Cold calls can wind up being just that….cold! Whether it's beating the pavement, or making that dreaded call on the phone-there are some general rules that will make life much more bearable. The first piece of advice is to know your product like the back of your hand. Make it a point to know the benefits that the customer will derive from using the product or service that you're going to pitch. You only have a brief amount of time to peak the prospects interest when making first contact.

The second piece of advice may be to throw out the first. Each prospect moves through the concourse differently, so you may have to adjust your cold call approach to one more improvisational. Here again, is the ability to gain advantage by knowing the customer and their needs. Make sure you find out whom the keeper-of-the-gate is. Whether it is in cyber space, or on a street corner-businesses employ a gatekeeper to filter out excess.

It doesn't hurt to send out a bold email to the appropriate person to pitch your cause. You can always indicate that you'll follow up in a few days with some additional information. On the other hand, it's prudent to keep in mind that you'll be competing for someone's attention that has to sort through perhaps hundreds of emails daily. Be unique! Always leave a part of yourself that will stand out in someone's mind. It can be a friendly manner, a hardy conversational exchange, or a genuine spirit of enthusiasm about the product or service being offered.

Cold calling should be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved in the process.