Prospect Lists for Wusses

A confession: I have not been taking my own advice.

I let several days go by last week without cold calling.

Part of it was looming deadlines, part of it was normal life drama, and part of it was, well, resentment because cold calling the past two weeks hasn't been going as smoothly as it was at first.

Unable to face another round of, "You do, um, WHAT?" I decided to prune my prospect list to focus on the types of businesses that have been most receptive to cold calling. These include:

* Marketing firms
* Graphic design firms
* Hospitals
* Universities
* Publications/Publishers
* Larger nonprofits

And I kept a few things that I just happen to like (e.g. microbreweries).

This made today's round of cold calls refreshingly smooth. It's just so much faster and less taxing when you're calling people who already know exactly what you're selling and can give you a yes or no on the spot.

And if you're an anxious cold caller, I would recommend starting out with these types of prospects.

So who did I cut? For the moment (until my sales skills are more honed and my skin is thicker), I've decided to give small businesses, medical practices and school districts a miss. I just haven't had much luck with them.

Anyone have any tips for selling projects to businesses in any of these categories? Might be a great opportunity for a guest post!