I have always been the type of person who thrives in a crazy busy schedule.  If I don’t have a back-to-back schedule, I don’t feel productive.  Call it obsessive compulsive, or a bit neurotic, but my day from 8am to 5pm is most productive when my plate is full.

When those pockets of your day creep up when you don’t have a tight schedule, how do you get it to fill up?  Do you turn to research, prospecting, organizing, or…?  What if your calendar is light for the week?  What then?

Busywork does not always produce results.  If you choose to utilize your down time to organize your desk / briefcase / contact data base, then only commit to organizing for 15-30 minutes.  You can easily loose track of time if you allow yourself more, and your day is wasted.  If you are trying to achieve more activity, then start the activity that will get the ball rolling: cold calling.

I have learned over the years that cold calling is like public speaking.  It makes your heart beat a little faster, your palms get sweaty, and it’s so easy to ask someone else to do it.  But when you take the plunge and go for it, the adrenaline rush you can experience can push you ahead to do it again and again until you get a “yes.”  It takes time to feel comfortable with this activity, and also some planning.  I rarely make a cold call without having some background knowledge of either the individual, business, or reason for my call first.  I want to appear informed and helpful, and the ability to access requested information is key.

How do you get started? Put your head down and go for it! Don’t second guess yourself.  Don’t worry about what the person on the other end of the line / email / text / desk will think of you.  If you represent yourself in an honest, professional and sincere manner, you will achieve success.