This afternoon, I received a Skype invitation from someone I do not know. Usually, I block those sorts of contacts, but lately I've started replying, "Who are you?" Most people don't reply back, so I block them.

This young man did reply back with a very good introduction that drew me into wanting to know more about what he was looking for. In his intro, he made it obvious that he had visited our website and did his research about Indigo, which impressed me. He's a graphic designer, so I referred him to Melissa. His foot is in the door, because I told him to use my name when he talks to her.

You see, it never hurts to try new approaches to old ideas, like cold calling, which we all hate!!

I'm sure more and more of us small business owners are using cold calling as a way to find new business. If you are looking to hone your cold calling skills, be sure to read 5 ways to overcome cold call reluctance — and if you're creative, try something a bit out of the box like the young man this afternoon. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results!!