A funny thing happened on the way to my cold calling list.

It turned out that I really don’t like doing cold calling, and although I know I would improve at it if I engaged in it often, I’d rather spend my time with clients or staff or developing my business in other ways.

The same week I stumbled on a somewhat warm list of leads I didn’t want to call, I also ran into an old friend who mentioned he is talented at sales, has a relationship to the same industry as my leads, and is willing to work on straight commission.

Immediately I engaged his services to call my list of leads.

But of course I couldn’t have him emailing my potential clients from his Yahoo address or calling them from his own cell phone number.

So here is how he became an official-looking member of my staff in 10 minutes.

1) Google Apps. We use Google Apps for our company email addresses. We had the good fortune of joining the system when it was still free for small businesses, but it’s a good value even at $50 per year. I created an email address at my company’s domain name for my new sales partner. It included a nice-looking signature line, bearing our company logo and his new title in Business Development.

2) Google Voice. Google Voice is a beautiful service wherein you can go online and choose a new phone number out of the clear blue sky, and then forward it to a cell phone. After a few clicks, I could call my new associate’s work number, and it rang to his cell phone. To call out from the number, he needs only to dial the “work number,” log into the voice mail, and press 4. Voila, his Caller ID shows up to the prospective client as his new work number.

Should this new relationship end up going nowhere, I keep the phone number and forward it to my office phone or someone else’s phone. I can delete or retain his email address as needed.

I spent nothing but the paper and ink to print his W-4 form.

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