In the January 2015 Tip, we talked about warming up cold calls.

One way to do this is to leverage a referral from someone credible to the person you are calling. Here's how it might sound, "Hello Tom. My name is Jane Smith, with AZT. I was with Jerry Scott earlier today and he suggested that you could share some valuable insights with me about the company's marketing direction. Could we spend 20-30 minutes together to help me confirm my understanding and expand on it? What time would work for you next week?