cold call: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Business/Professional, Informal
Quick answer
What does “cold call” mean?
An unsolicited telephone call or visit made to a potential customer or client, typically to sell a product or service.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An unsolicited telephone call or visit made to a potential customer or client, typically to sell a product or service.
Any unsolicited contact initiated without prior relationship or invitation, often with a commercial, promotional, or recruitment purpose. Can also refer to the act of making such contact.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical in both varieties. The hyphenated verb form 'cold-call' is slightly more common in British English, while 'cold call' as a verb is more common in American English.
Connotations
Equally negative in both cultures, associated with telemarketing, sales pressure, and unwanted interruptions.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English due to the larger telemarketing industry, but the term is well-established in both.
Grammar
How to Use “cold call” in a Sentence
[Agent] cold-calls [Recipient][Recipient] gets a cold call from [Agent]to cold-call [someone] about [something]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cold call” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- New trainees learn how to cold-call effectively.
- She spent the afternoon cold-calling potential clients from the list.
American English
- His job is to cold call 50 people a day.
- We need to cold call businesses in the downtown area.
adverb
British English
- This is not used adverbially.
American English
- This is not used adverbially.
adjective
British English
- He works in cold-calling sales.
- The cold-calling script needs an update.
American English
- Cold calling techniques have evolved with technology.
- She leads the cold call team.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Primary context. Refers to a standard sales and marketing technique for lead generation.
Academic
Rare, might appear in business, marketing, or sociology papers discussing sales techniques or consumer behaviour.
Everyday
Used to complain about unwanted sales calls. 'I got another cold call during dinner.'
Technical
Used in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software to categorize lead sources and sales activities.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cold call”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cold call”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cold call”
- Using 'cold call' as an adjective without a hyphen (e.g., 'a cold call list' should be 'a cold-call list'). Confusing it with 'cold email' (which is digital).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but it is heavily regulated in many countries (e.g., 'Do Not Call' registries, required caller identification). Specific industries or practices within cold calling may be illegal.
A warm call is made to someone with whom you have a prior connection, a referral, or who has expressed some prior interest. A cold call has none of these.
Primarily for phone calls. The concepts are 'cold email' and 'cold visit' or 'door-to-door sales'. The term 'cold call' is sometimes used loosely to cover all unsolicited contact.
It is primarily a compound noun. It is also very commonly used as a phrasal verb (often hyphenated: 'to cold-call'). It can function as a modifier in compound adjectives (e.g., 'cold-calling techniques').
An unsolicited telephone call or visit made to a potential customer or client, typically to sell a product or service.
Cold call is usually business/professional, informal in register.
Cold call: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkəʊld ˈkɔːl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkoʊld ˈkɔːl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a numbers game.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a call that gives you a 'cold' reception because you weren't expecting it and don't know the caller.
Conceptual Metaphor
TEMPERATURE FOR RELATIONSHIPS (A 'cold' call lacks the 'warmth' of a prior relationship or invitation).
Practice
Quiz
What is the defining characteristic of a 'cold call'?