The art of the cold call, with Mike Davis

Lead generation can be a daunting task in sales. It becomes even more frightening when you mention that one phrase — cold calling. But as Mike Davis, one of Capitol Broadcasting Company's account executives for broadcast and digital, told us, it's a skill all good salespeople should master.

Why cold calling is necessary

Even if you are great at working existing leads, scheduling meetings and closing deals, the whole process starts with getting that lead; and somebody has to make first contact.

"Cold calling is definitely necessary," Davis said. "You can't move the ball unless you make calls on a daily, or at least weekly, basis."

Researching who to call and what to say

So, you need to make calls, but to whom? Davis recommends making a list of the top 25 or 50 prospects within your target area in a specific industry. If you want to target siding installers, make a list of all of the installers within this area, and then do some research on each of them.

Doing research into that industry is vital to sounding reliable and knowledgeable. What is the latest news from this industry? If you can find area-specific information relevant to their business, that's even better. Then just start making the calls.

Making the calls and getting better as you go

When you have your lists of prospects for each industry, stick to one list at a time. If you call a couple prospects from a car dealership list and then some from a home improvement list and then some from a medical list, you'll start losing your flow.

""Keep them in the same industry, because with every call the conversation gets better," Davis said. "I can take info from one call and build on it in the next call."

What to say to build rapport and credibility — fast

You are going to hear 'no,' a lot, and you have to be all right with that. Going into the conversation with realistic expectations prevents a lot of frustration and discouragement.

The first thing you'll want to do is ask for the decision-maker. Hopefully you were able to find this information while you researched the company structure on their website and on LinkedIn.

If you don't immediately get through, try to build some trust by name-dropping Capitol Broadcasting, WRAL.com, ESPN radio and other respected and recognized brands in our family. From your research, you should also know whether their company would be better for radio or digital or whatever other platforms are available, and you can begin targeting your pitch in that direction.

Setting appointments and making sales

""Cold calling is a must for getting new business appointments," Davis said. "With 25 to 50 calls, you should be able to get three to five quality meetings."

If you're able to set up a meeting with a decision-maker, whether in person or on the phone, it was a successful call. You can now move on to giving the prospect exactly what they need.