My previous post on cold calling led to a couple interesting conversations.  While it wasn't much of a post, just a thought to consider, a couple off-line conversations that followed were interesting.

A common objection to cold calling is rooted in it being a numbers game.  The thought being you call and call and call until you get a response - living through one rejection after another until you receive a Yes.

But isn't that how all marketing works?

All marketing tactics are rooted in a numbers game.  Cold calling is no different.

If you have a revenue plan or quota, every lead generation and sales effort you engage in is based on the need to engage with a particular number of people, buying an average amount of products and services, to reach a given level of sales.

Any sales manager who ever calculated sales cycles and close rations knows they're playing a numbers game - expose your lead generation campaign to a particular number of people within a given time to reach a certain number of sales opportunities within a reporting period.

Whether you're using direct mail, landing pages, AdWords, blog traffic, print advertising, etc. you are playing a numbers games - you're looking for a percentage of response to generate a number of opportunities, based on a number of eyes which cross your campaign, to close enough business to retire quotas and meet the company's revenue plan.

Cold calling is a numbers game, just like all other lead generation activities.