What approach should I take when cold calling?

Your reason for contact, either cold-call or warm referral, must be of substance and not just another random-act-of-selling.

I also encourage people to take the time (prior to making initial contact) to understand who your calling and how you can contribute to them most, and make that the sole reason for your call.

I encourage people to cold-call by coming from a place of 'contribution' first; I call this approach 'buying-in'. In highly resistant sales executions, like cold-calling, you have to buy-in before you can successfully sell-in because the mass of cold-callers that have gone before you, have trained your customers to ignore you.

Like anything in life, you get out what you put in. So make every call an opportunity to learn about your customers (so even if you get a "not interested" response you are still taking away value you can apply next time.) And be sure to use each call to positively promote not just your company but yourself.

If someone looked me in the eyes and said with conviction, "I love cold-calling and I'm going to be the world's best cold-caller!" and they were prepared to stick long enough to realise their vision, I have no doubt they would succeed in the end. Conversely, most people cold-call because they have no choice and don't enjoy the process, making their efforts condemned before the first call is even made.