Cold Acquisition (Cold Calling and Cold Outreach).
Cold acquisition (German: Kaltakquise) means contacting potential customers who have no prior relationship with the business and have not made an enquiry, for example by phone, email, letter or visit. In Switzerland it is not banned outright but is restricted by the Federal Act against Unfair Competition (UCA, SR 241).
Cold Acquisition (Cold Calling and Cold Outreach) — Explained in Detail
'Cold' means the contact is not initiated by the person being approached. They do not know the business or have at least not signalled any interest. The opposite is a warm contact: an enquiry via the website, a referral or someone who has bought before. Cold acquisition can happen by phone, email, letter, social networks or in-person visits. It is more common in business-to-business sales than with private customers.
In Switzerland, cold acquisition is mainly governed by the Federal Act against Unfair Competition (UCA, SR 241). Under Art. 3 para. 1 let. u UCA it is unfair to ignore the asterisk entry in the telephone directory by which someone declines advertising calls; according to SECO, numbers without a directory entry have enjoyed the same protection since 2021. Let. v requires advertising calls to display a registered number. For mass advertising by email or text message, let. o requires prior consent, correct sender details and a free way to unsubscribe. This is an overview, not legal advice; the current version on fedlex.admin.ch is authoritative.
Data protection applies as well. Anyone who collects, buys or enriches contact details is processing personal data and must comply with the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP), for example by informing people about the source and purpose. Purchased address lists are therefore doubly risky: legally, and because their quality is often poor. A small number of well-researched contacts with a clear reason for getting in touch are a different matter from mass mailings.
Whether cold acquisition pays off depends on the offer. With few, clearly identifiable target customers and high order values, a targeted, personal approach can make sense, close to account-based marketing. With broad audiences, channels where customers enquire on their own often bring more: visibility in search, a lead magnet or paid advertising. Together these approaches are known as lead generation. The opposite approach is inbound marketing: prospects find the company themselves.
Cold, lukewarm, warm: telling contacts apart
There are shades between cold and warm. A lukewarm contact has already noticed your business, for example by reading an article on LinkedIn or attending an event. A call or message that refers to this is received differently from a pure cold call. Many businesses therefore combine the two: build visibility first, then approach people selectively.
How to do this on LinkedIn with content and ads is described on LinkedIn marketing agency. If you would rather be found through searches, see Google Ads agency Zurich.
Example: a measuring instrument maker in Solothurn
A constructed example: a small manufacturer of measuring instruments for laboratories knows its market precisely. In Switzerland a few dozen laboratories are potential customers. Instead of buying lists, the head of sales researches each laboratory individually, finds the responsible person via the website and writes a personal letter about a specific measurement problem typical for that kind of lab.
Two weeks later he calls the public company number, with his number displayed and without ignoring any asterisk entry. At the same time the company publishes application notes on its own website so that laboratories can find them independently. Cold acquisition here is targeted, infrequent and well prepared, not mass outreach.
Related Page
LinkedIn marketing agencyIn-depth on the blog
Kaltakquise in der Schweiz: was erlaubt istFrequently Asked Questions About Cold Acquisition (Cold Calling and Cold Outreach)
In principle yes, but with limits under the UCA (SR 241): the asterisk entry and unlisted numbers must be respected for advertising calls, the caller's number must be displayed, and mass advertising by email or text message requires prior consent. This is an overview, not legal advice.
In cold acquisition the business initiates contact without the person having shown prior interest. In warm acquisition there is already a connection, such as an enquiry, a referral, a previous purchase or a meeting at an event.
For mass advertising by email, the UCA requires prior consent, including towards companies, with an exception for your own customers under certain conditions. Whether an individual, personally written message falls under this must be assessed case by case. If in doubt, seek legal advice.
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