Col calling is the process of approaching prospective customers or clients, typically via telephone, who were not expecting such an interaction. The word "cold" is sometimes thought of as being used because the person receiving the call is not expecting a call or has not specifically asked to be contacted by a sales person. However, cold or cold market more appropriately explains that the call is a sales person's first time introduction to prospective customer/client, whereas a warm market call is to an existing client or someone known to the sales person, even if it is a referral, prior to the call.