The debate has raged for years; is cold calling dead? It’s safe to assume that very few people like cold calling, but sometimes the job requires it. Can a staffing team get away with not cold calling? What alternatives exist in place of cold calling? This blog will help you understand if cold calling is here to stay. 

Is Cold Calling Dead? 

For a staffing team, you may wonder how you’ll get clients without cold calling. Sales reps, no matter what they’re selling, hate cold calling, but here is a tip; so do their prospects. However, there are times when you simply have to pick up the phone. The trick is to warm up the target audience to the point where there’s a level of familiarity with your service, so the cold call is much warmer. The reality today is that there are so many sophisticated yet low-cost marketing techniques available that you very rarely have to cold call. With an effective marketing campaign, you should have a steady stream of prospects heading into your sales funnel without having to do a cold call. 

What makes for an effective marketing campaign for a staffing agency? Consider using these techniques: 

  • Improve your social media presence by posting and participating every day. It shouldn’t take long for you to jump on LinkedIn or another platform and comment on someone’s post. Or, post your own short note. There are three tips for social media success: Use relevant hashtags in every post; link to professional written newsworthy content; and post at least once a day for the best results. 
  • Create content that you can share on the company blog or on social media. This will take longer than sending out a Tweet or posting on Facebook, but it’s a great way to build your credibility with clients or candidates. Make sure your content isn’t a rehash of the same old tired “10 ways to do X.” Instead, think about what really matters with your target audience. Research your topic extensively and hire a professional writer to create the best content possible.  
  • If we said “content” and you thought we were just talking about blogs, you’re wrong. Video content is hot. How-to videos or even cute TikTok snippets are great for sharing on social media.  
  • Offer a free webinar to build your brand and credibility with your target audience. Instead of cold calling a potential client, invite them to a half-hour lunch and learn to help them solve a problem they’re having with their recruiting and hiring process. Then make sure you follow up with attendees with a free consultation or a white paper or something to keep the conversation going. 
  • Put a little time into your website. Make sure it is keyword-rich to improve your search engine rankings. That way, if a potential client is searching for a staffing agency in your niche or in your region, your site has a better chance of rising to the top of the query. 
  • Make sure you are marketing to current customers and potential customers. Your marketing efforts will help retain your existing customers longer. Then ask them for referrals! Or, see if they would be willing to offer a testimonial on your company that you could share on your website.  

Today’s cold calling uses sophisticated analytics to hone your targets. Once you’ve defined your audience you can use a variety of marketing techniques. However, to manage your prospecting efforts, it’s important to have a high-quality applicant tracking system like Exelare to help keep track of your candidates and potential clients. We can help you organize your efforts to build your business. Talk with our team today.