Cold calling potential prospects can be frustrating and hard.Whether you are doing it in person or on the phone, it is your jobto warm up a potential customer.

This process can be exceedingly difficult, especially if you'renot used to it.

I've called many prospects, and I've learned how to make thisprocess much easier.

Here are 7 cold calling tips to help improve your closing rate:

1. Focus all your questions on your client, not yourself.

In your initial contact with the prospect, focus all yourattention and your questions on the prospect. Don't talk aboutwho you are and what you do, or about your company.

Remember, it is about them, not about you. Client-centeredselling is professional selling. You are only sellingprofessionally when you are talking to your client about his or herwants and needs.

2. Plan your questions in advance.

More information = more sales. In cold calling, the moreinformation you can elicit, the easier it will be for you toqualify the prospect and then go on to make a sale.

This is where questioning is so important. Your questions shouldbe thought out carefully in advance, and organized in a logicalsequence from the most general to the most specific.

Related: Are you a cold calling failure?

3. Don't follow any cold calling scripts.

Once you have a positive response from a prospect to youropening question, you then ask him questions about his business,his market, his budget and so on. Very often, people will give youall of this information in exchange for the benefit that youpromised in your opening question.

Related: 10 of the most common phone selling mistakes (andwhat to do instead)

To get the answers to these problems from your prospect, askquestions such as the ones in these scripts below:

• “If you could magically eliminate three of your biggestproblems in your business or market, what would they be?”
• “If you could create the ideal situation for your business,what would you change?”
• “I'd like to schedule a meeting with you in person todiscuss your business needs and how my product will benefit you.How does Wednesday at 2 p.m. sound?”

Always remember, that cold calling and sales in general, shouldbe very personal. You should focus on your customer's needs as anindividual on a case-by-case basis.

This is how you build relationships with you customersand have long sales relationships to come. Using cold-callingscripts can make the call feel less personal and this is somethingyou want to avoid.

4. Don't overwhelm the prospect during your first meeting.

When you are “cold meeting” a prospect for the first time, astrategy is for you to “go in naked.” This meansthat, at the most, you should carry a simple folder rather than abriefcase full of brochures or samples.

If the prospect is interested and wants a presentation and moreinformation, you can always go back to your car to get what youneed and bring it in. But, when you go in without a briefcase, youlower the stress of initial sales resistance and cause the prospectto relax and open up to you sooner.

5. Don't attempt to sell on your first cold call.

On your first call, you should never attempt to sell. Focuson information gathering. Unless you are selling somethinginexpensive that requires little thought, you want to interview theprospect by asking questions. Take notes and tell them you willcome back to them.

Focus on building the relationship and coming across asfriendly, genial and nonthreatening.

6. Keep your prospect relaxed.

The longer your prospect remains relaxed and the more he opensup to you, the more likely it is you will make the sale in the longrun.

If you are cold calling on the phone, try my 100 Calls Technique. It will help you to relaxand be much more personable on every one of your sales calls.

7. Find out exactly what benefit will cause your customer tobuy from you.

With each customer there is a key benefit that will triggerbuying desire and cause the customer to purchase your product orservice.

At the same time, there is a key fear or doubt that will holdthe customer back from buying. Your initial job in your first coldcall with your prospect, and the key to qualifying them, is to findout exactly what benefit will cause this customer to buy from you,and exactly what fear or doubt might hold this customer back frombuying from you.

Bonus tip: Don't be afraid to ask for more.

Don't be afraid to ask. “Ask” is the magicword for sales success.

You can even say, “Mr. Prospect, what we have found isthat there is always a key benefit or major reason that a personwould purchase our product or service. What might it be foryou?”

If you are open, honest and genuine, and ask out of curiosity,you will be amazed at the answers you'll hear. Prospects will oftengive you all the information that you need to make a sale.

The key for you is to ask.

Follow these 7 cold calling tips to help maximize your sales,generate better leads and create long-lasting relationships withyour customers.

Related: Calling tips for insurance agencies andbrokers