Monster.com has an amusing, quick-read article about sales demonstrations gone horribly wrong. The example is predictable, but funny nonetheless. Hidden inside this article is a reference to a tremendous Abraham Lincoln quote:
Abe Lincoln once said that if he had eight hours to chop down a tree, he would spend the first six hours sharpening the saw.
That euphimism is applicable to prospecting for new customers in today’s world. Today, cold calling requires a salesperson to have, at a minimum, a cursory knowledge of the company and their basic business model. Salespeople who cold call without that basic knowledge have sales careers that are already circling the drain.