Prepare Before Cold-Calling –Dana

Familiarize yourself with the industry of your prospect. Hopefully, you're keeping current with business news so that you have a good idea what a certain industry's challenges are. Think about how you can help prospects overcome their business challenges.

I heard Dr. Joe Webb speak recently, and he had a great idea (many, actually): set up Google alerts for your top customers. This works just as well for key prospects. So simple—and it's free.