With the advent of emails many salespeople have given up on calling prospects.  Let’s face it, calling is hard.  It’s one thing if someone rejects you by not answering your emails.  It is another thing if they reject you over the phone.  However, it is a great way to reach out to someone.  There is nothing more effective as having a conversation with a buyer about your product.  This way you can have a give and take where you can counter objections or answer questions the buyer may have.   The question then becomes, what do you have to do to make sure you have effective calls?
Give yourself a goal of making a certain number of sales calls a day.  And I don’t mean 5.  It should be more like 20, 30, or 50 if you can manage it.  The more you reach out the more results you will have.  When you speak to a buyer know in advance what you are going to say.  You should introduce yourself and your company and ask if they are available to speak.  If not ask when would be a better time to call .  Then make an make an appointment with them for that time.  If they are available  you should be prepared to tell them the story about your company.  A well honed founding story that includes your USP (unique selling proposition) will help you connect with your customer.
Don’t just call anyone.  Make sure you do your due diligence  on your potential customer.  You want to determine if your product is right for them.  Otherwise it is a waste of your time and theirs.
Most times you will not get someone on the phone.  Don’t give up.  Keep calling till you get them.  Ideally phone calls plus a mailer and/or email are the most effective way to reach out to a prospect.  This way you are getting in front of them with pictures and information and the phone call cinches the deal.