Your prospects will usually be busier than fast-food joints at lunchtime. In fact, if you can get someone on the phone every time you try, you're probably contacting the wrong person.

Expect to reach voice mail more often than real people; it's inevitable. When gathering on-profile names, try to get phone numbers and extensions, along with e-mail addresses.

Try this! As you make pre-approach calls, you will have to decide whether to leave a voice mail message or call back later. Leave a message! Introduce yourself and leave your phone number, but say you'll try again. You'll have broken the ice, and your prospect will remember you when you call back. When you call back you may still face the same decision. Turn a deficit into an asset; consider leaving a concept-specific message, like this one to a member of the Baby Boomer market:

"Hello, my name is Kevin McCory with Ohio National Financial Services here in Anytown. I don't believe we've met, but I'm calling to introduce myself and to see if you're as interested in wealth accumulation for retirement as other successful people your age [or, our age] in the area have been.

"Please call me at [phone number], so we can determine if this is a good fit for you and schedule a brief, 20 minute meeting. "

If the prospect doesn't call back, don't give up. Next time you call, be ready to leave another voice mail message, providing interesting new information, and how it benefits the prospect.

Again, the more you know about your prospects — their generational cohorts, their family and business situations, and the types of benefits their employers offer — the easier it is to personalize pre-approach contacts.

When you reach an on-profile prospect by phone, explain the reason for your call, give your benefit statement, and get a specific commitment (date and time) for the next contact/scheduled meeting.