Before we began our careers in Media, we had a dream of showcasing indie movies. So in 1996 we began what would soon become our DNA. We began showing movies in bars. So every 3rd thursday of the month, there we were showing a dozen projected movies in various santa monica bars. We guerrilla-marketed the event to the top. We had a handy stencil and spray can, and tagged the city "MOXIE!SMFF" The city was never going to fund us because they were backing an annual film market event call AFM. Seemed they felt threatened by us.

Youtube wasnt born yet. AOL disks still filled everyones mailbox and no dot.com boom and bust passed us by in a flash. We didn´t know it at the time, but what we were really doing is training ourselves for our future careers.

Cold calling can be a great way to generate quality leads. You get to speak to the gatekeepers and stakeholders, and you get a great insight into their requirements and influences. But cold calling is an art-form. It can be daunting, it’s always a lot of work, and you always need to make a good impression. So you need to do it right. Following are some tips which will help you do just that.

Always write down all details of every phone call. Write down any names and titles you learn. Not just the name of the person you’re trying to contact. The receptionist’s name can be vital to remember as they’re often gatekeepers. Write down when you called, and when you said you’d call back.