Typically you would have had second thoughts about cold calling to generate new leads, follow up existing clients and make sales and the excuses that you would use are As it has been used poorly and wrongly by telemarketers over time the answer is most definitely yes, and the reason why is that cold calling has a bad reputation as a marketing tool. Does cold calling to generate leads and make sales send a chill through your body and freezes your soul?

1. Few people are naturally good or successful at cold calling,
2. Cold calling has a poor reputation, as people find it intrusive and obnoxious,
3. Conversion rates from cold calling are dismal with conversion rates around 2% compared to 20 to 50% for referrals.
4. I am afraid of rejection, ( after all we all want to be liked, right?)

Sales are the life blood of small business and with out sales your business will be out of business very quickly. Have you had this or a similar experience when it comes to using the telephone to generate leads, or make sales follow up existing clients, customers? "

As a business owner I know full well the power of the telephone in generating leads and subsequent conversion to sales. Four strikes and the excuses and reasons not to cold call are still rolling in question is why? This piece of equipment suddenly appears to weigh a tonne and your arms become heavy and uncooperative, one would imagine that all sales professionals and small business owners would use the phone in a targeted manner to generate leads and sales, and so the excuses flow your mind comes up with a million reasons why you should be doing something different, now knowing this, unfortunately the opposite is true, most business owners fear the phone when it comes to using it as a lead generation tool.

The reason why cold calling has little flavor is that it is done wrong and the errors keep compounding. So should you cross this marketing strategy off your list once and for all? Hell NO! Where Will Smith's character uses the phone to become very successful in his chosen business fiel you know deep down that this marketing strategy is extremely effective when done correctly as illustrated by Will Smith in the movie "IN THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS" a movie based on a true storyd Ask your self this question, "Is it cold calling that annoys people or the way that it is done follow up customers and make sales, before you give up or if you never started using the phone to generate leads?

Stumped? Want to get over the jitters and become a master in the art of cold calling? If you answer yes then prepare your self to become a master by following this straight forward commonsense strategy.

1. Partner with your prospect when making the call,
2. State your name and ask your prospect for permission before proceeding,
3. Listen, if they are busy and it is not a good time reschedule and get their permission to call back at a more favorable time, then ensure you call them back and be punctual, 3pm is not 3.05pm,
4. Tell them you will be brief give them a powerful reason to want to listen to what you are offering,
5. Ask them if you can ask them a couple of questions and get their permission before proceeding,
6. Summarize what they have told you about their needs and wants and
7. Then ask them if you could solve their problems would they consider making an appointment to meet with you to discover how you can assist them in solving their problem and satisfying their needs.
8. Schedule a face to face meeting with them.

Picking up the telephone surpasses advertising, web sites, news letters and all other forms of marketing to get immediate responses.

Use the above steps and start enjoying making sales, generating leads and making money.