There are two ways you can subscribe to The Cold Calling Podcast.

First the easy way. Just send a message to mike@coldcallingpodcast.com with the word “Subscribe� in the title. We will then notify you by e-mail each time we release a new episode of The Cold Calling Podcast.

Alternatively, you can subscribe to the RSS feed. This way, each time we release a new episode, your chosen podcast aggregator or “podcatcher” automatically downloads it to your computer, so you can listen at your desk, or transfer it to your MP3 player to take away and listen to on the train, in the car, while out jogging, at the gym, or anywhere else that suits you!

Clicking on any of the following icons will allow you to subscribe to The Cold Calling Podcast RSS feed - just choose your favourite method!

  

     

         

If your chosen podcasting client/aggregator is not listed above, just insert the url http://feeds.feedburner.com/coldcallingpodcast into whichever application you use for subscribing to podcasts.

Whichever method you uses, if you have any problems subscribing to The Cold Calling Podcast, please contact mike@coldcallingpodcast.com.

Q: What is a Podcast?

A:  According to Wikipedia, “Podcasting is the practice of making audio files available online in a way that allows software to automatically detect new files and download them.� Technically, this is accomplished using something called an “RSS� feed, to provide information about a collection of audio files in MP3 format. In common use, the term “podcast� is most often used to refer to an independent audio show that can be downloaded from the Internet.

Q: What’s good about podcasting?

A: Podcasting lets anybody with a microphone, a computer and an Internet connection publish audio shows that can be listened to by people anywhere in the world. Because the barriers to entry are very low, podcasting is rapidly becoming a popular way for people share audio shows. Podcasts are generally free and can be automatically downloaded to portable media players, so you can listen to them whenever it’s convenient.

Q: What sort of shows are available as podcasts?

A: There are already many types of podcasts, including audio books, music shows, news, humor and sports. Most podcasts are created by amateurs, but there are also commercial podcasts and independently produced podcasts. There are podcasts in Dutch, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Mohawk, Spanish, and many other languages.

Q: Do I need to have an iPod to listen to podcasts?

A: No. The first podcast “client applications� (also known as aggregators or podcatchers) were designed to subscribe to audio shows, automatically download them and sync them to iPods. As podcasting has evolved, podcast clients have become available that work with most portable digital audio players. Many podcast sites support downloading shows directly from the site, and many directories support playing podcasts directly.

Q: Do I need special software to listen to podcasts?

A: No. Many podcasts (including The Cold Calling Podcast) can be streamed or downloaded directly from the host’s website. However, podcasting clients (such as iTunes) make the whole process of downloading podcasts and copying them to portable media players much more streamlined and “user-friendly�.

Q: Where can I find podcasts?

A: The most popular places for finding podcasts are the directories at iTunes, Juice, PodcastAlley and Podcasting News. There are many other podcast directory sites. Many podcast applications also include a list or directory of podcasts.

Q: Who invented podcasting?

A: Podcasting is based on capabilities built into the RSS 2.0 specification, which was developed by Dave Winer. Adam Curry catalyzed the podcasting concept in September of 2004, when he released a script that automatically downloaded audio files referenced in RSS files.
While there are many precedents for Curry and Winer’s work, they put the pieces together and popularized the idea of podcasting. Because of this, they are generally considered the “podfathers� of the podcasting community.

Q: What hardware and operating system do I need?

A: You can create and listen to podcasts using Windows, Mac OS X and Linux podcasting software.

Q. What is RSS?

A. RSS files are text files that contain information about things available on the Internet. For podcasting, RSS files are used to syndicate information about a podcast “channel� (the show as a whole), and also individual podcast episodes.

Q: What can you do with a podcast?

A: A browse through a podcast directory shows the variety of podcasts that are available. Here are just a few things podcasting can be used for:

- On-demand versions of radio shows
- Personal audio blogs
- Audio books
- Music shows
- Audio tour guides
- Educational content that depends on audio (language, music, etc)
- Marketing for musicians
- Distributing sermons and other religious content
- Storytelling
- Sports coverage
- Distributing/synchronizing audio and video files for business.

This series of shows, presented by Mike O’Hara and Greg Grimer, is designed for salespeople and marketers in the business-to-business community, and is all about generating new business through telephone prospecting.

In the series, we’ll be covering a range of topics, including:

- Getting direct numbers
- Motivating yourself
- Planning call activity
- Articulating a value statement - the “elevator pitch”
- Objection handling
- Re-invigorating yourself & keeping your calls fresh
- Leveraging comments from one call to another
- How to call at senior/C-level
- Total avoidance of “gatekeepers”
- Using social networking tools & name-dropping
- The opening 30 seconds
- Leveraging your CRM system/contact database
- Asking for references
- Etiquette
- Open questioning
- The call to action/next action
- Working practises (eg computer versus paper-based)
- Matching your calling strategy to your personality
- Dealing with rejection
- How to get good contact data
- Google
- Trade Show follow-up
- Call before e-mail or e-mail before call?
- Voicemail
- How aggressive is too aggressive?
- Qualification
- Thinking on your feet

We welcome all feedback, so if you have any comments or questions, or if you would like us to cover any particular issue around cold-calling, please either post your comments on these pages, or send an e-mail to us at mike@coldcallingpodcast.com or greg@coldcallingpodcast.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Cold-Calling Podcast is produced and hosted by Mike O’Hara and Greg Grimer.

Greg has a long history of growing sales from a standing start. For the first 8 years of his career he sold financial trading and risk management systems to large international banks. Since 1997 he has specialized in helping the right suppliers identify and meet the right buyers and users of technology.

Mike started his career as an option trader at UBS in the mid 1980’s, going on to hold various sales and management roles at vendor firms including Reuters and SunGard for the next 15 years or so. Since 2002, he has worked independently as a new business generation specialist, focusing on financial technology.

You can contact Greg and Mike at greg@coldcallingpodcast.com and mike@coldcallingpodcast.com