Cold Calling, Rejection, and Why Most Service Businesses Don’t Have a Lead Problem
Back to the cold calling game, if you received a call from me recently, I’m not sorry.
It’s been enjoyable living and breathing the Shopify ecosystem for the last patch of busy work, but I’m glad to be back out building some websites I love for service based businesses.
I like these websites because they are more creative, and feel more impactful to me.
During my war against rejection, chasing each no, I couldn’t help but notice how many companies were using automated systems nowadays. (Ok not that many but there were at least 3-4).
And that was enough.
Enough to realize that most businesses don’t actually have a lead problem.
They have a follow up problem.
The Digital Business Card Problem
Some answered the phone and said they were too busy.
Some said they get plenty of referrals.
Some said they already have a website.
Fair. I respect it.
But then I’d check the site.
- No clear offer
- No strong call to action
- No follow up sequence
- No tracking
- No booking flow
Just a digital business card floating in the void.
That’s when it clicked again for me.
A website is not the asset.
A system is.
The Businesses That Stood Out
The companies that impressed me were not the flashiest.
They were structured.
Simple intake form.
Automated confirmation.
Maybe a follow up email.
Maybe even a text.
Nothing crazy.
Just intentional.
And here’s the funny part.
The bar is still low.
If you:
- Answer the phone
- Respond quickly
- Clearly tell someone what to do next
You are already ahead.
Busy Businesses Leak Opportunity
Cold calling reminded me of something important.
Most people are not lazy.
They’re busy.
They’re on a roof.
In an attic.
Under a sink.
Driving between jobs.
And while they’re doing real work, opportunities slip through cracks.
Missed calls.
Unanswered forms.
No reminders.
No follow up.
That is not a traffic problem.
That is a system problem.
Why This Excites Me
I do not get excited about selling “a website.”
I get excited about building something that works while you are working.
A site that:
- Captures the lead
- Books the job
- Sends the reminder
- Tracks the pipeline
- Integrates with CRM
- Supports paid traffic when you’re ready
That’s leverage.
And leverage beats hustle every time.
Rejection Is a Teacher
Rejection sharpens you.
It forces clarity.
It shows patterns.
It humbles you just enough to improve your message.
What I see clearly now is this:
The businesses who win are not the ones with the flashiest branding.
They are the ones who build simple systems and actually use them.
Closing Thoughts
So if you got a call from me, just know it was not random.
I probably saw potential.
And if you told me no, that’s fine too.
I respect it.
But I will probably call your competitor next.
Because the ones who understand systems are the ones who grow.