Final answer:
Cold calling is a direct marketing strategy that involves unsolicited contact with potential customers, typically by phone, to offer products or services.
Step-by-step explanation:
A marketing tool such as cold calling is classified as a direct marketing strategy. Cold calling involves contacting individuals or businesses who have not previously expressed interest in the offered products or services. It is a proactive outreach method used to solicit customers or gather information. Cold calling can be conducted over the phone or through door-to-door visits, though telemarketing is the most common form.
This technique is part of what is often called outbound marketing, where a company initiates the conversation and sends its message out to an audience. It contrasts with inbound marketing, where the goal is to attract customers through content, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO), where they reach out to the company instead.
While cold calling can sometimes be seen as intrusive or unwelcome by potential customers, it remains a widely-employed technique in many industries due to its direct approach and potential to reach a large number of people quickly.