All salespersons and entrepreneurs have one thing in common. We all hate cold-calling or at the very least hate making that first call. It usually gets better after three or four dials, but some bizarre combination of fear, self-doubt, lack of conviction, and imposter syndrome makes it very hard for us to pick up the phone.

There are dozens of ways to contact customers nowadays that don't involve cold-calling. However, it still remains the most effective way for growing nearly every kind of business. Millions of books have been sold proclaiming otherwise. Telling folks what they want to hear is a big moneymaker.

There is and never will be a better way to connect with a customer than actually talking to them. In this episode, we offer five tips for making the process less painful and more productive.