cold calling

call call ² noun [countable]

1. an attempt to speak to someone by telephone:

• Calls cost 36p a minute cheap rate, 48p at all other times.

• If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please give me a call on the number above.

• Andrew Walker telephoned this morning, and would like you to return his call as soon as possible.

ˌcold ˈcall also ˌblind ˈcall MARKETING

if someone who is selling something makes a cold call or a blind call, they telephone someone they have never spoken to before to offer them a product or service:

• I've started to get cold calls from phone dealerships offering me free upgrades for my phone.

• Placing blind calls isn't entirely futile, insists Mr. Sobeck, who guesses that one out of 40 or 50 calls turns up a lead.

— cold calling noun [uncountable] :

• Cold calling is an effective sales tactic if it's done properly.

— cold caller noun [countable] :

• A cold-caller mistakenly called the company's boss.

ˈconference ˌcall

a telephone call in which several people in different places are able to talk together at the same time

ˈcourtesy call MARKETING

a call from a company to one of its customers, for example in order to find out if the customer is satisfied with the service:

• Regular courtesy calls are made to ensure the client is happy with the work and the conduct of employees.

ˈtoll call

a telephone call over a long distance, that is charged at a higher rate than a local call:

• Are most of your toll calls instate or out?

2. a request or demand for someone to do something:

toll call for

• He made a call for private companies to offer up to 25% of their shares to workers' co-operatives.

• a strike call

3. a short visit, especially for a particular reason:

• I'll pay a call on our supplier later this week.

4. BANKING a demand for money that can be made at any time and without warning, especially a demand for a loan to be repaid:

• There are $200 million in bearer bonds still outstanding, held by people who did not hear about a call.

ˈcash call FINANCE

when a company asks existing shareholders for more money for investment:

• Ladbroke's said that under the terms of the cash call, it plans to issue 216 million new ordinary shares at 220p each.

5. BANKING at/​on call if a bank lends money at call or on call, the bank can demand to have it paid back at any time and without warning; = ON DEMAND:

• Overdrafts to customers are often granted for a few days or weeks. Some loans to other financial institutions may be loans at call.

6. FINANCE a demand from a company to a shareholder to pay for shares that they have been given:

• The company is raising £155 million from the first call of 225p a share.

ˈmargin call FINANCE

an occasion when investors who have borrowed money to buy shares or other investments must repay it, for example because the value of their investments has gone down:

• The firm clearing his account issued a $22 million margin call, which he didn't meet.

7. also covered call another name for call option (= the right to buy shares etc at a particular price within a specific period of time):

• Total options volume was 33,000, with puts at 19,000 outnumbering calls.

8. a decision that you have to make yourself:

• Buy or don't buy - it's your call.

— see also yield to call

ˈjudgement call , judgment call

a decision that you have to make yourself in a new or unfamiliar situation:

• The company made a judgment call in proceeding with the project.