Cold call

A cold call is an instructor naming a student who did not volunteer and asking that student to open or advance a case method discussion. The student is expected to take a position using the packet, not to recap the story.

It is a teaching tool and a grading tool. In a case course, participation is a real share of the mark. The cold call is how the instructor samples who prepared.

How it works

The night before, the student reads the case, builds a recommendation, and usually meets a learning team. In class the instructor may open with “Alex, what should the CEO do?” That is the cold call. A good answer is short: a decision, a number from an exhibit, a risk. A stall — “I thought the case was interesting” — burns the room’s patience and the student’s participation grade.

Some instructors publish an on-call roster so a subset of the section knows it is in the barrel that day. That is still a cold call. It is just a colder calendar. Others never publish a list. Hiding behind a laptop does not work in a room of 70 when the instructor has a seating chart.

Example: Exhibit 4 shows gross margin falling from 42% to 31% while revenue rises. The cold call is “Should they cut price?” The passable answer is “No. Margin is already down 11 points on volume. I would cut SKUs first, starting with the two lines below 20% contribution in Exhibit 5.” The failing answer is a two-minute plot summary of the founder.

How it differs

A volunteer comment is not a cold call. A written case exam is not a cold call. A lecture method course that asks “any questions?” is not running this system. A case competition puts the team on a stage with rehearsal time.

Common errors

Preparing a summary instead of a decision. Letting one teammate own the model and then accepting the first-minute question. Talking for four minutes to hide that the exhibits were not read.