The Cold Shoulder

It's funny how you can get into the habits of your daily routine, and quickly forget how you ended up there in the first place. Every once in a while it's important to take a step back and read your business plan or an industry book to reflect back on the basics and keep yourself on the right path.

I am about halfway into Hubspot's latest book, titled simply 'Inbound Marketing', and was reminded this morning of how and why I ended up in social media marketing in the first place. Quite simply, I hate cold calling. Despise it, in fact. Picking up the phone hundreds of times  a day to be hung up on by people who don't want to hear from you, don't want your product or service, and don't have any interested in receiving the information they've asked you to send just so they can get you off the phone? Nope, never understood why this torturous practice of "dialing for dollars" was always pushed on our tired sales teams.

The difference between Cold Calling and Inbound Marketing is so simple, it almost seems too good to be true. Cold Calling is a numbers game. Theoretically if you contact 1,000 people a month that don't want to hear from you, you may stumble on a few that actually do. But Inbound Marketing is the exact opposite theory - it is about creating great content and resources that makes the people who actually want your products or services come to you. It's the equivalent of a retail boutique having a gorgeous window display in a great location that attracts interested shoppers, vs. the 'cold way' of reaching out to millions of people over the telephone and hoping that a few of the masses will be swayed by your approach.

It's time to put down the phone and start providing the content that will bring your next customer to your door. The market is there, and they are ready, all you need to do is meet them halfway before your competitors do.

- Melissa Albano

One Response to “The Cold Shoulder”

1. Neil Andrew DuPaul says:

   February 19, 2010 at 3:07 pm

   Hey Melissa,

   I totally agree with you on this strategy. I think the problem most companies have is devoting the necessary time to these creative details and ideas that will actually create interest in their products. Cold calling, while a drag, is far easier to put into action and some action is better than none.

   p.s. - I think you got off track with your metaphor near the end there, I think it's better ended with - vs. the shady guy ushering you to visit his shop down at the end of a dark alley.