could.
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
Proverbs 22:1
- Avoid skirting questions. This man avoided directly answering my question; instead answer the questions that are posed to you with clear, easy to understand answers.
- Avoid giving the impression that you are hiding something. He may not have lied, but he left me with the feeling that he did not want me to know what he was up to.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to walk closer with the Lord. Apply what God has shown you to your life. If you do not have many friends or business connections, perhaps you need to work on showing yourself friendly. Be open and honest in all that you do. Let the real you shine through in all your dealings, and be who God says you are!