I have been calling restaurants because it is very easy to get directly to the Manager. I am running out of restaurants and would like to know if anyone has any ideas on what the best businesses might be to call that don't have the ever-present "gatekeeper" that seems to have to know everything about you before they will
let you get close to "their" Mgr or owner.
Like "Is Mr. Jones expecting your call?" "Do you have an appointment with Mr' Jones?" "Maybe you can tell me more about what you are calling about?" I mean some of these "gatekeepers" can be ok and may even help but many of them simply are playing "keep [me] away" and so I would like to do my best to avoid calling them, and when I do run across them, it would also help to know your ideas on how to circumvent/navigate my way around or through or over or under them.
The good thing about calling restaurants is/was that the waiter/waitress is working and just wants to move you along, so they can get back to serving their customers, i.e. who might be giving them a BIG tip, so they generally don't want to spend time with any phone call, no matter who it is, and just pass you to the Manager, easily.
So, anyone who has some experience in cold calling businesses, what businesses have you called where you have found that the person or receptionist picking up is most likely to pass you on to the Office Manager, General Manager or maybe even the owner, without grilling you or putting you through an inquisition Any feedback is appreciated.
I would like to add that I know there are many who believe that cold calling is unworkable. For me, though, that is not true. Some of us are quite capable of engaging people on the phone whom we have never met while, for many others, cold-calling is terrifying. I guess you could liken it to going in front of an audience onstage. Aversion to cold calling for some is like stage-fright. And, that's ok - but PLEASE, remember, there are many of us who have no problem with cold-calling, even look forward to it.
It is simply another way of socializing, in this case, business socializing and a heck of a lot cheaper than having to spend the gas prices we have now to go face to face, and besides the face to face is for my owner, I'm just setting it up on the phone for him to go and personally engage the business or homeowner. So, if you don't like cold-calling, even if you strongly believe it doesn't work, that's ok...for you. Just let those of us who can cold-call, do so - and your ideas are welcome here, as well.
It would also be nice if there were a forum in here that was strictly 100% dedicated to cold-calling because cold-calling is, indeed, very much alive and well, extremely healthy, even.
with my hands all greasy working on something, or if I'm playing with my kids... Either way you are interrupting their life, how can that be a positive thing?
