Cold Calling - trinkets?

A notepad or pen imprinted with your info that. A month later, you can go in and replace it.

A candy dispenser imprinted with your info, filled with good candy. A month later, you drop in again with candy refill.

Yes I have actual experience with this.............save your money.

Instead buy a good book on cold calling....better...learn how to market effectively to businesses.

Write a great, informative, authoritative, valuable document about the kind of problems
people face in your target market and get that into the hands of decision makers/influencers.

They'll just eat your candy and think you are dumb...give them a real reason to remember who you are.

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I had an advertising business for 10 years. Google advertising specialties and you will see about 60,000 products and people who sell them. I like the bowl of candy idea.
Google tile and you will see a product called Tile. Have you ever lost your keys or anything else of value. They offer a small key tag that will ring on your cell phone if you lost something. You could put a high quality mylar sticker on it with your business name and phone. The customer will never forget you. He will be happy to see you again.

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Wow JB - good for you! "I cold call, A LOT - 12-30 walk-ins per day." the guys are right about leaving trinkets - a waste of time and money. Fer sure you can come up with something more innovative. Couppla ideas:

1. Whatever you leave should feature a 1-800 number with a short rap about your services _and_ a reason for them to call it. In other words, some tidbit of info pertaining to their industry that would prompt them to call. "A 30 sec rap with this weeks Widget's insider's news"

2. I would also have a _short_ video on YouTube with some benefit for them to view it. "Have you seen the video where a cat takes a dog for a walk on a leash? Go to . . ." and of course your smiling face with a 10 sec pitch. (make it a _short_ URL shortened by Google URL shortner).

You haven't mentioned what your product or service is. Leave something that implements it? If you were selling vacation trips, a nice luggage tag with your card in it.

Get Stephan Schiffman's book called "Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!)" 7th Edition. It will help you!

Guys - thanks for all the input. We sell IT Services (and products) so a first-call close is pretty rare, I usually want to walk away with an IT assessment commitment - if I can - or at least a follow up opportunity.

I think maybe I was looking for an icebreaker, something to aid me like a security blanket. I have found, in the last 10 days, that all of this cold calling is becoming very comfortable, and the initial introduction, which was once awkward, is now very easy... Like - I care less and less if people are rude or throw me out

Also, all of this door knocking is generating a buzz, hard to explain but activity just seems to be happening around me the more I cold call - and I'm building business much quicker than I anticipated.

Just wanted to thank you all and encourage anybody who is new to the game, the activity won't happen if you sit alone 'planning' your strategy - get out there and SELL!