By Michael W. McLaughlin

The cold call is older than fictional salesman Willy Loman-and less effective, particularly for consultants. A cold call campaign is founded on the one-two punch theory of sales. First, you send out a stack of "enticing" letters to people you don't know, and second, you call them and solicit their business.

The underlying logic of the campaign is that having a large number of targets will work in your favor. You know that most of your calls will result in failure, but you hope a small percentage of those you contact will agree to meet with you. And from that group, some small percentage will want to discuss a proposal, and a smaller percentage may hire you.

Read more about Cold Calling and the Repeated Pain