Calling and sending resumes to companies that may not be advertising, in the hope that one of them will have a job opening.
Stock brokers routinely telephone strangers to solicit business. This is known as cold calling. Cold calling is permitted under existing securities laws but can be abused by unscrupulous brokers who use high pressure tactics to open accounts and try to "strongarm" or intimidate customers into buying securities. Cold callers may only solicit new customers between 8:00am and 9:00PM.
The making of unannounced calls on customers (actual or potential). In the past these involved salesman knocking on doors. Nowadays most cold calling is done by telephone, much of it when the recipient has just sat down for a meal.
Telephone calls made by salespeople to people they don't know and who may or may not be interested in their product or service in order to make a sale.
Telephone calls made to unknown individuals by account executives. The account executive prospects these individuals for potential brokerage clients. See: Account Executive
An insurance sales method in which an agent writes, calls, or visits prospects for insurance with whom he has had no prior contact. Also known as cold canvassing.
In personal selling, cold calling is the processing of approaching prospective clients, typically via telephone, who have not agreed to such an interaction. The word "cold" is used because the person receiving the call is not expecting the call or has not specifically asked to be contacted by the sales person. It is often very frustrating and difficult for those making cold calls because they are often rebuffed, hung-up on and rejected by those receiving the calls.