Are there any alternatives to cold calling? Would love to hear opinions.
Title says it all. 

I’ve tried cold calling multiple times with no success. I’m assuming I’m doing it wrong. Really need to figure out sooner rather than later.

I’ve had some success with mailers which has been nice.

Any options outside of cold calling and mailers that y’all have had success with?

Would love to hear them.

Thanks!
[{"id": "j04pkun", "text": "What asset type, size and market are you working in? Generally cold calling is the most fruitful without hyper focused strategies but it would be helpful to have more context", "replies": [{"id": "j04yups", "text": "Mixed use and smaller industrial. In the metro Atlanta market.", "replies": [{"id": "j050fld", "text": "Keep dialing and make sure you are making the most of your time with tools like Reonomy for the market sector you're in. Don't spend the money on costar IMO", "replies": [{"id": "j050s1c", "text": "Had a call with Costar the other day. After looking around it, I decided other software can do the job I currently need at half the price.", "replies": [{"id": "j0520zw", "text": "Repnomy is more productive data and for me personally, less than half the price.\n\nFor a mid Atlantic major metro I pay $900ish per month for costar which helps me on an underwriting aspect but for sourcing deals I've been way more successful with Reonomy which I pay $375/mo for", "replies": [{"id": "j0529fn", "text": "I\u2019ve played with Reonomy before but found that their contact information wasn\u2019t the best. Has it improved?\n\nCurrently using CreXi and really like it. $260/month.", "replies": [{"id": "j0533ja", "text": "Hard to say because I haven't used Crexi but I've found Reomomy's owner contact info to be very reliable as far as a major metro goes", "replies": [{"id": "j06dkv8", "text": "I\u2019ll take a look at it again. Appreciate the constant feedback.", "replies": [], "depth": 8}], "depth": 7}], "depth": 6}], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j04r7k1", "text": "Linked in search", "replies": [{"id": "j04rhn8", "text": "Getting good leads from LinkedIn now. I still like snail mail too. It\u2019s so old fashioned it actually sticks out again.", "replies": [{"id": "j0682zt", "text": "I used to get shit from a VP of Sales about LinkedIn leads, but I really targeted them and would get my quota for the outside sales team. \n\nBut the asshole still made me get six phone touches and wondered why his lead sheets never produced results. \n\nNo surprise that I lasted longer than he did, that was in 2015, and whenever rain is forecasted for his area, I hire college students to TP his house.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j04r8gr", "text": "Fuck no!  Get back on the phone and keep trying. You\u2019ll get better.", "replies": [{"id": "j04yzi2", "text": "For sure. Need to get over the hump!", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j04s4q7", "text": "Knocking on doors. Going to events. Joining clubs/organizations. Eating/drinking/socializing at restaurant/bars. Playing golf and joining random foursomes. These are all alternatives which are just as effective as cold calling\u2026but these require that same skill and grit as cold calling. At least with the phone if the guy tells you to fuck off then you can hang up and dial the next.", "replies": [{"id": "j04z5as", "text": "What\u2019s odd is that I am more comfortable face to face than over the phone.\n\nEasy to connect with me people in person.", "replies": [{"id": "j04zf48", "text": "Well there you go. Like someone else said. Walk into buildings\u2026ask for decision maker and go for it. And then just go out and meet as many people every day as possible. You\u2019ll kill it", "replies": [], "depth": 3}, {"id": "j07ivow", "text": "I am the same way. The \u201cinvisible\u201d prospect always shook me for some reason, yet I can speak comfortably with a microphone in front of thousands.\n\nLike you said in another reply, just get over that hump and cold calling will become a breeze! Something that helped me was to break down my business plan for how much I wanted to gross. I figured out how many calls I needed to make to get X amount of meetings and then X amount of listings. Now I have a $ amount associated to every call I make which really helped put cold calling\u2019s value into perspective.", "replies": [{"id": "j0lg2iy", "text": "This is a great way to think about it too. The fact that any single call could uncover an $ amount more than most people make in a year should be enough\u2026.especially with someone who is a recovering addict/alcoholic haha. The ping sound of an email in my prospect inbox\u2026.the change of tone in a decision makers voice on the other end of the phone when he realizes he needs a guy to solve his space problem or sell his building is a drug in itself.", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j04t79k", "text": "Although there are some alternatives you'll read here, you should adjust expectations and keep in mind that having a very low success rate with cold calls is normal.\n\nSet aside a time slot and put in the volume, things will come through.", "replies": [{"id": "j04z7fr", "text": "This is true. Need to start making it more routine.", "replies": [{"id": "j068b2v", "text": "Keep in mind, the industry contact I was calling on would get one call each from every vendor in the Gartner space worth doing business with, all day, everyday. \n\nTargeted LinkedIn, barring that, targeted snail mail. \n\nI\u2019m not kidding!", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j04tmow", "text": "When I was fresh my boss told me literally to walk into buildings and ask to speak to the owner. It was definitely scary and humbling however I look back and really enjoyed it. \n\nA little forced embarrassment makes your balls harder.", "replies": [{"id": "j04ydil", "text": "I would actually prefer to meet people in person as opposed to a phone call.\n\nMore personable.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "j07mg4x", "text": "Well that made me crack a smile. I work with apartment buildings so that would be pretty funny to demand to talk to the owner after knocking on a tenant's door.", "replies": [{"id": "j0820hk", "text": "Haha yes not very suitable for every asset type. I was going into industrial flex buildings which were owner operated most of the time. We had a client looking for a scare product and my boss simply said \u201cI need you to go into every industrial building in a 30 mile radius and ask to speak with the owner, then ask if they will sell\u201d. \n\nIt\u2019s interesting because now in this one area of my market I have literally been inside every industrial building which is neat (my girlfriend doesn\u2019t think so). \n\nIt was truly hilarious (not at the time) the looks and comments I\u2019d get.", "replies": [{"id": "j08b9jd", "text": "It honestly sounds like an effective technique, assuming you get to talk to a lot of owners. How often did you manage to speak to owners?", "replies": [{"id": "j08r5ph", "text": "I probably made contact with the actual owner 25% of the time. After 2-3 weeks on the road in and out of buildings every day I actually picked up 100,000sf of warehouse space to lease and manage for a guy. It was a win.", "replies": [], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j050jc3", "text": "Look up some of Beth Azor\u2019s prospecting videos.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j057vgi", "text": "Host events and bring models and bottles", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j05c20s", "text": "The point of the cold call is to get a meeting. Greeting (name, who you\u2019re with, and asset type), interest generator, give a little info/offer value, and when they bite asking for more, tell you\u2019ll go over it all in-person, and provide more insight/detail. It\u2019s a numbers game. Gotta get your 99 slaps in. Don\u2019t meet over coffee or a beer, or at place that\u2019s distracting. Go to them, in their office.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j05chww", "text": "Just keep at it, you\u2019ll learn tricks and it\u2019ll pay off", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j05j0kl", "text": "Being born with connections is definitely a more effective alternative!", "replies": [{"id": "j06g8bl", "text": "Yeah unfortunately I wasn\u2019t born with the connections.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j06iw57", "text": "Get comfortable feeling uncomfortable. I recommend using calls and try changing your scripts and dialogue if you aren\u2019t finding success. Speak with confidence and enthusiasm. \n\nIn the mean time you can always send letters, texts, emails, try door knocking. \n\nThe best way is to use a combination of all of them. \n\nIf someone doesn\u2019t answer my call I leave a voicemail message and/or a text. If I don\u2019t have someone\u2019s number I send an email and will also send a follow up email after a call/text. No email then send them a letter. If you happen to be in the area you can door knock while you\u2019re there and leave a personalized hand written note if no one answers the door. \n\nIt sucks being on the phone but if you can get comfortable with being uncomfortable it will go a long way in this industry as well as in life", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j06jvo7", "text": "Pound away! Locked a meeting with a CFO with a national footprint last week. Call went like this. Your really persistent what do you want!? A meeting! Let me open my calendar\u2026", "replies": [{"id": "j06ltze", "text": "That\u2019s awesome. Congratulations!", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j07dukk", "text": "Attend industry events and join clubs such as ULI and NAIOP. It gives you an opportunity to get exposed to industry leaders, investors etc. You can follow up with the folks you met and change those \u201ccold\u201d calls to \u201cwarm\u201d calls. Good luck!", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j08wmwa", "text": "Initial thoughts after reading OPs question.  \n\n1. It\u2019s ok to not like making cold calls in CRE.  But you still have to make them.  (A cold call is a call to someone you\u2019ve never met and presumably doesn\u2019t know you either -hence the awkwardness.)\n\n2.   Track everything.  # Dials.  Contacts.   Meetings.  Proposals.  Assignments.  Closings.  \n\n3.  Overtime learn your metrics.  I need make X dials in order to get a contact.  X contacts to get a meeting.  X meetings to get a to a proposal requests.  I have to make X proposals to get hired for an assignment and XX% of my assignments will close (payday).    \n\n4.  The purpose of the cold call is to get the meeting.  That\u2019s it.   Schedule the meeting and get off the phone so you can keep making calls.  Bonus part of this is after you meet with this person further calls are no longer cold.  It\u2019s now a \u201cwarm\u201d call which is different.\n\n5.  Time block when you make the calls.  Example.  Make your CCs from 9:30 to 11am M-Thr.   If you are in an office tell people not to bother you during this time as you are making calls.  \n\n6. Be disciplined and have a plan.   Make the calls and you will find it actually does work.   Track your pipeline and your metrics and you can see it work in real time.  \n\n7.  Back to metrics.  Drill down on the data.  You may learn that you\u2019re not great at initial outbound prospecting but if invited to a meeting and they have a need you can really always win the account.   Or\nYou may be a prospecting machine and a needs identifier / rainmaker but the servicing of the business is where you fall short (your Assignments to Closing % is low).  Based upon this information you can bring on strategic hires to fill in these gaps for your team.  \n\nHope this helps!  Go make it happen!", "replies": [{"id": "j08zfwr", "text": "This is awesome. Thank you!", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "j0sq39g", "text": "Is there any good way to track this other then making a excel spreadsheet?", "replies": [{"id": "j1si4e9", "text": "I use an app called Tally.  It looks like a blue plus sign.  It\u2019s free and allows you to keep track of this stuff.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j1xihe2", "text": "Not many people are great at clold calling when they first start out, I know I wasn't. Just keep doing it and you'll get better. After a year or so of actually doing it you will be a well oiled machine. When you call, ask them questions, offer to send them comps, tell what changes in lease rates/sale prices you have seen in the last few months in properties similar to theirs, if you work on any other properties nearby mention it, and learn how you can be of value to them.\n\n U can always improve your calling, but at the end of the day it is a numbers game. I've had some of my best deals come from calls that I thought were terrible. \n\nIf you are at a larger shop, you can get a fair number of deals by making friends with the senior agents in your office and showing them that you are a good guy and u work hard.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]